A former Highland League football star has died.
John Fairclough was the longest living former Keith FC player when he died at the age of 97.
As well as playing in the Highland League, he was also a striker in the Aberdeenshire Junior League.
Born in 1921 in Hindley, beside Wigan, Mr Fairclough later joined the RAF and fought in Burma during World War II.
He moved to Aberdeen after hostilities ended, and got a job at meat factory Lawson of Dyce.
It was in the Granite City where he began playing junior football, and played a handful of games for Mugiemoss as a forward.
During the tail-end of the 1949-50 season he ended up at Kynoch Park thanks to links between Mugiemoss and Keith FC stalwart and former club chairman George Rattray.
Although he only played a handful of times for the club, making about 12 to 15 appearances for them, he did score a goal that will go down in history.
Mr Fairclough netted one of the quickest goals ever scored by a Keith player in a 5-1 victory against Inverness Thistle on March 11, 1950, with his first strike coming in under 30 seconds.
He continued living in Aberdeen and worked as a courier, driving a van and delivering goods for a company.
About 10 years ago, Mr Fairclough and his wife Marjorie moved to Forres. He died at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin on February 20.
He is survived by his wife Marjorie, sons John, George and Kenneth and his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Mr Fairclough’s funeral will be held tomorrow at 11am at Moray Crematorium.