Generations of Invernessians have cause to be grateful to Jackie Sutherland and his tireless work for youth football in the city.
For more than seven decades, he has devoted much of his time to helping budding young players as well as wider community projects.
The unsung hero will be centre stage next month when he will be honoured for his outstanding service in front of an Inverness Caledonian Thistle home crowd.
Jackie, 90, will be just the fourth recipient of the City of Inverness medal when it is presented by Provost Glynis Campbell-Sinclair at ICT’s home match against Queen’s Park on August 5.
Work not recognised before
The Provost said: “Jackie has given long-standing and life-long support and commitment to Inverness Youth League and Inverness Street League by raising funds and widening local players’ horizons with trips to tournaments abroad.
“I hope the ground will be jam-packed with people wanting to say thank you and applaud his work.
“Jackie is now 90 years of age, and he has not been formally recognised before for his unselfish commitment to youth development. We are keen to right that wrong.
“There are thousands of boys who hail from the Inverness area who were inspired to be better men by having contact with Jackie.”
Working alongside the late John Beaton, Jackie was instrumental in producing a conveyor belt of local football talent.
He took charge of Boys’ Brigade, youth league and street league teams and also worked with former Highland League club, Caledonian and its successor Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
As well as coaching youngsters in Inverness, he also accompanied players on countless trips to other parts of the UK and abroad to compete.
Some of the players who have gone on to greater things in the Highlands and beyond are Charlie Christie, his son Ryan, ex Leicester City and Liverpool star Kevin Macdonald and former Rangers striker Billy Urquhart.
In typical humble fashion, Jackie said of his honour: “I was embarrassed when I received the Provost’s letter.
“It came out of the blue. But it is a great honour to be recognised by your own people.
“I love what I am doing. Being involved in youth football keeps me young and active.
“I am still out several nights a week at Milton pitches doing what I can. I am very much looking forward to August 5 and seeing faces, old and new.”
Social media campaign for honour
The drive to recognise Jackie’s contribution began on social media when former Highland League player Willie Aitken suggested he should be honoured.
He said: “I was amazed by the response my post got. Hundreds of people supported the suggestion and Provost Campbell-Sinclair helped make it happen.
“When myself, Caley legend Peter Corbett, ex player Steve MacLaren and past Caley vice-president David Love, went to meet the Provost, she immediately agreed to act and for that we are grateful.”
Charlie Christie, now head of ICT’s youth academy, is among many who welcomed the honour for Jackie.
He said: “I have so many great memories of being coached by Jackie from my time playing in the Inverness Street League select matches in the late 1970s, travelling to Toronto under his guidance in 1983 to play in an International youth festival and progressing through the youth set up at Caledonian F.C. where Jackie was an integral part.
“Having trained under Jackie’s guidance, I then worked alongside him in the Inverness Caledonian Thistle youth academy where he continued his decades-long work in developing the north’s young football players.
“The word legend is often bandied about in football, but make no mistake Mr Jackie Sutherland is and always will be a true legend of North football.”
Despite his advancing years, Jackie retains his enthusiasm for the game by doing treasurer duties for the Inverness Street League.
Away from football, he also devoted a lot of his time to the Boys Brigade, first as a boy and then an officer, including serving as captain of the 7th Queen Street Brigade.
He also was a voluntary driver for local charity SNAP.
