Scott Barbour felt Fraserburgh put on a good show on and off the pitch against Celtic.
The Broch drew 0-0 with a youthful Hoops side at a sold-out Bellslea, with the visitors prevailing 5-3 on penalties.
That won the Glasgow outfit the VT Wealth Cup, which was supplied for occasion by Fraserburgh’s main sponsors VT Wealth.
The sides met in tragic circumstances in 1970 when they played in a fundraising game to raise money for the families of the five crewmen who died when the Duchess of Kent lifeboat capsized in January of that year.
Fraserburgh striker Barbour said: “Heaps of folk came to support the lifeboat station which was great and that was the main thing on the day.
“There’s a lot of history behind the fixture and what happened and hopefully there was a lot of money raised.
“I was speaking to my granda during the week and he was telling me about the lifeboat disaster and it was a very sad thing that happened.
“So it was good that we were able to recognise that and the town turned out to support it which was great.
“Fraserburgh’s a good community club and it was good we were able to do what we did.”
‘Representing more than just the club’
Broch manager Mark Cowie echoed those sentiments and added: “Thanks to Celtic for marking the occasion.
“I told the players before the game they weren’t just representing the club, they were representing the town, representing those that were unfortunately lost in the tragedy all those years ago and representing their families.
“We were representing more than just the club and I thought the guys put on a very good show.
“It would have capped it off if we’d won the trophy, but overall I was delighted with how the guys applied themselves.
“We competed and our shape was really good, Celtic had more of the ball than we did, but in terms of chances I thought we created more than them.
“If it had been two or three games in we might have been more clinical.”
Supporters crammed into Bellslea and prior to kick-off there was a poignant moment when RNLI volunteers as well as players from the Fraserburgh side which faced Celtic 53 years ago were given a guard of honour.
Then before the game got under way there was a perfectly observed minute’s silence.
Broch impress
Fraserburgh fielded their only new signing thus far this summer, Aidan Sopel, in their starting side.
Celtic fielded their B team, which plays in the Lowland League, with former Hoops defenders Darren O’Dea and Stephen McManus in charge.
The Broch started in spritely fashion. Bryan Hay had a header scrambled clear and goalkeeper Josh Clarke held Ryan Sargent’s angled drive.
In the 11th minute Barbour sent a shot right across the face of goal.
The ball was kept alive with Sargent crossing from the left but Sopel couldn’t force it into the net from close range and Logan Watt’s follow-up effort was smothered by Clarke.
On 28 minutes Sargent broke clean through down the left but miscued his finish with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Chances continued to come Fraserburgh’s way, on 42 minutes Watt released Scott Barbour but he scuffed his finish from the edge of the box and Clarke saved.
A minute before the break Celtic skipper Daniel Kelly rattled the crossbar with a strike from 20 yards.
At the interval the visitors changed their entire team, but it was the hosts who continued to threaten.
Barbour prodded the ball into net in the 56th minute but was flagged offside to the disappointment of the home supporters.
Just after the hour mark, sub Sean Butcher looped a header onto the roof of the net from captain Willie West’s cross.
In the 77th minute Celtic almost netted when Kieran Simpson turned a Bruno Davidson corner against his own crossbar.
When it came to penalties Hay was the only player to miss, with his kick saved by Joe Morrison.
That meant conversions from Mackenzie Carse, Ben McPherson Kyle Ure, Davidson and Liam Bonetig won Celtic the silverware.
