A Fraserburgh amateur football team have launched a new home kit which serves a dual purpose – marking both the club’s 30th anniversary and paying tribute to one of their own.
Elizabethan Link-up, who were formed in 1990 and play in the NESFA welfare ranks, are back in action following the grassroots game’s Covid shutdown and played in their strip for the first time at the weekend, taking on a team of former players in a friendly.
It was a poignant moment for the side, with the kit carrying the name of the late Chris Beedie, an Elizabethan player who passed away last year.
The club have been selling the yellow and blue Nike kit – a departure from their red and black colours of recent seasons – with the hope of raising money for Man Chat, whose logo is emblazoned on the front of the new top, as well as funding a permanent memorial for Chris at the Elizabethan bar.
Representatives from full-back/winger Chris’ family, as well as Man Chat founder Wray Thomson, were pitch-side on Saturday to watch Elizabethan triumph 4-2.
Explaining why the club decided to sell a kit to the public for the first time in their three-decade history, committee member and full-back Grant Milne said: “It’s the club’s 30th anniversary this year, it’s a keepsake, and I think a lot of people have wanted to purchase it in memory of Chris as well.
“Chris had a very bubbly, live personality and a lot of people, not just from the football club, but Fraserburgh, knew who he was. He was a terrific character.
“Everyone in the club thought it would be a fitting tribute, I think we’ve sold 50 or 60 so far and all the profits will be going toward Man Chat’s community projects and something in the pub as well.”
Watch as Elizabethan Link-up don their new strip – marking both their 30th anniversary and paying tribute to the late Chris Beedie – for the first time:
David Beedie, Chris’ brother, said: “It’s great to keep his spirit and his memory alive through football and especially for the team he played for.
“It coincides with the clubs 30th anniversary and that makes it more impactful, along with having Man Chat on the front of the kits.
“I think he’d be proud that he’s been respected in this way and was so well-liked.
“He was a really good player in his day and I think he made a big impact and a lasting impression at all the clubs he played for – not just on the park, but also for the team spirit, he was a real joker and the centre of attention, a great character.”
