Shorter Highland League season makes it anybody's game, says Nairn manager
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The Highland League will look very different next season after a format was announced for the 2020/21 campaign.
Teams will only play each other once in a shortened season, with each side in the division playing eight home games and going on the road for eight games.
Saturday, October 17 is the planned start date in line with the Championship, League One and League Two, assuming Covid-19 restrictions do not become more stringent before then and sport is allowed to continue to return.
The Highland League Cup will also look different, with a new group stage planned for the opening round.
With teams potentially being rusty after seven months without any competitive action, as well as every individual result potentially having more of an impact on the league table, next season could be one of the least predictable in years.
Teams like Clachnacuddin will fancy their chances of rising up the final standings if they can pull off a shock result or two, while others may be looking over their shoulders if they get off to a poor start.
At the other end of the table, the title race could be far more open too with less time to atone for slip-ups over a 16-game campaign.
For a team like Nairn County, who scored some big results early last season, it could even put them in the hunt to finish top.
Last season Nairn claimed three points at home against eventual champions Brora Rangers, while also picking up a point at Station Park against runners-up Fraserburgh.
Manager Ronnie Sharp knows his team are capable of competing against the best sides in the division, and believes anything could happen in the new format.
“It really could be anybody’s game this year,” Sharp insisted.
“Teams like Fraserburgh, Brora, Inverurie, they have the bigger squads who can cope with the 32 games.
“They have always had the bigger chance, because they have the better squads.
“I suppose it depends on how things go, if you pick up injuries, and we don’t know how the Covid-19 is going to affect squads as well, players might have to isolate.
“Nobody really knows, so it could be a week-on-week effect with the games.”
Sharp was looking to secure a high finish before last season was brought to an early end, with some favourable games left unplayed because of the pandemic, and he thinks going on a winning run will be crucial.
“You could finish anywhere in the league this year, depending on how your fixtures go you could be top four or bottom four,” he insisted.
“Last year we still had a lot of winnable games to come in the last eight or nine games – six against the bottom four still to play.
“We had a good season against all the top teams, but nobody will be sure how it will go this year.
“If you get away to a good start, maybe the momentum will carry you for 16 games, you don’t know. If you make a bad start, that could be it.”
