PICTURES: Scotland football star Colin Hendry donates Euro '96 to Islavale reunion match at Simpson Park raising money for Abbie's Sparkle Foundation charity
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Islavale junior football club's Pittodrie cup heroes of 2003 were reunited for a charity match in Keith on Sunday.
And the Friendly Town's most famous footballing son, ex-Scotland, Rangers and Blackburn Rovers legend Colin Hendry made a special gesture to the cause.
Vale reassembled the squad who defeated Banks O' Dee 3-2 in the North Regional Cup final at Aberdeen's stadium nearly 20 years ago, one of the greatest days in the Simpson Park club's history.
Those 2003 heroes were beaten 5-0 by the current Islavale team but the result was immaterial, as the occasion was all about raising cash for Abbie's Sparkle Foundation.
The Moray charity supports families of youngsters affected by cancer, and it is a cause close to the hearts of members of the Islavale cup-winning side.
One of the 2003 squad who helped organise the reunion match, Dougie McCormack, said over £2000 was raised on the day and Hendry donated one of his Scotland shirts from the Euro '96 competition to earn even more money for the pot.
Hendry, whose career began as a schoolboy with Islavale, also made an appearance as a substitute for the veterans.
"We are getting his shirt framed so we can get as much as possible for the charity," McCormack said. "An item like that deserves to get a good sum and it was a wonderful gesture from Colin to donate that so we are very grateful to him for that.
"We already have more than two grand, thanks in no small part to Robbie Martin from the Ugie Hotel who gave us a fantastic donation to get the ball rolling.
"Also we're really grateful to George and Lesley Cowie (from the 'Ploo' Inn in Keith) because they gave us a great donation and really looked after us for the whole day.
"And thanks to Islavale themselves for allowing us to roll back the years in this occasion. It was just such a fantastic day.
"From the first minute we sat down it all started again, it was just like being back 20 years. It was quite an emotional day for some of us as well."
Vale became cup giant killers when they defeated the now-Highland League Banks O' Dee at Pittodrie in a match where they were seen as big underdogs.
The Keith side went on to win the trophy three years in a row, and virtually all of their victorious squad returned to Keith for the reunion match.
Two goals by Ian 'Sid' Jaffray and a thunderbolt 40-yard free kick from Nathan Sharp - who went on to win the Highland League with Forres Mechanics - earned Vale their victory over a powerful Dee side.
Goalkeeper Neil Nicol was one who couldn't make the charity occasion on Sunday and he was replaced by another former Vale keeper Blair Moir, who McCormack said performed heroics to restrict the younger and fitter opposition to just five goals.
The veterans had one big chance to get on the scoresheet when referee Stewart Riddoch - who volunteered his services for the day - awarded them a penalty kick but Christopher Ross sent it soaring over the bar.
"That was a dressing room full of brutal lads but 20 of them appeared for the game and that tells us what they are really like," McCormack added.
"Wee Stuart Duncan used to throw himself into every tackle there was back in the day, and within 30 seconds on Sunday he was doing exactly the same.
"Seeing Boogal (manager Gordon Winton) and Donnie (assistant boss MacKay) again was superb. It was just a great day from start to finish.
"I’d like to thank everyone who came along on the day and made donations to Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation."
