Confessions of a long-suffering Montrose FC fan

Now that I am approaching middle age from the wrong direction, I have found the courage to show my true colours. Today, I come out as a Montrose FC supporter. It’s not an easy statement to make when you come from generations of Dundee FC fans, followed St Johnstone in your youth and live in Arbroath.

However, as Montrose face crashing out of the Scottish leagues, I have been reflecting on my long association with the club and have finally made my choice.

I began covering Montrose games as a young reporter in the 1980s. The press sat in a rickety old stand, so close to the pitch we could chat with the players.

Defender Les Barr used to stop for a breather and ask me not to describe him as a veteran. So that’s why he became known as “veteran defender Les Barr”.

On free Saturdays, I went to games with my fatherin-law and his pals.

In those days you could get out for a pint at halftime. It was like a scene from the Grand National, with men and boys hurdling the turnstiles to get to the Legion.

However, a police inspector tried to stop the tradition by making a statement condemning those who could not go “90 minutes without a drink”.

Fans were furious. They pointed out the police were minimising the discomfort by expressing the period in minutes. In fact, it was an hour and a half plus 15 minutes of half-time.

In the mid-1990s I helped out when Jack McCain, Nick Bradford, Billy Doctor, Peter Doig, Brem Bruce and others held testimonial events to honour legendary keeper Davie Larter.

The fans thanked me with a limited-edition print of the rickety old stand before it was demolished. It takes pride of place in my garage because Mrs Ferguson won’t have it in the house.

If Montrose do go down, Saturdays in Angus will never be the same.

We’ll be minus a derby and that is something Arbroath, Brechin and Forfar supporters will miss as much as Montrose fans.

If Montrose go down, Saturdays in Angus will never be the same