Inverurie Locos boss Richard Hastings says it is the logical decision for the club to wear its blue and yellow away kit for the rest of the season in solidarity with Ukraine.
Locos stated on Monday they would be wearing their away colours, which are the same as the Ukrainian flag, for all remaining games, instead of their traditional red-and-black stripes.
Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces at the end of last month and the images of devastation emerging from the country have prompted outpourings of grief and support.
Locos face Huntly on Saturday, who play in black and gold, and their other fixtures are against Brechin City, Fort William, Wick Academy, Rothes and Strathspey.
🇺🇦 ANNOUNCEMENT 🇺🇦
Inverurie Locos will wear our yellow & blue away kit for the remaining matches of this Season and also fly a Ukrainian flag above Harlaw Park to show solidarity with Ukraine. 💛💙 pic.twitter.com/zyjtpj7qSN
— InverurieLocoWorksFC (@InverurieLocos) March 13, 2022
“I guess it was a no-brainer, when you look at the colours of our away kit,” said Hastings. “It’s great for the club to do that and show support for Ukraine.
“There’s good reasons behind it and I fully back the idea. I think we’re good in terms of who we face and colour clashes; we may need Huntly to help us out this weekend.
“But the fact they are our natural colours make it an easy one to do. It’s the bare minimum we can do.”
Solidarity with former Ukrainian team-mate and player-manager
The Locos chief also has great sympathy for Sergei Baltacha, the former St Johnstone defender and Inverness Caledonian manager who was born in the now-besieged city of Mariupol in Ukraine and spoke movingly of his feelings on the invasion.
Baltacha started his career at Dynamo Kyiv and also played for Ipswich Town, before moving to Scottish football with St Johnstone.
He joined Inverness Caledonian in 1993 as player-manager and continued in the role through their merger with Inverness Thistle when they joined the Scottish leagues as Caledonian Thistle in 1994.
The Ukrainian brought Hastings to Caledonian Thistle from Nairn County as a teenager and the two had a season as team-mates before Baltacha, who played more than 40 times for the Soviet Union, stepped down in 1995.
“He was my very first manager and I managed to play alongside him,” said Hastings, who took over at Locos last year. “I was reading one of his articles and it’s clearly a tough time for him.
“I only knew him from Inverness but I think everyone says he was ahead of his time. He tried a different formation and style that had not been seen in Scotland. He’s a great guy and a great manager.
“He’s obviously suffering at the moment and he did pop into my mind with everything that’s happened. You do wonder how he’s getting on.”
