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Inverness Athletic chairman anticipates ‘special’ season as football club hit milestone decade since formation





Sandy Stephen formed the club back in 2016. Picture: Scott MacDonald/Mackie Sports Photography
Sandy Stephen formed the club back in 2016. Picture: Scott MacDonald/Mackie Sports Photography

Inverness Athletic are preparing to mark a significant milestone in their short history, as they prepare for their tenth season in senior football – a decade that has seen the club rise from humble beginnings to cup winners.

Founded in 2016 by Sandy Stephen, who remains chairman and the club’s burning energy to this day, Athletic began life as an ambitious project to bring a fresh perspective to the Inverness football scene.

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Now, almost ten years on, they enter the 2025–26 season in the North Caledonian League with a structured leadership model and a cup in the trophy cabinet.

The club currently operate four teams making it an all-year-round operation, competing in the North Caledonian League, Inverness & District Amateur League and the under-16 and under-18 divisions of the Highland Football League.

Stephen, whose efforts were recognised in 2021 when he was awarded the Best Volunteer in Adult Football for the north by the Scottish Football Association, is as excited about where his club can go today, as he was on day one.

Inverness Athletic Sandy Stephen, who founded the club back in 2016. Picture: Niall Harkiss
Inverness Athletic Sandy Stephen, who founded the club back in 2016. Picture: Niall Harkiss

“Going into our tenth season as a football club is special and exciting,” he explains. “It shows that we are doing the right things and we are slowly starting to establish ourselves as a proper football club – and slowly growing too.

“We’ve made some changes behind the scenes to help the club run more efficiently and involve more people in our progress.

“We now have two main groups in place – a board to steer the long-term direction, and a management committee to run the club on a day-to-day basis.

“It gives us the flexibility to keep moving forward while bringing more people into the heart of the club.”

A victorious Inverness Athletic celebrate their win in November last season. Picture: Scott MacDonald/Mackie Sports Photos
A victorious Inverness Athletic celebrate their win in November last season. Picture: Scott MacDonald/Mackie Sports Photos

New vice-chair Kevin Mackenzie, who joins the new board as Stephen’s number two, is the latest addition to the club’s evolving behind-the-scenes group.

A newly formed management committee also welcomes five new members, including former Athletic player and businessman Paul Coutts, ex-Fort William boss Ashley Hollyer, and former Strathspey Thistle goalkeeper Gordon MacDonald.

Also coming on board is Grant Henderson — the former chairman of Muir of Ord Rovers – and Heather MacDonald, who has a son involved in Athletic’s youth teams.

Progress on the pitch was underlined last season too, when the club secured its first ever piece of silverware.

In December, they came from behind to beat Alness United 3–1 in the final of the Football Times Cup at Dalmore Park.

Goals from Dominic Macaulay, Michael McRobert and a long-range hit from substitute Luke Mackay completed a historic comeback.

“Our trophy win last season was testament to all the hard work that everyone does at the club,” said Stephen. “It gives you drive and hunger for more.

“There is a real desire at all levels of the club to get the club name on silverware, while still doing things the right way, by focussing on improvement and promoting youth.”

But the road to 2025 for Stephen’s Athletic has been anything but easy.

Since their formation, the club has had to adapt and survive without the stability enjoyed by more established sides outside of the Highland capital.

Over the past nine years, they’ve been forced to move between four different home grounds – from Inverarnie Park in Farr to Cromal Park in Ardersier, the school pitch at Inverness Royal Academy, and last season at Ferry Brae Park in North Kessock.

Going forward, the club have a place at the table as part of a new Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Trust led project to build a new football facility across from Inverness Royal Academy.

The plan is for Athletic to join ICT women’s team in sharing the new ground, which was given the green light by Highland Council in September 2022.

Managerial changes were also frequent in the early years – with five different bosses leading the team in the club’s first six seasons – while much of the operational workload fell on a small band of volunteers.

Recruiting players, coaches and committee members was also a constant challenge.

But the appointment of current manager Stuart Ross in 2022 has brought much-needed stability on the pitch.

“This was needed,” Stephen said of the restructure. “The club has grown so much over the past few years that it’s now more important than ever to get more people involved to help push us to the next level – otherwise the last nine years has been for nothing.”

In many ways, the club’s survival and steady rise are remarkable, especially in a city where senior football ventures have often struggled to sustain momentum.

Inverness City, founded in 2006, fell into abeyance in 2017 after being unable to find a permanent home, despite several years competing in the top tier of the North Region Juniors.

More recently, Loch Ness – who made headlines with strong branding attracting worldwide support – folded after just three seasons.

Athletic, by contrast, have so far stayed the course with a focus on sustainability, community and youth.

“We want to keep doing things the right way,” said Stephen. “If we do that, and we stay true to the values we’ve had from the start, there’s no reason why we can’t keep pushing on for another ten years.”


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