I mentioned in this post that our journey up to and back down from Elgin last April turned out to be a peregrination through the heartland of the Highland League.

It meant I have now visited nearly all of the towns which have hosted past or present Highland League clubs during my lifetime.

The first of these would have been Inverness (home to Caledonian FC,* Clachnacuddin and Inverness Thistle*.) I have walked past Caledonian’s former Telford Street Park ground and been to a game at Clachnacuddin’s Grant Street Park but never saw Thistle’s ground, Kingsmills. I think I may have visited Dingwall (Ross County) around the same time. After that – or possibly before – it would have been Brechin (many times now) to see The Sons of the Rock play Brechin City at Glebe Park. Next up was probably Fort William. Another trip to Inverness saw us take in Nairn (Nairn County) and Forres (Forres Mechanics.)

I don’t think I went to Aberdeen (Banks O’ Dee, Cove Rangers,) until well after those trips.

Then on our first sojourn up to Orkney we passed through Brora (Brora Rangers) and Wick (Wick Academy.) A year or so later a journey up to Aberdeenshire saw us in Inverurie (Inverurie Loco Works,) Huntly and Turriff (Turriff United.) In 2019 we went to Peterhead and on to Fraserburgh. The year after that on another trip to Peterhead we visited Pitmedden (Formartine United.)

And so to last April’s journey, passing through Grantown-on-Spey (Strathspey Thistle) and Rothes before reaching Elgin (Elgin City) with a side trip to Lossiemouth. Then finally, on the way back home, Keith.

So, out of all the towns/cities to host clubs in the Highland League during my lifetime I have only Buckie (Buckie Thistle) and Banff (Deveronvale) to visit.

*The present SPFL club whose name contains these two descriptors was formed when Caledonian and Inverness Thistle merged in 1994 to ensure entry into the then SFL. That merged team, Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC, have never played in the Highland League.

Yet more from Dumbarton FC’s 150th Anniversary Exhibition.

Notable former players from before my time:-

I don’t remember John Rowan. Hughie Gallacher was the star of of the late 1950s Sons side which came close to promotion. He’s still top scorer for DFC. John Hosie was the club’s Secretary for donkeys’ years. Robert Robertson was the chairman who was in place when the Sons regained their place in the top flight of Scottish football in 1972. Johnny Graham was a brilliant midfield maestro and holds the record for most appearances for the club:-

Chairman Robertson features in this caricature of Dumbarton worthies:-

Daily Record record of 1926 Scottish Cup Tie. Dumbarton 1-1 Buckie Thistle:-

The replay involved a marathon midweek journey and was followed by Sons’ biggest ever defeat:-

Ephemera. I have one of those 1991 -92 Second Division Championship mugs:-