 | |
| Full name | Loch Ness Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Ground | King George V Park, Fortrose |
| Capacity | 500 |
| Chairman | Hugh Gardner |
| Manager | Shane Carling |
| 2023–24 | North Caledonian League, 2nd of 12 |
Loch Ness Football Club is a Scottish football club playing in the North Caledonian Football League currently based in the town of Fortrose in the Scottish Highlands.
Loch Ness were formed in 1999 by current manager Shane Carling, and for 20 years played as members of the welfare/amateur recreational leagues of Inverness & District. [1] The club formed a senior team in 2020, and were accepted as members of the North Caledonian Football Association, joining a temporary second tier of the association, known as the Ness Cup League. [2] From 2021–22, they will play in the re-combined North Caledonian League.
During the summer of 2020, the club received widespread acknowledgement via social media after releasing prototypes for their new kits, which featured the Loch Ness Monster in the pattern. [3] [4] The designs were subsequently used and made by Lancashire company Zero Negativity Clothing, receiving orders worldwide upon release. As part of a sponsorship deal with WooHa Brewing Company, the sponsor created a limited edition lager named for the club. [5]
Loch Ness played their first game in the Ness Cup League on 17 October. Their debut in the senior ranks resulted in an emphatic 11–1 win over Scourie, another team making their debut in the league, with hat-tricks from DJ MacPhee and Luke Seago. [6]
In November, the club enlisted the help of former Clachnacuddin manager Iain Polworth to assist in coaching the side. [7] The side finished 4th in League 2 when the season was curtailed.
In the 2021–22 season Loch Ness were pipped to the league title by Invergordon, ultimately finishing 2nd.
In the 2022–23 season, Loch Ness won the North Caledonian League title for the first time in their history with a 5–0 win over Fort William, the title also meant they qualified for the Scottish Cup for the first time.
In the 2023–24 season, Loch Ness played their first ever Scottish Cup match, losing 3–1 away to Luncarty, before finishing the season as runners up, 6 points behind champions, Invergordon.
In Early 2024, Loch Ness entered talks with Highland League side, Strathspey Thistle over a potential merger, however these merger talks broke down soon after.
Ahead of the 2024–25 season, Loch Ness went into a period of abeyance for reasons unknown.
| Season | Division | Tier | Pos. | Pld. | W | D | L | GD | Pts | Scottish Cup | Other honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer League (1999–2020) | Inverness and District Football League | N/A | Stats unavailable | Ineligible | Stats prior to 2017 unknown 2021 Premier Division winners | ||||||
| 2020–21 | North Caledonian League League 2 | N/A | 4th | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | +13 | 15 | Ineligible | |
| 2021–21 | North Caledonian League | 6 | 2nd | 20 | 14 | 1 | 5 | +25 | 43 | Ineligible | |
| 2022–23 | North Caledonian League | 6 | 1st | 24 | 20 | 2 | 2 | +73 | 62 | Ineligible | |
| 2023–24 | North Caledonian League | 6 | 2nd | 22 | 17 | 3 | 2 | +54 | 51 | Preliminary round one; lost 3–1 to Luncarty | |
| Loch Ness enter abeyance | |||||||||||
Although the club has no fixed ground, they played their first season (2020–21) at Canal Park in Inverness, the regular home of Highland Rugby Club.
For the 2021–22 campaign, they are playing their home games at King George V Park in Fortrose.
The Scottish Highland Football League is a senior football league based in the north of Scotland. The league sits at level 5 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Scottish Professional Football League.
The North Caledonian Football Association is a senior football association operating throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and is a recognised body of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and as such has its senior football competitions officially registered with the SFA.
Invergordon Football Club are a senior football club from Invergordon in the Scottish Highlands. They compete in the North Caledonian Football League and play at the Recreation Grounds.
Clachnacuddin Football Club is a part-time, senior Scottish football club based in the city of Inverness, that currently plays in the Highland Football League.
Fort William Football Club is a senior football team from Fort William, Lochaber, Scotland. They play in the North Caledonian Football League, having been relegated from the Highland Football League in 2022 after 37 seasons.
Liam Polworth is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock. He has previously played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Motherwell and Dunfermline Athletic.
Josh Meekings is an English professional footballer and coach who plays as a central defender for Highland League club Clachnacuddin. Meekings has previously played for Ipswich Town, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Dundee, Wealdstone and Brora Rangers, the latter of whom Meekings was also player-assistant manager for.
Gary Robert Warren is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Clachnacuddin. He is also Head of Professional Academy at Scottish Premiership club Ross County.
The Inverness and District Football Association runs amateur football around the city of Inverness, in the Highlands of Scotland. They are affiliated to the Scottish Amateur Football Association.
Inverness Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football club playing in the North Caledonian Football League currently based in the city of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.
The 2017–18 North Caledonian Football League was the 109th season of the North Caledonian Football League. The season began on 2 September 2017 and ended on 21 April 2018. Invergordon were the defending champions.
The 2018–19Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. season is the club's second season in the Scottish Championship, having been relegated from the Scottish Premiership at the end of the 2016–17 season. Caley Thistle will also compete in the Scottish Challenge Cup, Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Cup. This season will be the 25th season since Inverness joined the Scottish Football League. This season is also the return of the Highland derby after Ross County were relegated one season after Inverness.
Ryan Fyffe is a Scottish footballer who plays as a defender for Highland League club Buckie Thistle.
The 2020–21 North Caledonian Football League was the 112th season of the North Caledonian Football League. The season began on 17 October 2020, following a delay caused by the suspension of football activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to no league title being awarded for 2019–20, Golspie Sutherland began the season as the defending champions.
The 2021–22 North Caledonian Football League was the 113th season of the North Caledonian Football League, and the first season as the sixth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system.
The 2022–23 Highland Football League was the 120th season of the Highland Football League, and the 9th season as part of the fifth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system. Fraserburgh were the reigning champions, but were unable to defend their title.
The 2022–23 North Caledonian Football League was the 114th season of the North Caledonian Football League, and the second season as part of the sixth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system.
The 2023–24 North Caledonian Football League was the 115th season of the North Caledonian Football League, and the third season as part of the sixth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system.
The 2024–25 North Caledonian Football League is the 116th season of the North Caledonian Football League, and the fourth season as part of the sixth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system. Invergordon are the reigning champions.