Summer return for club in North West Sutherland league after eight year absence
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
An amateur football team from Ullapool are preparing to don their boots once again following an eight year hiatus.
Lochbroom FC had originally announced plans for a revival in February 2020, but disruption to the summer football calendar during the pandemic has meant that the club have had to endure a two year wait to make their long anticipated return.
But with the North West Sutherland Amateur League set to kick off in April, the Wester Ross side can finally look forward to competing.
The team were previously members of the now defunct Ross-shire Amateur League and had a brief spell in the Inverness and District Amateur League before falling into abeyance in 2014.
They now return as members of the North West Sutherland scene, where it is anticipated they will enter into the second tier of league competition.
At the heart of their revival is player/manager Ben Bruce, who runs the club alongside Michael Munro, and also acts as the club's secretary.
Bruce, who plays as a striker for North Caledonian League club St Duthus FC during the winter, is an Ullapool native with strong connections to sport in the village as the area's active schools coordinator.
The forward cites Ullapool's successful youth football setup as the catalyst for Lochbroom FC's revival.
"The community has been fantastic in helping us reform as a club with lots of people getting involved with sponsoring players and getting us new equipment.
"We are particularly grateful to Robert Hicks and The Arch Inn for sponsoring us again and arranging new kit for us.
"Due to the fantastic work of Ullapool Under 18 football club who play in the Highland League, there are some great young players we will have involved, along with a good handful of experienced guys.
"Our aims for the season are to just finally complete a season for Lochbroom. Anything that comes from the season will be a success as we will finally have summer football back in our community."
Lochbroom will be playing their games at the all-weather 4G pitch at Ullapool High School with games mostly played on Saturdays.
More information on the club and its history can be found at lochbroomfootballclub.com.
