Mystery of historic Inverness gold football medal solved
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The mystery surrounding a football medal won by an Inverness Thistle player almost 100 years ago has been solved.
The nine-carat gold Inverness Cup medal, bearing the initials R.F. and dated 1927-28, was sold at a London auction.
But thanks to the efforts of the Inverness Football Memories Project, the initials have now been confirmed as those of Roddy Fraser, a former left back and skipper of Inverness Thistle – and the medal has now been returned to his delighted family.
The medal had ended up for sale at Graham Budd Auctions in London in May 2018 in one lot with another Inverness Cup medal dated 1933-34, which was won by Thistle team-mate and inside right, Jimmy Roy.
The starting bidding price for the medals was £350 and they were bought by the family of Jimmy Roy who were keen to hear from anyone who could solve the mystery of the one bearing the R.F. initials.
Following an appeal by the Inverness Football Memories Project, Roddy Dyce, great nephew of Roddy Fraser, came forward to confirm the identity of the medal and to liaise with the family of Jimmy Roy over its return.
Mr Dyce, who is steward at Hilton Community Centre, was delighted to have the medal back in the family.
"Roddy was a great player for Inverness Thistle, captaining them to many victories – not only the Inverness Cup in 1927-28 but to the Scottish Qualifying Cup five years later when Jimmy Roy was a team-mate.
"We are grateful to the family of Mr Roy for giving us the opportunity to acquire it."
Mr Roy’s daughter, Janet Fraser, of Inverness, recalled that her late mother gifted one of her father's medals to a young friend.
"We heard nothing more about the matter until my daughter Fiona found out it was being sold at auction in London," she said.
"Clearly, we were very keen to buy it and have it back in the family.
"The other Inverness Cup medal was included in the lot and that is how we had it.
"Someone else was bidding against us so we know there is interest in the medals.
"We are delighted that the mystery has been solved and that the medal is back where it belongs with the family of Roddy Fraser."
Jimmy Roy, a plumber with British Rail, lived with his wife Jessie at MacEwen Drive, Inverness – a stone’s throw away from Thistle’s home ground at Kingsmills Park.
He became as famous for his gardening and horticultural prowess as his football skills, winning top awards at the Highland Horticultural and Tomato Growers Society on more than 20 occasions since 1953.
He had the distinction of winning the coveted Scottish Qualifying Cup (Northern Section) with both Inverness Thistle and Clachnacuddin.
The Inverness Football Memories project was launched last year, building on monthly meetings staged by Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Trust at Caledonian Stadium where older people meet to recall football memories.
The trust is supported by Clachnacuddin FC and High Life Highland.
