Glance through the social media pages of any of the clubs in the league and you will invariably find pristine pitches that have been lovingly worked on over the past few months and that are crying out for football to be played on.
The Highland League clubs collectively took a very early decision to end the 2019/20 season and declare Brora Rangers as champions, their pragmatic approach proved right by subsequent events but soured by the fact that Brora were denied the chance to take their place in play-offs with the Lowland League winner and the bottom side in the SPFL.
Although clearly unhappy at the drawbridge being pulled up, league secretary Rod Houston gave an excellent interview to the Northern Goal podcast earlier this week in which he looked ahead at the practicalities involved in getting a 2020/21 campaign completed if the current mid-October start date for matches to be played in front of supporters is maintained.
One of those factors is the weather in the area which makes postponements inevitable, and sometimes prolonged, during the winter and often leaving a backlog of games to be played which in turn increases midweek calls on players who have jobs elsewhere.
That increases the frustration of no football at a time of year when the Highlands looks so stunning, as in early August 2019 when I was lucky enough to catch a game at the beautiful home of Rothes FC, Mackessack Park.
But there was certainly no axe to grind from the league secretary against the approach of the government in Scotland, merely a refreshing perspective on the wider issues involved.
The Donate a Ticket platform has been invaluable in adding to the club's own fundraising efforts and a warm welcome (as well as change from a £10 note) will await you should you find yourself at a Highland League ground in the future.
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