Buckie Thistle president Garry Farquhar has thanked his club’s supporters for their generosity during the lockdown.
Jags fans have contributed more than £3,000 to the club coffers in the last month, which will go some way to tiding them over during a period with no income.
The club sold 150 magic squares at £10 a go, with the winners getting hospitality places at Victoria Park. The supporters club donated £500 to their cause and a justgiving page – set up a fortnight ago – has already racked up more than £1,800.
Buckie were one of the first Highland League teams to announce their plays would be foregoing their wages during this period of uncertainty, with their league season already declared finished.
The bills do not stop coming, however, and Farquhar has tipped his hat to what he describes as the “best fans in the country.”
He said: “I got a shock with the justgiving page, as it was only set up in the middle of the week. Money like that goes beyond any expectations.
“I’ve always said we’ve got some of the best fans in the country and they’re living up to their reputation.
“We’re like any other business. We got an electricity bill the other day for £470, which is slightly lower than normal but it’s an outgoing you have to keep addressing. At the end of the day a football club is a business, at the moment has zero income just like every other poor person suffering the same outcome.”
Leaflets have also been distributed around the town advertising help from members of the club, for anyone in the community who may need it.
Farquhar added: “I was speaking to one of the girls from the supporters’ club and she said there were a couple of fans in the area she hadn’t heard from. She got in the car to see that they were OK. It just shows the length people will go to for people we have genuine concern about.”
The majority of players are under contract for next season, with the Jags even able to add to their squad at the end of last month with the signing of defender Sam Pugh.
Defender Hamish Munro, a qualified sports scientist, has given the players training programmes to complete while they are at home.
Farquhar said: “I’m sure they’ll all be keeping up with them as they all take football seriously.
“Everyone is seeing sense and realising – the guys were quick to accept that there was no more income for the next few months. But we have an obligation to pay them up to a certain point.”