Club legends Lee and Graham Fraser will have their service to Forres Mechanics celebrated tomorrow night with a testimonial.
The Can-Cans will tackle Elgin City at Mosset Park (8pm) kick-off to mark the twins’ 12 years with the club.
The Frasers, 29, signed for Forres in 2010 as 17-year-olds and have helped the Moray side win the Breedon Highland League in 2012 and the North of Scotland Cup a season earlier.
Between them striker Lee and defender Graham have played more than 750 times for the Can-Cans with Lee scoring 139 times and Graham netting on 43 occasions.
They have also had to battle back from serious injuries. Lee suffered a shattered knee during the title-winning season as a result of an accidental challenge in training by his brother.
Lee also suffered a cruciate ligament injury in 2018 with Graham sustaining the same injury three years earlier.
Not long to go now…. https://t.co/Nsw7gZMZlc
— ForresMechanics F.C. (@TheCansOfficial) June 27, 2022
Bill Tulloch, the Frasers’ uncle and chair of their testimonial committee, said: “The most important thing is that they give their all in every game and that’s perhaps reflected in the injuries they’ve had.
“Lee and Graham are well-respected by a lot of people across the Highland League.
“They’re hard but fair when they play and they’ve been great players for Forres.
“All you can ask is that players give their all and commit to the club and Lee and Graham have done that.
“Unless they’re injured they’re very seldom out of the team which is testament to them.
“They’re club legends, there have been a lot of legends at Forres down the years and Lee and Graham will be in the history of the club because they’ve left their mark.”
Local derby
Tulloch is grateful to Elgin for agreeing to face Forres on the twins’ big night and hopes it will be a night remember.
He added: “Forres v Elgin was a big local derby when both clubs were in the Highland League so we’re delighted Elgin have agreed to play us.
“It’s an opportunity for the supporters to show their appreciation but also a chance for the twins to show their appreciation to the supporters because the supporters have been great with them.
“That’s partly why the twins have been so loyal over the years because there have been other sides trying to sign them over the years.
“They could have gone elsewhere at various times, but a lot of people have been very good to them as well and it’s work both ways.”
From youngsters to elder statesmen
Tulloch, who is the matchday announcer at Mosset Park, believes Lee and Graham were helped a lot in their early days with the Can-Cans by manager Charlie Rowley and the experienced players around them.
Now the twins are two of the elder statesmen at Forres and he hopes they do support the younger players in Steven MacDonald’s squad in a similar way.
He said: “I think they’ve been very lucky, Charlie Rowley managed them for 11 years.
“And they had experienced players like Graeme Grant, Nathan Sharp, Ross Macpherson, Simon Allan and others who supported them and helped them a lot when they were younger.
“Lee and Graham are in a position to give that support to the younger players in the Forres squad now.
“They are two of the senior members of the squad and I hope they can help the young players.
“When they started in the Highland League they were naïve and they got great support and helped them improve quickly.”
The Fraser twins featured on an episode of Highland League Weekly last year as Forres Mechanics geared up to return to action after sitting out the 2020-21 season.
