FINAL LINE-UP FOR LEGENDS DAY
‘Loons’ officials are delighted that the final count of management and staff from our SFL Division Two title winning side of 40 years ago who will be present at the Dumbarton fixture this Saturday now numbers sixteen in total.
In many people’s eyes the number one goalkeeper in the club’s history Stewart Kennedy who was originally not certain if he was going to make it along to the ground and club he graced with such distinction for over a decade has now confirmed his attendance.
The manager who guided the Athies to their first ever national title success in the spring of 1984 Doug Houston will therefore be joined to watch the current Forfar Athletic side in action by first and foremost his assistant and a hero of the late seventies as a player in the twilight of his career at Station Park Henry Hall.
From the playing ranks of the 83/4 season, skipper Ian McPhee of course also a former manager of the club will spend the afternoon and early evening at Station Park in the company of Billy Bennett, Kenny Brown, John Clark, Billy Gallacher, Stewart Kennedy, Gordon Leitch, Jimmy Liddle, Raymond Lorimer, Kenny MacDonald, Rab Morris, Ronnie Scott, Phil Smith and John Weir, all household names to Forfar fans of a certain era.
The group are due to meet up first and foremost in the 1984 Lounge with supporters welcome from around 1p.m, on the day, before heading to the Boardroom for a buffet lunch around 1.30p.m.
It is intended that a few of the squad will return at some point to the 1984 Lounge in the hour before kick-off to meet supporters in person.
Most importantly however the current Forfar Athletic fan base will have an opportunity to officially welcome and pay tribute to the ‘Class of 1984’ as they take a pitch side bow at 2.50p.m.
It is hoped that the home support will make the effort to be within the ground that wee bit earlier than may be normal for this pre-match tribute.
The squad will then watch the current ‘Loons’ players in action from the Directors Box, hopefully all going well recording a victory into the bargain, as they did 40 years before.
In the aftermath of the final whistle it is again anticipated that a few of the legends many of whom remember took Forfar Athletic to within touching distance of the Premier League two years later will make an appearance within the 1984 Lounge for photographic opportunities etc.
All in all it should be a day to remember, sadly one or two of the stalwarts of that so successful period in the club’s history and in particular the championship campaign are unable to make it along on Saturday due to illness and our best wishes are with them in particular.
It goes without saying that a win over the ‘Sons’ would of course be the ‘icing on the cake’ for all concerned come 5p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
