Nairn County midfielder reaches landmark with over 400 games for Highland League club
Wayne Mackintosh will sit down in the summer with manager Ross Tokely to decide whether his Nairn County love affair continues.
But the Station Park club servant knows there is another influential figure in his life who will have a big say on his footballing future - his good lady Lauren.
Midfielder Mackintosh recently played his 400th game for the Wee County in a senior career so far spanning more than two decades since his debut against Caley Thistle in the North of Scotland Cup in March, 2004.
Continuation was cast in doubt a couple of years ago after a serious injury sustained towards the close of a relatively brief stint with Rothes, which followed a successful three-year spell at Formartine.
Mackintosh is speaking tongue in cheek when he says wife Lauren told him he was done as he recuperated after the meniscus tear, but her wish to spend more time with him on a Saturday can be taken as a back-handed compliment.
As a great many Highland League players discover, the demands of family time and football can be conflicting.
Mackintosh made it to his fourth century of matches in the narrow defeat to Buckie in mid-October and was given a presentation to mark the achievement after last Saturday's home win against Wick.
“I didn’t really know what I was on for appearances, but it came up in conversation a few weeks ago with the wife,” the 37-year-old self-employed joiner said.
“I’m happy to have reached 400.
“I always wanted to finish my career at Nairn and, until the Formartine move happened in 2016, I’d never imagined leaving Nairn.
“Circumstances were such that I did, and I ended up having a successful period away from Nairn, winning three cups.
“I went to Rothes but left out of contract after the meniscus injury and went back to Nairn to coach the under 18s.
My wife reminded me I was done!
“But I always get told it is a short career and I love playing football, always have. To reach 400 matches is a great personal milestone for me.
“I just take it a season at a time now. If I get through this one unscathed, we’ll see what happens next.
“My wife is definitely desperate for me to stop giving up our Saturdays!
“I’m still loving it, plodding away and doing what I can for the team, keeping myself fit.
“It is a good bunch of boys and we all want to do well, which is half the battle.”
Nairn’s latest test comes tomorrow at home to third top Banks o’Dee and Mackintosh added: “We played them down there on astro, which isn’t my favourite surface. They’re a good side and we’ll need to be at our best to get a result.
“We will go about our own game and see if we can get a result, but they will obviously be favourites.”
