Fixture Frozen

Enthralling Ellon Encounters.       Nearly 40 years ago in our Amateur days we had four enthralling Cup matches with Ellon United.            In Season 1968/69 there were only three Amateur Divisions with Ellon United in the top league, Division I, whilst we were in Division II.

Paterson Cup - 2nd Round - Saturday 21 December 1968 - Ellon United 3 v Culter 3 (at Ellon) Our scorers were Jim Ward, Heath Smart and Derek Nicol.

This was one of Culter's best results that season so far.         Friday's Evening Express Amateur Notes were headed "Ellon hope to advance at expense of Culter" and stated "In a second round tie in this competition, Culter are not likely to worry Ellon United, who have won their last six games and will be playing at home".

Culter took the lead twice in the first half but had to be content with a half time score of 2-2.      In the second half Ellon United went ahead 3-2 but Derek Nicol equalised with the goal of the match.            With only a few minutes left to play, Ronnie Beattie hit what looked like being a match-winning goal but it crashed against the bar. Two of Culter's selected team were unable to play - leading goal scorer Jim Dunbar and George Annand, leaving substitute Bob Fraser and veteran Derek Forbes to stand in for them.

North of Scotland Cup - 2nd Round - Saturday 18 January 1969 - Culter 6 v Ellon United 6 (at Crombie Park) Half Time: 3 - 2.         Culter Scorers: Jim Ward (2), Arthur Stuart, Jim Dunbar, Derek Nicol and John Low.

Our team that afternoon of goals galore, before the days of substitutes, was:­

Milne; Forbes, Fraser; Beattie, Buist, Ward; Rae, Smart, Dunbar, Stuart, Nicol

The Ellon United goalkeeper was the late Brian Ahem who latterly became a prominent Amateur Referee.

The Referee was E Sharkey whose fee was One Pound Five Shillings, the Bali Boy earned Three Shillings and it cost Fourpence for a Telephone Call to report the Match Result- in the days of £.s.d.  The Match Collection was One Pound Two Shillings and Fivepence.     Our main fund raiser, the weekly Sweepstake brought in Seven Pounds Seven Shillings.

North of Scotland Cup - 2nd Round Replay - Saturday 8 March 1969 - Ellon United 5 v Culter 4 (at Ellon) Our scorers were Jim Dunbar (2), Allan Rae and Arthur Stuart. The replay had been programmed a few times but there were five postponements in the interim period and after this replay we had two more matches off.

Paterson Cup - 2nd Round Replay - Saturday 29 March 1969 - Culter 5 v Ellon United 2 (at Crombie Park) Culter players on target were John Low, Heath Smart, Jim Dunbar, Derek Nicol and Jim Ward. The Evening Express Notes by Amateur were headed "Culter cruise home in Cup" and stated "Four up at half time, Culter defeated Ellon United 5-2 to reach the third round of the Paterson Cup, Smart, Ward, Low, Dunbar and Nicol scored for Culter, while Thomson and Watt were Ellon's marksmen."

Club News 29th March 1969.        I reported in my Weekly Bulletin that the final evening of Winter training indoors would take place in the Community Centre on Tuesday 1 April 1969, player George Annand had been transferred to Division III Amateur side Donside, congratulations were extended to our centre half Gordon Buist who was married on Friday 28" March 1969 and that our Annual Dinner Dance would take place in The Douglas Arms Hotel Banchory on Saturday 5" April 1969 when we had a free date.

Diamond Day.   One of our players of the 1968/69 season was Heath Smart and a few of us took turns in taking Heath, of South Finnercy Echt, to and from our games.           Congratulations go to his parents Alexander and Joan Smart whc celebrated their Diamond Wedding on 30 December 2007.   Mrs Smart was born and brought up at South Finnercy, Echt, where the couple still live. They were pictured and featured in this week's Deeside Piper being presented with a bouquet of flowers and bottle of whisky by Westhill & District councillor Gurudeo Saluja on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council

 Weekly Lottery - Numbers Reduction.     The numbers available for selection will be reduced by one for the next draw i.e. 1 to 18 for Lottery dated Saturday 19 January 2008.

£20 "Choose Your Team" Competition Winner - Saturday 12 January 2008: David Ogston.

Forthcoming Fixtures

Saturday 19 January 2008 -Norsco Regional Cup Preliminary Round: Hillhead v Culter (at Hillhead of Seaton) Kick Off 2.15-p.m. Played to a finish - straight to penalties if level at 90 minutes

Sat 26 Jan 2008 - Rainbow International Superleague: Culter v Sunnybank (at Crombie Park, Culter) KO 2.00 p.m.

Saturday 2 February 2008 - North/Tayside GA Engineering Cup 3rd Round: Maud v Culter (at Pleasure Park, Maud) Kick Off 2.00 p.m. - played to a finish.

Juvenile Joy-         Congratulations go to Culter Youth FC in being awarded the SFA Quality Mark. Culter are the first juvenile club in the North-east to be given the award, and only the 28t in Scotland.   Culter chairman Craig Pirie was delighted especially as it coincided with the Club's  25th year celebration.