STORM CLOUDS CLEAR FOR FORT
George Campbell was also born in the area and played for Aberdeen before a long career
of playing and coaching in Australia. He was renowned as having tremendous ball skills
and was dubbed “The Pelé of the North”. Much hilarity was had in the lead up to Euro
2016 when the club announced the signing of Robert Lewandowski. Unfortunately for the
Forts it wasn’t the FC Bayern superstar but a 41 year old goalkeeper.
Looking back in time it is somewhat surprising to note that football in Fort William arrived
late, as the Western Highlands region is much more interested in shinty, a traditional Scot-
tish Gaelic game played with wooden sticks. Comann Camanachd A' Ghearasdain (Fort
William Shinty Club) date from 1893 and Kilmallie Shinty Club from 1929, so their long
standing foothold in the town meant that the town did not have a football club until 1974.
Fort William FC initially contested friendlies and entered cup competitions such as the Scot-
tish Qualifying Cup, the Inverness Cup and the North of Scotland Club. The club’s remote
location meant there was no obvious league competition for the fledgling club to join. The
club eventually joined the North Caledonian League for the 1983/84 season and finished
runners-up to Muir of Ord before winning the title the following season. The club were in
the ascendancy and joined the Highland League for 1985/86.
The club has always played at Claggan Park, which they lease from the Highland Council. It
is an enclosed pasture in the foothills of the spectacular Ben Nevis mountain range. The
stunning backdrop is rightly lauded as one of the best in Europe but the peak is not actual-
ly Ben Nevis itself, but a hill called Meall an t-Suidhe which stands at a still impressive 711
The condemned stand
Photos: Pete Miles
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