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Wick Academy: A glorious day that will live long in the memory

Wick Academy
Wick Academy

Magical. Outstanding. Incredible. Amazing. Fantastic. Euphoric.

You can take your pick of any of these adjectives and more, but none of them even come close to describing Saturday afternoon when Wick Academy finally captured their first trophy since stepping up to senior football in 1994 by demolishing Nairn County 6-2 in the North of Scotland Cup final.

The final scoreline was beyond the wildest expectations of any of the estimated 1000 Scorries’ fans who turned up to cheer on their side. Talk about doing it in style.

Wick Academy players and management lift the cup and enjoy the celebrations. Picture by Gordon Lennox
Wick Academy players and management lift the cup and enjoy the celebrations. Picture by Gordon Lennox

This was a victory that was long, long overdue, given that this was our fourth final in five years and second in the space of six months and is a just reward for all the effort that everybody involved with the club has put in over its 122 years of existence.

There was talk, though, before the game that those previous defeats had had too much of a psychological affect on the players. Could they handle the big occasion or would they be disregarded as serial bottlers?

Any doubts that existed were smashed away in a delirious three-minute spell in the first-half when the scoreline went from a precarious 1-0 lead, to a dominant 3-0 one.

It wasn’t until we hit goals four and five that I truly started believing the game was over, but it was those two quick-fire goals in the first-half that really won us the game.

Players like Chuckie Weir, Richard Macadie, Alan Farquhar, Sam Mackay, Davie Allan, Gary Manson, the Steven brothers and, of course, long-serving assistant manager Tichie Hughes, have been through it all in recent years so for them to finally have a reward for all the hard work and commitment they’ve shown is fantastic.

The Wick players celebrate with the trophy. Picture by Gordon Lennox
The Wick players celebrate with the trophy. Picture by Gordon Lennox

I was particularly delighted for Chuckie to win this in his testimonial years. He lives and breathes Wick Academy and has an unmatched passion for the club, which you could see in his celebrations on Saturday.

It’s far from inconceivable that he could make it to 20 years as an Academy player and here’s hoping he does as it is impossible to imagine Wick Academy as a club without him there.

He’s also using all the experience he has built up to his advantage and is currently playing some of the best football of his career.

The scenes at full-time will live long in the memory for those of us there as Alan Farquhar lifted the trophy and what felt like the whole of Wick poured onto the pitch to congratulate the players on their magnificent achievement.

For Gordon Connelly, it was a day to savour as he fulfilled his main ambition when he took over as the permanent manager in the summer of 2014.

Delighted Wick management team of Ross Souter, Gordon Connelly and Richard Hughes. Picture by Gordon Lennox
Delighted Wick management team of Ross Souter, Gordon Connelly and Richard Hughes. Picture by Gordon Lennox

He could lose every match from here on in and still be held in the highest regard possible.

But I know for a fact that he will have his sights set on creating yet more history when we take on Linlithgow Rose in the Scottish Cup third round tomorrow.

Academy have never been beyond this stage of the tournament before and the potential glamour ties that await in the fourth round is a massive carrot to be dangled in front of them.

We’ve just witnessed the greatest day in the history of the club, but just seven days later can a new memory be created to rival it?