July 15th 2024
Nairn County Football Club has made a £250 donation to the Forres and Nairn Welfare Football Association. The cash will go towards the maintenance of the Riverside pitch, which is used by the club for training and the Association as a home park for its Nairn-based teams. Steven Bain, of Nairn County’s Management Committee, said: “We appreciate the work the likes of Craig Walker, Barrie McDonald and others from the Forres and Nairn Welfare FA put in to maintaining this piece of Nairn Common Good Land as a playable football pitch for the entire community of Nairn to use all year round at any time they wish." “Our first team trains there in the summer for approximately one month during pre-season but only when there are no clashes with the Welfare League fixtures and we will also use it if any of our Saturday fixtures are postponed and no other facilities are available at such short notice." “That makes it a valuable resource for the club and with the number of youngsters also using the pitch to play football, it is important to the community of Nairn that it is maintained and kept as a football pitch – the FNWFA does a great amount of work to ensure that is the case. We are only too happy to show our gratitude and are willing to help them in any way we can.” Interim chairman of the Forres and Nairn Welfare League Barrie McDonald said: “We are delighted to have received this donation from Nairn County FC. We are looking to expand our working relationship with the club and it was great for us to be able to host the final of the Ally Ross Memorial Rosebowl at Station Park for the first time in living memory last year." “The money will come as a huge boost to us and allows us to progress with our programme of works to maintain the playing surface at the Riverside. The cash amounts to almost our entire budget for maintaining the pitch last year and we have already started working towards having it ready for the 2018 season." “We are delighted to have Nairn County use the park for training whenever it is free and to see it so widely used by the public. Everyone in Nairn who has played football down through the years will have played at the Riverside, whether in an organised game or in a kickabout with their mates and it is important that that continues.” He added: “Plans for the 2018 FNWFA league season are well underway and anyone who wishes to get involved with the running of the league can email me at fnwfachair@gmail.com.” Graeme Macleod
