Keith Football Club mourns passing of ‘all-time-great’ Mike Winton who won three consecutive Highland League titles and string of honours for Kynoch Park club
A tribute has been paid to a north football legend.
Mike Winton is regarded as one of Keith Football Club’s greats, and an integral part of the Kynoch Park’s all-conquering teams of the 1970s.
The man they affectionally called ‘Winty’ passed away on Sunday at the age of 73 after a short illness.
Keith’s Highland League championship flag from the 1979-80 season, widely regarded as the greatest in the club’s history, was flying at half mast at Kynoch Park this week in honour of one of their “all-time greats”.
After starting with Keith’s junior club Islavale, Mike debuted for the town’s Highland League side at the age of 18 and went on to play more than 300 matches, winning three successive league titles and a total of eight honours in the north game.
He also played for Buckie Thistle and Nairn County and after retiring he became manager of Elgin City having served a spell as assistant manager to Steve ‘Pele’ Paterson at the Borough Briggs club.
Club vice-chairman and historian Charlie Simpson said as well as his sporting achievements, Mike was also a “top of the league person”.
“Mike is one of my all-time Keith heroes, and I also thank my lucky stars that I could count on him as a friend, having many a blether and reminiscing of the halcyon days when Keith won trophies like nobody’s business,” said Charlie.
“I freely admit that I simply can’t get my head round the fact that our paths are no longer going to cross, either up the street, or at Kynoch Park, where he frequented several times a season with other members of the ‘Band of Brothers’ – guys like John Curran, Bobby Gray, Raymond O’Hara, Ian “Cuptie” McKay, Doug Gallacher, Graeme Tallis and Mitch Bavidge to name a few.”
Charlie said the club was in mourning for a flying winger who was an integral part of the Maroons side that won three successive Highland League Cups – 1973-75, and three successive Highland League championships – 1979-81.
“It is well documented that Mike, a local Keith lad, was a stand out at badminton, cricket and golf, but it was on the football pitch that he shone ever so brightly,” said Charlie.
After starring for Islavale, he caught the attention of Keith FC who invited him along for a trial in August 1970 at the age of 18 in a 2-0 victory at Fraserburgh.
“He played again the following Saturday, the Maroons losing 5-2 at home to Ross County,” Charlie added. “That was a landmark appearance, for it signalled the first of his 79 Keith goals, and, as a young, just turned 15 year old who biked up from Ordiquhill, I can proudly say ‘I was there’.”
Mike’s next appearance for Keith was in the New year’s derby against Huntly, a 3-0 Keith win where he was described as a standout, and led to him becoming a fully-fledged Maroons player.
“A flying winger, with terrific pace, and venomous shooting being his trademark, he soon became a fans favourite, and despite interest from Leicester City it wasn’t followed up on.
“The one blip, if you like was the season he decided to play for Buckie Thistle in 1972-73. The least said about that season the better!
“The following summer he returned to Kynoch Park, and went on to play a major part in Keith’s incredible swoop on the Highland League’s major trophies over the next decade.
“At his peak, his blistering speed and awesome shooting power made him unstoppable, and also earned him Highland League Select representative honours as well. Mike must have spent a fortune on brasso, as he ended up with the aforementioned league and League Cup medals and two Aberdeenshire Cup winners medals – a total of eight winners medals.
Mike’s first Keith honour came in September 1973 when he scored the Maroons’ second goal as they defeated Ross County 3-2 in the League Cup final at Borough Briggs.
He also netted in the following season’s League Cup final, a rematch between Keith and County which ended in a 2-2 draw before Keith won the replay 6-2. “Mike bulged the old onion bag again,” said Charlie on the winger’s goal in the cup success.
“It was three on the trot the next year – yes, County again, boy they were sick of the sight of Winty and Keith, as the Maroons won 3-1.
“The bold Michael was in fearsome form as Keith steamrollered their way to the three titles. Fairytale stuff? Nae chance, this was Winton and his team-mates at their very best. Apart from his pace, power and shooting, Mike at one point was dubbed ‘The Human Dynamo’, such was his superb fitness.
“Mike was also intensely proud of his ‘Totem Pole’ as he called it, which was a special trophy with three shields attached, signifying the three league wins, and only awarded to nine people.”
Injuries began to take their toll and Mike’s Keith career came to an end after the 1981-82 campaign, though he returned to Kynoch Park as youth team coach with great success following a short spell playing for Nairn.
He was appointed as Paterson’s assistant manager at Elgin in 1988, helping the Black and Whites to a North Cup success in his first season before the club ended a 16-year for a Highland League title, winning a trophy treble that season.
When Paterson left to manage Huntly the following season, Winton took charge as manager for a spell.
As Elgin boss, with Mike Hendry as his assistant, Mike led the Borough Briggs side to more glory as they won the Highland League Cup within a few weeks of him taking over at the helm.
But it was his achievements at Keith that Mike will be best remembered.
Charlie added: “Never one to shout from the roof tops about his exploits, he let his not inconsiderable football boots do the talking.
“The aforementioned honours, along with 306 appearances and 79 goals make him a Keith FC all-time great, and you know, his sporting achievements apart, he was also a top-of-the-league person, I never, ever, heard anyone say a bad word about him.
“He will definitely never be forgotten by me or by the club that he performed for with such incredible distinction.”
Charlie Simpson wrote a poem in his traditional doric tongue about some of Keith’s football legends and penned the verse ‘Mike Winton - Mighty Maroon Marauder’ in honour of one of the club’s greats.
“Go on Wintie”! – Wiz the battle cry
Fin the winger wiz in full flight
Faist, powerfae – ivir sae strong
In fu’ flow – a wondrous sight
A local lad fae the toon o’ Keith
Mike wiz a sportsman o’ some renown
Be it Cricket, Golf or Fitba’
He nivir let the side down
At the tender age o’ Aichteen
The Maroons they cam’ a callin’
It wizna lang afore young Mike
Became a star at the footballin’
He flew lik’ a bird
Hiz speed wiz second tae none
Fin he cam’ oot o’ the blocks
Twas lik’ a bullet fae a gun
Early on, his sark said Number Nine
Bit it wiz wi’ the Sivin he made his mark
Scorchin’ up an’ doon the wing
On the hallowed turf o’ Kynoch Park
Bone crushin’ defenders tough tae beat
Against them ye nivir hid time
Bit for them it wiz jist as hard
Fin Wintie wiz flyin’ past them in his prime
Mony a time they were left gaspin’
Efter Mike hid skinned them alive
An’ endin’ wi’ a pinpoint cross
Or a goal wi’ a venomous drive
Three League Cup Finals against Ross County
An’ Mike played a role in each een
Nabbed a great goal in the first – ‘73
Fin Borough Briggs set the scene
The second Final a year efter
The Bold Michael wiz at it again
County were hit for six in the Replay
A Wintie sizzler helped cause them mair pain
Three Titles on the trot wiz next
As the Maroons cwid dee nae wrang
Quite simply a joy tae watch
‘Specially fin the No: 7 wiz on sang
Twa ‘Shire Cups wrappit up his tally
A magnificent Trophy – Don’t you know
Mike wiz at the forefront
He wiz aye on his – marks, get set, go!!
Gweed things come ‘till an eynd
An’ the winger hid tae ca’ it a day
Sivinty Nine goals in Three Hunner an’ Five games
MIKE WINTON – KEITH FC LEGEND – FIT MAIR KIN YE SAY!!
Charlie Simpson