🗣️| Gavin McKiddie ⤵️
Members of the Strathmore Cricket Club ‘family’ will be saddened to hear of the passing of another club legend.
Gavin McKiddie died peacefully on Wednesday at the age of 85 following a couple of years where illness had seen him housebound for most of the time.
The sympathies of all at Lochside are extended at this sad time to Ann, Fergus, Calum and their families.
Gavin was a Forfarian through and through who attended Forfar Academy, where of course he played in a school side nurtured by George Peters and alongside Don Crighton, the pair of them through their love of the game and ‘Strathie’ in particular becoming lifelong friends.
Gavin quickly made his mark as an off spin bowler aided by the coaching of Nigel Hazel and first team cricket at Lochside soon beckoned.
He was to become a regular over a thirty year plus playing career during which time Strathmore were to go and win over twenty league titles and cups locally, the highlight however, on the national stage, the winning of the Rothman Quaich (Scottish Cup) in 1971.
It has been well documented over time how Nigel apart, the remainder of the side who triumphed over a Kilmarnock side that included three current internationalists of the time and Australian test match opening bowler Bob Massie in their ranks that Sunday, now 54 years ago, were all born and bred Forfarians and had come through the club’s flourishing junior section championed by the amiable Bermudian.
The highlight of the day for Gavin, never renowned for his batting prowess, he hit the boundary at Hamilton Crescent that clinched the historic success.
Sadly as time marches on and with Gavin’s passing, only three members of that side Neil Prophet, Ewan Massie and Alan Guild live to tell the tale!
Gavin was to go on to take 1,860 wickets for the club, a feat which will certainly now never be eclipsed. He also played regularly for the Strathmore Union Select and, when district cricket arrived on the scene, for a power packed North side.
Having made a handful of appearances for the Scotland ‘A’ side, in 1977 he became the first of only three Strathmore players to represent his country. His one and only appearance came against Ireland at Clontarf, a match in which he took two wickets, those of the Irish captain of the time Alec O’Riordan and Dermot Monteith.
When Gavin’s first team career at Lochside came to an end, unlike many before and since, he did not hang up his boots but for a few seasons he played second team cricket, in fact at times in the same side as his son Fergus who unlike his Dad was a youthful pace bowler back in the day, but to be fair a batsman of similar ‘aplomb.’
By the way though Gavin’s demeanour on the park was in the main competitive but to some perhaps placid in nature, he could be fiery when required. The writer well remembers away back in the late seventies during a weekend trip to the Borders, Gavin leaving a ‘home’ umpire at Gala and a batsman on the day not to keen to walk, of his opinion in no uncertain and highly volatile manner to boot!
Gavin’s interest in the game stretched well beyond his playing career. He served Strathmore as a committee member and Vice President for some years, through his everyday occupation playing an important role in the construction of the clubhouse in 1974 that has stood the test of time to this day. He was also a member of the Strathmore Union committee for a time.
Gavin was an avid statistician and lover of history of the game in Scotland in particular. His research of the club he loved, hopefully will be of continued interest to many as the years roll along.
He was a Quantity Surveyor, his base in everyday working life in Dundee meaning a move for the family many years back to Broughty Ferry where Ann and himself set up the family home.
Despite living on Forfarshire’s ‘door step’ he never considered moving his cricket allegiance from the ‘toonie’ where he enjoyed so many memorable moments with one supposes you could say in today’s sporting terminology his ‘Band of Brothers.’
He never gave up his love and interest of ‘Strathie’ upon retiral from the playing side but location meant he could be seen more often on the boundary rope at Forthill chewing the cricketing ‘fat’ with old adversaries such as Alec Steele, Howard Garden, Dick Auchinleck and Gus Reoch to name a few.
We will update members and friends of Gavin’s funeral details when they come to hand.
In the meantime goodbye to a fine cricketer, a great clubman, a friend to many but most of all a husband and father.