Tributes have been paid to an Elgin footballing stalwart who served a trio of Moray clubs.
Mike Christie died aged 85 on December 30 2022 having been associated with Elgin Boys Club, Burghead Thistle and Elgin City over many decades.
As a budding footballer, Mike was a goalkeeper with Burghead and other Junior sides in the area and could have ended up joining West Bromwich Albion.
Son Craig, a journalist with Highland News and Media, explained: “Dad was in the Scots Guards for three years before he married my mum, Jean.
“When he was playing for the army football team at the barracks he was based at in England West Brom scouted the game and asked him for trials.”
However, Mike decided not to relocate down south and was soon to return home to Elgin.
After playing, Mike became Burghead manager and guided them to the North Junior Championship and the last 16 of the Scottish Junior Cup.
He continued to support Burghead until his death with Thistle holding a minute’s silence in his memory prior to last Saturday’s game against Deveronside.
In the late 1970s and early 80s, Mike served Elgin City as trainer during Willie Grant’s tenure as manager at Borough Briggs.
City also held a minute’s silence before last weekend’s game against East Fife.
Pride in Boys Club role
Meanwhile, his association with Elgin Boys Club lasted from the mid-60s until his death.
Craig added: “Elgin Boys Club was formed in 1964 and he joined in 1966 and he was involved right through until he died so that was a 56-year association.
“He loved to see players from the boys club coming through and making it either at Elgin or a higher level.
“Steve ‘Pele’ Paterson was someone he coached who always spoke fondly of my dad and he was delighted to see Pele sign for Manchester United having been with Elgin Boys Club.
“John Clayton played for a lot of English clubs having coming through the boys club.
“The two my dad was probably most proud of, because they were both goalkeepers, was Nicky Walker and Alan Main.
“There was a 50th anniversary of the club in 2014 and Alan and Nicky both came back to Morriston Park and played in an old boys game.
“They were the two goalkeepers and my dad was delighted about that.
“They were young loons he spotted a bit of potential in, my dad always followed their progress and was delighted to see them play in the Premiership and get international recognition.
“He liked to see young loons enjoying their football and he always gave them encouragement.
“There was a social aspect to it as well – he wasn’t always coaching, he was on the committee and would help out with any job he could.
“Even up to the last year of his life, he was still cutting the grass at Morriston Park and lining pitches.”
Mike was married to Jean for 60 years and the couple have two sons, Ryan and Craig.
As well as serving in the army, Mike worked as a plumber, in finance and insurance, as a welder, an undertaker and later in life made deliveries for Highland News and Media.
He was also a keen golfer at Garmouth and Kingston Golf Club.