2021–22 North Caledonian Football League

The 2021–22 North Caledonian Football League (known for sponsorship reasons as the Macleod & MacCallum North Caledonian League) was the 113th season of the North Caledonian Football League, and the first season as the sixth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system.

North Caledonian Football League
Season2021–22
Dates21 August 2021 – 16 April 2022
ChampionsInvergordon[1]
Matches played110
Goals scored453 (4.12 per match)
Biggest home winGolspie Sutherland 9–0 Bonar Bridge
(2 October 2021)
Biggest away winOrkney 1–8 Golspie Sutherland
(25 September 2021)
Highest scoring4 matches:
9 goals[upper-alpha 1]
Longest winning run8 matches:
Loch Ness
Longest unbeaten run8 matches:
Loch Ness
Longest winless run11 matches:
Alness United
Longest losing run10 matches:
Nairn County A
All statistics correct as of 16 April 2022.

Invergordon won the league title for the sixth time, with a 1–0 victory over Orkney on 2 April 2022 securing an unassailable five-point lead over long-time league leaders Loch Ness, ahead of Loch Ness' final league game. Following a Scottish FA rule change in June 2020, champions Invergordon were awarded a place in the preliminary round of the 2022–23 Scottish Cup.[2]

Teams
Location of Orkney in the 2021–22 North Caledonian League
Location of mainland teams in the 2021–22 North Caledonian League

Stadia and locations
Team Location Home ground Capacity Seats Floodlit
Alness United Alness Dalmore Park[3] TBC 0 No
Bonar Bridge Bonar Bridge Migdale Playing Fields[4] 500 0 No
Golspie Sutherland [SFA] Golspie King George V Park[5] 1,000 0 Yes
Halkirk United Halkirk Morrison Park[6] 1,000 0 Yes
Invergordon Invergordon Recreation Grounds[7] 500 0 No
Inverness Athletic Inverness Inverness Royal Academy[8] 500 0 No
Loch Ness Fortrose King George V Park[9] 500 0 No
Nairn County 'A' Nairn Riverside Park[10] 500 0 No
Orkney Holm The Rockworks[11] 1,000 0 No
St Duthus Tain Grant Park[12] 500 0 No
Thurso Thurso Sir George's Park[13] 1,000 0 No

Withdrew

Having withdrawn from the 2020–21 North Caledonian Football League, Bunillidh Thistle announced their intention to withdraw from the 2021–22 season as well, in June 2021.[14] In the week leading up to the start of the season, Scourie also resigned their membership of the North Caledonian Football Association.[15]

Team Location Home ground Ref.
Bunillidh Thistle Helmsdale Couper Park [14]
Scourie Scourie Achlochan Park[16] [15]

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification
1 Invergordon (C) 20 14 3 3 43 24 +19 45 Ineligible for the Highland League play-off
2 Loch Ness 20 14 1 5 52 27 +25 43
3 Halkirk United 20 13 1 6 58 35 +23 40
4 Golspie Sutherland 20 11 5 4 55 27 +28 38
5 St Duthus 20 10 4 6 47 40 +7 34
6 Orkney 20 11 1 8 41 36 +5 34
7 Thurso[lower-alpha 1] 20 8 1 11 37 43 −6 22
8 Nairn County A[lower-alpha 2] 20 5 0 15 26 57 −31 18 Ineligible for promotion
9 Inverness Athletic 20 4 4 12 43 54 −11 16
10 Alness United 20 3 4 13 31 45 −14 13
11 Bonar Bridge 20 3 4 13 20 65 −45 13
Source: North Caledonian Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. Thurso deducted 3 points for fielding an ineligible player in their match on 12 March against Nairn County A.[17]
  2. Nairn County A awarded 3 points, after Thurso fielded an ineligible player in their match on 12 March.[17]

Notes

SFA Club with an SFA Licence (as of May 2021)[18] eligible to participate in the Highland League play-off should they win the league.

  1. The matches were Orkney 1–8 Golspie Sutherland on 25 September 2021, Golspie Sutherland 9–0 Bonar Bridge on 2 October 2021, Golspie Sutherland 7–2 Thurso on 3 December 2021 and Loch Ness 6–3 Inverness Athletic on 11 December 2021.

References
  1. North Caledonian FA [@NorthCaleyFA] (2 April 2022). "Congratulations to @InvergordonFC who were crowned @MacandMac28 North Caledonian League Champions today after their 1-0 win over Orkney" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 April 2022 – via Twitter.
  2. Law, Danny. "Invergordon to represent North Caledonian League in this season's Scottish Cup". Press and Journal. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  3. "Alness United FC - North Caledonian Football Association". North Caledonian FA Official Website. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  4. "Bonar Bridge FC - North Caledonian Football Association". North Caledonian FA Official Website. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  5. Golspie Sutherland Archived 22 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  6. Halkirk United Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  7. Invergordon Archived 22 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  8. "Inverness Athletic F.C." nonleaguescotland.org.uk. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  9. "Non League Scotland". nonleaguescotland.org.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  10. "Non League Scotland". nonleaguescotland.org.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  11. Orkney Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  12. "St Duthus F.C." nonleaguescotland.org.uk. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  13. Thurso Archived 22 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, nonleaguescotland.org.uk, Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  14. Chalk, Paul (11 June 2021). "Golspie Sutherland close in on North Caledonian League title – and target Highland League spot in longer term". The Press and Journal. Aberdeen Journals. Retrieved 20 August 2021. Bunillidh Thistle, who will retain their membership of the association, have elected to sit out of competition for a further season.
  15. Chalk, Paul (20 August 2021). "Scourie manager reveals reason for withdrawal from North Caledonian League". The Press and Journal. Aberdeen Journals. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  16. "Non League Scotland". nonleaguescotland.org.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  17. Hendry, Alan (18 March 2022). "North Caledonian League points deduction for Thurso after fielding ineligible player". North of Scotland Newspapers. Scottish Provincial Press. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  18. "Licensed Clubs - May 2021" (PDF). Retrieved 11 June 2021.
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