Tributes paid to Highland footballing legend
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Tributes have been paid to a Highland footballing legend who was part of the cup winning 1974/1975 Clachnacuddin FC squad.
As well as playing for the club Calum Grant, who passed away last week aged 74 in Raigmore Hospital following a recent illness, was also manager and director for the Lilywhites and was one of a number of businessmen who saved them back in 1990.
He was born in 1947 into a farming family from Pitgrundy Farm in Dornoch, where he attended Dornoch Academy, and his footballing skills were soon brought to the attention of Ross County FC who he joined when he was just 16 years old.
Just two years later, during the 1965/1966 season he helped the Staggies win the Highland League for the first time.
He later moved to England where he played for Lincoln City alongside the late Graham Taylor, who later went on to manage the English national team. However it was during this time that a knee injury halted his professional career.
Mr Grant returned to the Highlands in 1973 to join Clach and was part of the side during the 1974/1975 season, which won both the Highland League Championship and Scottish Qualifying Cup, under manager Sandy Wallace.
Friend of the “midfield maestro”, Billy Corbett, said: “This great side, that Calum starred in, is still talked fondly of by everyone at Grant Street Park.”
Mr Grant took over as manager the following season after Mr Wallace left and in 1990 he helped bring the club back from the brink and saved it from liquidation.
Mr Corbett said: “In 1992, he managed to persuade his great friend Graham Taylor, the then England manager, to come up to Inverness to speak at a Clach FC fundraising dinner and he also took a football training session the night after at Grant Street Park which all the players were obviously thrilled about.”
His business interests included Macrae’s Travel, in Nairn, which he ran for more than 40 years. Mr Corbett said: “I was deeply saddened and devastated, to hear of my great friend Calum’s passing, because as well as a fine businessman, he was a Highland footballing legend.”
Many former team-mates and opponents have added their personal tributes including Ross County full back Colin Brett who said: “So sorry to hear about Calum’s passing. He was a really cheerful guy who loved his football and was always willing to help you out in the game.”
Former Keith FC goalkeeper John Curran, added: “Calum was a great player in a great Clach Team – we had some battles with them.”
Former Clach team-mate, midfielder Mike Paul, said: “I had the privilege to know and play with Calum in the great Clach side of the mid-Seventies and then also when he became manager, a great loss to all who knew him.”
