New Clachnacuddin goalkeeper Mark Ridgers says signing for the Lilywhites is a dream come true as Inverness Caley Thistle record holder finally joins boyhood club
Mark Ridgers says it will be a dream come true to step on to the Grant Street Park pitch where he grew up watching football.
The Inverness Caledonian Thistle clean sheet record holder has signed for Clachnacuddin on a one-year contract ahead of the 2025/26 Highland League season, fulfilling a life-long dream of playing for the Lilywhites.
Ridgers went to school with current Clach chairman Chris Stewart, and the pair would head along to the ground to watch the legendary 2003/04 double-winning team together.
Now, after 19 years as a full-time professional and a season playing for divisional rivals Buckie Thistle, it will be something of a homecoming for Ridgers as he turns out for his boyhood club.
“For anyone who knows me and has been around me, they will know I’m a Clach fan,” Ridgers explained.
“I went to watch them as a kid and I’ve always followed their games, and I’d still go and watch them when it worked out while I was at Caley.
“My family were right behind me because they all knew that I’ve always wanted to play for Clachnacuddin since I started out in football. It has taken a while to get here, but to finally get it done is a dream come true for me.
“Clach are why I wanted to play football. Kids used to ask me why I didn’t support a big team, but to me Clach were the big team.
“The past year they have shown their improvement on and off the field, so it’s looking good for the future and I can’t wait to get going.”
Despite growing up and falling in love with football at Grant Street, Ridgers’ career looked to take him beyond Clach’s reach for a long time.
However, the shot-stopper always had an inkling that he would one day return home to play for the Lilywhites, and he hopes to at least help them back on the way to more glory days.
“The more I got into my career – especially with my time at Hearts and St Mirren – the level I got to were beyond the expectations I set for myself,” Ridgers reflected.
“Always in the back of my mind I had the idea that if I was given the opportunity to come home and play for Clach, I would like to do it.
“When I signed for Caley I was obviously closer, and I had an idea of what I wanted to do, and that included playing for Clach before I retired.
“It was just a case of having the right people there. I used to joke with previous managers about signings pre-contracts, so it has been a long time coming but the little kid in me is buzzing.
“The people involved at the club knows how successful it can be. Back in the early 2000s Clach won the double, so it’s about taking that forward. They have built with experience in the last year, and results have shown that.
“Off the pitch the hospitality side of things is sorted, and performances have shown that they can compete again.
“We had tough games against Clach with Buckie last year, but for every game we weren’t playing against each other I wanted Clach to win.
“It’s good to see, and fingers crossed we can keep progressing this year and go higher in the league – and maybe even win a trophy.
“People have now realised again how big of a club Clach are in the Highland League, and now they’ve set that expectation we have to keep those standards up.”
When news broke of Ridgers’ departure from Buckie Thistle, fans of another one of his former clubs were calling for a return.
With Caley Thistle shot-stopper Musa Dibaga going off injured at half time in their defeat to Kelty Hearts last weekend, Ridgers had shot to the top of ICT supporters’ minds.
However, he says that was never on the table – but did sing the praises of Buckie for giving him time to adapt to part-time football over the last year.
“I did see the comments from Caley fans, but it wouldn’t have been the right option for me personally to go back even if it was an option really,” he added.
“I’m just fully focused on Clach now, and when this came up there was nothing that was going to change my mind.
“I’ve had a fantastic career professionally, and last year was a huge learning curve for me.
“It was difficult dropping into part-time football. It’s not like I was full time for one or two years – it was 19 years – so the transition was really hard.
“Lewis Mackinnon at Buckie was fantastic with me. The whole club was really, so I’m really grateful for them giving me the opportunity to play and adapt to it, but when this came about Lewis was more than understanding.
“They wanted me to stay at Buckie, but for me realistically there was only ever one club in the Highland League that I wanted to play for.
“Being closer to home with my family, getting home earlier from training sessions and being back in the house at 5.15pm every other Saturday to be there for dinner time with my wee man, that will be great.
“He will be able to come and watch me play too. I might still feel fit, but time catches up with you slowly but surely, so being able to have my family at Grant Street Park will be a proud moment.”