Revival of Inverness Football Festival
The Inverness Football Festival is being revived at the weekend (15-17 June) when youth teams from Clachnacuddin, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County play host to an under 17 team from FC Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany – the long-established town-twin of Inverness.
The Inverness Town Twinning Committee has joined forces with the football clubs, Highland Football Academy and The Highland Council to stage a three-day round-robin event, which coincides with the opening stages of the Euro 2012 in Poland and the Ukraine.
Following a trip on Loch Ness, the Bavarian guests play their first match at 6 pm on Friday 15 June at the Millburn Academy astroturf pitch against Clachnacuddin.
At 3pm on Saturday 16 June, they play Ross County on the Highland Football Academy pitch at Victoria Park. Their final game is against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Sunday, kicking off at 2 pm at Grant Street Park, the home of Clachnacuddin.
Ross County will play Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Charleston Academy on Friday 15 June (6 pm kick off); Inverness Caledonian Thistle will play Clachnacuddin at Millburn Academy Astroturf at 3 pm on Saturday 16 June; and on Sunday 17 June, Clachnacuddin will play Ross County at Grant Street Park, kicking off at noon. The public are welcome to attend the matches and admission is free. There is limited parking only at Grant Street Park and spectators are encouraged to walk to the ground.
The prize giving will take place at a reception at Inverness Town House at 5pm on Sunday, when The Highland Council Convener Councillor Jimmy Gray will present the awards.
Councillor Gray said: “I am really pleased that the Football Festival has been revived. It builds on our important links with Augsburg. We have devised a full programme for our guests and we trust that everyone involved will benefit greatly from this exchange.”
Duncan Chisholm, who is co-ordinating the visit on behalf of the Town Twinning Committee, said: “This is the latest in a long programme of exchange visits, which helps maintain the close links we have with Augsburg.”
Charlie Christie, Head of Youth Development at Inverness Caledonian Thistle said: “The young players from the three Highland teams are really looking forward to the challenge of playing against their counterparts from Augsburg, whose senior team plays in the top flight in Germany.
“We are encouraging spectators to come along and see what promises to be good quality competitive matches involving the top young players in our area.”
Time has been set aside to allow the players to watch the Euro 2012 championships, which involves Germany, who play Denmark on Sunday evening in their final group stage match.