Family seeks to solve mystery of Inverness Thistle football player's historic medal

An appeal has been launched to trace the family of a former Inverness Thistle player so a medal he won almost 100 years ago might be returned to them.

The nine-carat gold medal bears the initials R.F. and is dated 1927-28 when Thistle won the Inverness Cup.

The Inverness Football Memories Project, which is involved in the search, suspects the initials are those of Roddy Fraser, Thistle's left back in the late 1920s and 1930s, who is known to have been captain of the Jags’ team that lifted the Scottish Qualifying Cup (Northern Section) in 1932-33.

The medal ended up for sale at Graham Budd Auctions in London in May 2018.

It was sold together in one lot with another Inverness Cup medal of 1933-34 won by Thistle team-mate and inside right, Jimmy Roy, who went on to play for Clachnacuddin the following season.

The starting bidding price for the medals was £350.

Both medals are now in the safe hands of Jimmy Roy's family who are keen to hear from anyone who can solve the mystery.

Mr Roy’s daughter, Mrs Janet Fraser, who lives in Inverness, explained how her family came to have both medals. "My late mother gifted one of my dad’s medals to a friend and 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 have it.

"Someone else was bidding against us so we know there is interest in the medal. We would love to hear from anyone who might be able to shed more light on the R.F. or as we suspect 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.

Thistle won the cup in 1932-33 beating Penicuik Athletic 4-3 at Elgin with Roddy Fraser (captain) and Jimmy Roy in the victorious team.

Jimmy Roy was also in the 1934-35 cup-winning Clach team and scored the second and decisive goal beat Rosyth Dockyard Recreation 2-0 at Pittodrie, Aberdeen, in front of 4313 spectators.

More than 1000 fans were waiting at Inverness railway station to welcome the team home.

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• Football star's medal gifted to project

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 being supported by Clachnacuddin FC and High Life Highland.

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