North of Scotland crowned National Cup winners after ‘deep disappointment’ of forfeit by scheduled opponents Paisley
The North of Scotland School’s senior boys have been crowned national champions – but not in the way they would have wanted.
A team composed of pupils from across Inverness, Ross-shire, Strathspey and Caithness had thrashed Fife 6-1 in the semi final at Nairn County’s Station Park to book their spot in the National Cup final.
Goalscorers for the North included Euan Kennedy from Thurso High School, Joe Coyle from Kingussie High School, Kieran Munro and Craig Lawrie from Dingwall Academy, Robbie Mackenzie from the Nicolson Institute and Gavin Thomson from the Inverness Royal Academy.
Other schools represented in the side included Culloden Academy, Millburn Academy, Lochaber High School, Kirkwall Grammar and Thurso High School.
In the final, they were due to face Paisley, but the North of Scotland Schools Football Association announced on social media that they had been crowned winners of the 2024/25 National Cup by forfeit.
The post read: “It is with deep disappointment that we inform you all that this season’s national cup final has been conceded.
“The Paisley District Association have confirmed they are unable to raise a team for the fixture, and as such, the final will not go ahead. This means that we have been crowned National Cup winners for 2024/2025.
“Throughout the campaign, we have ensured that all of our fixtures were completed by the agreed “play by” dates, adhering strictly to the competition guidelines. However, due to the other semi final being played several weeks after the deadline, the window to schedule a final before study leave became extremely limited.
“As an association, we have taken a clear position that no fixtures will be played during the study leave and exam period, in recognition of the importance of our players' academic commitments.
“This outcome does nothing to diminish the exceptional performances, commitment, and team spirit shown by our players and coaches this season. There have been some truly memorable moments and we are immensely proud of what this group has achieved.
“Unfortunately, this talented and dedicated group will not get the final they so richly deserve. On behalf of the North of Scotland Schools FA, we thank the players for their time, their commitment, and the pride with which they have represented the district.”