News / Footballers forfeit fixture
THE SHETLAND football team has been forced into surrendering the Jock Mackay Memorial Cup after a mixture of weather and logistics put paid to its repeatedly postponed quarter-final fixture with Halkirk.
The team, who won the cup last year after beating Thurso, were due to play the North Caledonian League side in the competition last Saturday at Recreation Park in Halkirk.
However, it was called off shortly before kick-off for a fourth time due to an unplayable pitch while the Shetland team waited for a southbound ferry in Orkney.
It has now been confirmed that Shetland has forfeited the match because they are unable to field a team for the rescheduled fixture this coming weekend.
Manager John Scott Christie said prior engagements meant they couldn’t make the match at such short notice.
“After being given only a few days notice for the rearranged fixture, it really has been impossible to get a squad ready,” he said.
“The players and coaches unfortunately had prior commitments this weekend after making great efforts to go to Halkirk last Saturday.”
The Shetland team’s misery was compounded last weekend when Saturday night’s NorthLink sailing from Kirkwall to Shetland was cancelled, with many of the players only returning home on Monday.
The Halkirk fixture had twice been postponed due to ferry cancellations, with weather causing havoc on the other two occasions.
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