North West Sutherland association secretary offers Mackay Cup lifeline to Dornoch City after league expulsion
Dornoch City have been removed from this year’s North West Sutherland Amateur League competition, the association’s secretary has confirmed.
The Sutherland football club’s expulsion follows a Friday night fixture against Inver, which saw them reduced to seven men after conceding 13 goals in the opening 23 minutes of the game – having started the game with just eight players.
The game was abandoned by the referee after one of the Dornoch players could not continue.
The weekend before, the club had been unable to field a team against Helmsdale United.
North West Sutherland amateur league secretary Hugh Morrison said the association had been left with no choice but to remove the club from the league competition – but he was prepared to leave entry to the Mackay Cup open.
In a statement to member clubs, he said: “It gives me no pleasure to confirm that Dornoch City have been removed form the North West Sutherland Amateur League with immediate effect.
“Having spoken to [the manager], he realises it had to happen, but I have said that if they want to enter the Mackay Cup at the end of the season they can, as they are paid up members of this association.”
Dornoch City had been successful in fulfilling ties in the Stafford Cup and Highland Amateur Cup prior to the beginning of the league campaign.
Morrison also confirmed that matches thus far involving Dornoch will be declared null and void, with the league now reduced to nine teams.
