Loch Ness will continue playing summer amateur football even if accepted into North Caledonian League
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Loch Ness FC have confirmed it will continue to play summer amateur football, even if their bid to join the North Caledonian League is accepted.
The Inverness and District Amateur outfit have confirmed they will be looking to make the step up to senior football next season.
However manager Shane Carling says it is their intention to keep playing in the Inverness and District Amateur Premiership, having played in the league for 21 years.
“We are looking at using our amateur team as a pre-season for senior football,” he said.
“The North Caledonian League is a bigger step for our club, but it would be weird for us not to have a team in the amateur league.”
Loch Ness finished in third place in the IDAFA Premiership last season, one point behind champions Maryburgh and finished behind on goal difference to Avoch.
Carling says it is now the time for his club to make the step up to senior football.
“It is something that I have looked into for a long time and it was always our goal to do it,” he said.
“It is something that the boys want to do too.”
If their application is successful, there would be two teams from Inverness in the NCL.
Inverness Athletic joined the league in 2016, which Carling managed for two years before leaving at the beginning of this season.
He thinks it would be good for the league to have two teams from the city.
“Having another team in Inverness is a big factor and I think we would get a lot of people coming to watch that,” he said.
