Footballers ready for outdoor season bow

Surprising as it may seem, and despite the cold and wet winter, the outdoor senior football season is just around the corner.

The traditional curtain raiser for the Shetland Football Association (SFA) outdoor season, The High­land Fuels Cup, began this week. The knock-out competition is seen by participating clubs as an ideal opportunity to get players outdoors again after a long winter in hibernation with many hours spent in training for the all too short summer season.

At last week’s SFA meeting final detail was agreed on the format for the season, due to start in earnest during the week of 19th April. The draw for the sections of the Madrid Cup was also made and sees Thistle, Spurs, Celtic and Scalloway drawn in group one while holders Whalsay with Delting, Whitedale and Ness United are in group two.

Highland Fuels fixtures are all booked for Harbison Park in Whal­­say and kick-offs are at 6.50pm. Quarter-finals: Result: Scalloway 4, Whitedale 7; Tonight – Thistle v Spurs; Monday 22nd March – Delting v Celtic; Wednes­day 24th March – Whalsay v Ness United.

Semi-finals: Friday 26th March – Thistle or Spurs v Delting or Celtic; Wednesday 31st March – Whalsay or Ness United v Whitedale.

Final – Wednesday 7th April.