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Footballing friends are remembered in Inverness


By Staff Reporter

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Mark Kerr holds the strip of former NHS team member Stephen Barclay with NHS Highland colleagues....Picture: Gary Anthony. Image No.043677.
Mark Kerr holds the strip of former NHS team member Stephen Barclay with NHS Highland colleagues....Picture: Gary Anthony. Image No.043677.

FORMER NHS colleagues who played football together have remembered two former workmates who died 14 years apart in tragic road accidents.

Steven Barclay was a community nurse based at the Royal Northern Infirmary in Inverness when he was killed in 2005 as he cycled to his market garden in Brahan Estate.

More recently the team of friends lost another pal when bus driver Mohamed (Mo) Chache (50) died in January of this year after the bus he was driving struck a bridge near Munlochy.

Retired personnel officer Mark Kerr said: “We mark the anniversary of Steven’s death every year by starting our football session with a moment of reflection around the centre circle.

“But this year we also remembered Mo who was another very popular member of our squad of players.

“We used to play at the Bught Park pitches. But now, although most of us are now retired, we still meet regularly for a game at the Millburn Academy pitches and are also joined by current NHS staff.”

Mark (64) said both Steven and Mo enjoyed their football and would always be remembered by their team-mates and former colleagues.

“Every year since Steven’s death we have remembered him with this little ceremony and pause for remembrance.

“And of course this year too the passing of our friend Mo was very much in everyone’s thoughts.”

Mark said: “Steven was a really nice bloke and gave away lots of the produce from his garden.

“He took a lot of it to the Manna House café in Inverness where he served coffee and generally gave support to people in need.

“He also loved the mountains and a stone which came from one of his favourite climbs was erected in his memory at the infirmary by his colleagues after his death.

“Mo’s death this year came as a great shock to us all. He was a porter at Raigmore and although he had been away from the NHS for some time he still played football with us.

“He was well known and well liked in the health service and of course he was highly thought of as a driver with Stagecoach.”


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