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View Full Version : Surprise mascot duty for Orkney lad



Nwicker60
06-Apr-11, 10:13
Andy had a ball at Wick Academy match


PERHAPS Wick Academy’s draw against Clach last Saturday wasn’t entirely down to the players and their co-managers.
Eleven-year-old Andy Tait may well have played a part. Despite living on the other side of the Pentland Firth, the Orkney lad is a committed Scorries fan and has made the trip a few times to see them in action.
On this occasion, the 11-year-old was accompanied by his stepfather, Colin Kirkpatrick from Tankerness and his Kirkwall uncle, Steven Scott.
They had come over on a day-trip basis and hoped to arrange for Andy to be Academy’s good-luck mascot, sometime, in the future. Well, that wasn’t really an option, because Academy officials didn’t have a mascot for the game-in-hand and invited Andy to do the honours, there and then.
Next he knew, the youngster was pulling on a junior Academy kit, and listening to the team talk from co-managers Richard Hughes and Ian Munro, in their dressing room. Then he proudly led the team onto the Harmsworth Park pitch and had a wee kick-about with team captain, Martin Gunn, as a bonus, before the start of the game which finished in a 2-2 draw despite Clach pressure for the winner.
Colin said: "The mascot invitation was totally unexpected and Andy just had a brilliant time. The club were great and really looked after us.As if that wasn’t enough, they gave Andy the strip home with him. He’s still wearing it!”
The Orkney connection with Wick Academy was first forged in the mid-nineties when midfielder Colin and striker Cullen Burns had trials with Academy.
However, nothing came of it. Colin believes it was simply circumstances at the time. The dual managership of Pat Miller and John Macdonald were replaced shortly afterwards and the reins were taken by Don Cowie who was looking south for players.
Could Andy don a full-size black and white strip some day?
Said Colin: “I think his first choice would be to play for one of the Orkney teams but you can never rule out anything in football”.