Football club thanks salmon farmer for 'lifeline' funding
Scottish Sea Farms has confirmed its continued sponsorship of Orkney Football Club (OFC) for the coming season, helping local players compete against mainland teams.
The £5,000 funding will go towards training and travelling expenses for away matches once grassroots football resumes in the autumn.
Orkney Football Club vice-chairman Euain Penny described the salmon farmer’s ongoing sponsorship, amounting to a total of £43,300 since it began in 2013, as an “absolute lifeline”.
Travel costs
“Travel costs are our biggest expense and without Scottish Sea Farms’ help we would be struggling,” Penny said in a press release.
“With Covid, we are aware that many companies are having to be very careful with their expenditure, so when I got the news from Scottish Sea Farms that the sponsorship would be continuing this season, it was a huge relief.”
Orkney Football Club, which recruits players from across Orkney, is a member of the North Caledonian Football Association, a league operating throughout the Highlands and islands.
The current squad has 33 players who are eager to resume training ahead of the new season, expected to kick off in October.
Pyramid structure
Last year’s season had to be declared null and void because of the coronavirus lockdown, but Penny said the team has high hopes for 2020-2021.
“It’s even more exciting this year because it looks like the league is going to be recognised as a Tier 6 league for the first time. That means that it’s in the pyramid structure that goes all the way to the top of Scottish football.
“This could provide opportunities for successful teams in the league gaining promotion to the Highland League or entry into the Scottish Cup draw, both hugely exciting prospects!”
Orkney FC has performed well since joining the North Caledonian League in 2012, winning the league championship in the 2017-2018 season and scooping the Jock Mackay Cup last year.
Team captain Wayne Kirkness said: “On behalf of the whole squad I would like to say a huge thank you to Scottish Sea Farms for their very generous support yet again this year. We could not do this without them.”
Among the team’s biggest fans is SSF’s regional manager for the Northern Isles, Richard Darbyshire, who is not only a familiar face at games but also gets to pick the Man of the Match.
He said: “It means a lot to those of us living and working on Orkney that we can continue our support of Orkney Football Club through the Heart of the Community Trust.
“We know first-hand the loyal following that both the team and game itself have locally, so anything we can do to help our talented players experience high level competitive football on a regular basis has to be a good thing in terms of encouraging younger generations to remain on the islands.”
