St Andrews University Football Club: players travel from across the globe for first reunion in 50 years

Some 60 alumni came to the Auld Grey Toon to celebrate with fellow footballers and enjoy hundreds of steps back in time with various social events and activities.

Getting everyone together from around the globe was not easy, but co-organiser Sandy Robertson took on the task of sleuthing and tracked down a starting list of 90, including John Leith, 69, who is still working in Boston.

“I trawled Facebook and various websites like LinkedIn, plus Companies House register and managed to track down a number of alumni who had gone off the radar,” explained Sandy who was the goalkeeper from 1977-80, “and that included John Leith.

“Richie Hayhurst, another on the co-ordinating committee, phoned his office in Boston in the States and John came over for the week.”

Despite their ages and ailments some 30 veterans donned their Classic and Neo-classical football shirts, shorts and cleats once again to play walking and normal seven-a-side football, but a few fell foul to injuries so did not complete the three game sequence.

Alan Clark, another co-organiser and one of the best, if not the best players to turn out for St Andrews Uni during this period - he played for Scottish Universities four years running from ‘74-78 - did his best, as referee to keep the football flowing and the eager Oldies from running! Well, jogging, if truth be told. Clark has lived in Bucharest for the past few decades.

With arthritis and hip problems and other maladies kicking in they climbed mountains to get their injury ravaged bodies onto their field and moving in the right direction at the St Andrews University Athletic Union, and then moved onto the Himalayas.

The renowned putting green adjacent to the Old Course proved quite a challenge to many but Stevie Britton came up on top with a canny and classy 39, that included four holes in one! Tim O’Leary was a short nose behind with three holes in one.

Still not finished for the day, the Oldies moved into extra, extra time by going back to the University playing fields and watching the St Andrews Firsts launch a sterling comeback from behind and beat Stirling University 4-1, cheered on by the 1970 to 85 Brigade.

As well as a Welcoming drinks evening in the Greyfriars hotel, evening meal at the Jahangir Indian restaurant on South Street, lunch at Forgan’s on Market Street, hosted by Lord Sullivan, two of the highlights were Raasay Whisky tasting at the Rusacks Hotel, overlooking the Old Course, sponsored by Raasay founder Billy Dobbie - Uni winger from 1977-81 and first team captain in ‘79-80 and ‘80-81 seasons - and a musical evening in the St Andrews Student Union Beacon Bar, with George Burton and Ian “Bud” Mclaren showing their guitar and singing talents, following on from the flamboyant Lord Shane Sullivan, Russian graduate and ex Bank of England, and his take on Leo Sayer. ….

For those still with energy in the tank there was an 18-hole golf sortie at the Eden on the Thursday morning, which was neck and neck with Robert Cockcroft and the “handicapped” Andy Blackburn beating Tom Kirkpatrick and Paul Gibbins, who registered two birdies, by a few shots.

A not at all bitter Kirkpatrick said afterwards; “Blackburn, the next time you’re not playing off that handicap again.”

And Richie Hayhurst added: “Stuart Milne, the St Andrews Uni director of sport, and the Saints football team overwhelmed us with their welcome, but this was repeated at every turn - can’t wait for the next one.”