Sunday 10th January
Former Captain Reflects On Time at Christie Park

With our team of the decade feature moving onto midfield choices soon we look back at one player who has worn the black and gold kit through the eighties, nineties and the noughties.

Eddie Copland was amongst a group of players who was present at the end of November when Steve Paterson launched his book "Confessions of a Highland Hero" (full series of interviews with Steve is available on the features section.) and paid tribute to the man who was a big influence on his successful Highland League career.

"Steve played a major part of my career at Huntly and you could see with the turnout he received with the launch how much people respected him. Steve said that his time at Huntly was the happiest times of his life and they were the happiest days of my career also.

It was emotional meeting up again with old team-mates who you shared a lot of good times with and supporters who gave you a lot of backing and it was great to be back at Christie Park to be welcomed back with open arms."

From Scottish Cup runs to epic cup finals at Elgin and Keith and being among a group of elite players who picked up five successive championships with the club, Eddie picked out his high points.

"Personally my best moment as a team came when I lifted the fifth championship as captain as nobody in the history of the Highland League has done that before. As a player it would be my hat-trick against Caledonian in the early stages of my career when we were getting well beat and I netted a hat-trick to help us to a 3-3 draw so that two moments were very special to me."

In three spells at the club, Copland played with a number of quality players but one man stood out for him.

"Stevie Gray -without a shadow of a doubt. He was such a superb talent. Myself and Alan Selbie went down to the funeral in September to represent the club and his former team-mates. Stevie was a bit eccentric with his lifestyle and everything but I don't think anyone could take away just how great a player he was."

Copland liked nothing better than getting stuck into opponents in the middle of the park with a lot of battling displays and was known to pick up just a few red cards over the years and noted a former Elgin defender as one of the trickiest to play against.

"Chico McHardy for me was my toughest opponent. When i started playing he was one of the league's hardmen to come against and I was able to handle myself against him as well so it always made for an interesting game when we faced each other. You always had a lot of skirmishes with people when you were on the football field but the great thing about playing in the Highland League was that you could then go to the bar afterwards with the same player and have a drink and a good time with them. You made a lot of friends off the park which made for a superb atmosphere during your playing days."

Eddie originally left Huntly in 1999 to go to newly crowned champions Peterhead under Ronnie Brown. he featured in the Blue Toon's final season in the Highland League before returning to the club in the summer of 2000 under Co-Managers Willie Lawson and Kevin Will. the following year he left for Cove Rangers and caused an upset over his former team-mates when he scored a late winner for the Aberdeen side in the inaugural Inter-League Cup Final at Harlaw Park.

The black and golds faithful forgave him for that when he returned for his final spell at the club. Fraser Kellas had given him the chance to join him in the dugout as his number two prior to finishing his Highland League career with Inverurie Loco Works. There had been spells as a Manager in the junior ranks with the likes of Parkvale and East End and he admitted he does miss the involvement in the game.

"At the moment I'm not doing anything football-wise but it's coming the time where I'm getting itchy feet missing the fitba on a Saturday but I haven't got any major experience in the coaching. Ok, I've got the basic stuff and my B Licence but I've been away from this level for a good while now. In this day in age it's how you treat people in the game - Steve Paterson was a success in that manner. That is the biggest part of coaching - respect. Respect the player and you'll earn their respect you back."

Eddie still tries to attend games when he can and saw Huntly on a few occasion last season and hopes his former Huntly and Cove team-mate Dave McGinlay bring success to the club.

"I'm glad the way things have worked out for Dave in a silent, quick kind of way this season. Nobody had even mentioned them as title contenders this season but the results they've picked up so far have made people sit up and take notice. There's been no high expectations on them this season which is good and is why they've done so well. I really hope Dave McGinlay does well for the club as I don't want Cove picking that third title!"