Fondly loved James rode rollercoaster journey from Inverness to London....and back
Inverness recently lost one of its greatest sporting talents in James MacDonald. Here, Jamie Durent finds out the story behind his prodigious rise and how he remained a fighter until the end.
WHAT shapes the character of a man is how he responds in times of adversity.
James MacDonald epitomised that right until his last breath.
Faced with his own mortality at the hellishly young age of just 36, MacDonald, one of the greatest young footballers to ever emerge from these parts, stared down the cancer that chased him with the same relentless positivity he carried with him through life.
Get injured? No problem, he would come back stronger. Be told he could no longer play? No problem, he would move home and get a job.
Regardless of the perceived bleakness of his circumstances, MacDonald remained unbowed. An unbelievable spirit burned within him.
"When he was well he made sure he was enjoying the good days he had," says his father, James senior.
"He never wanted to know dates. He just wanted to fight on as long as he could."
MacDonald was diagnosed last October with Pericardial Mesothelioma, a rare form of heart cancer where microscopic asbestos fibres reach the body’s central organ. He had not felt well for months and after numerous hospital check-ups, a cause of his suffering was finally identified.
In his formative years, the former Inverness High School pupil had seemed destined to carve a path for himself in the professional game.
A schoolboy international for Scotland at the age of 13, this eager Highlander battled against perceptions of being from a footballing backwater to catch the attentions of Crystal Palace, Rangers and Arsenal.
MacDonald played youth football for both Palace and Rangers, combining his fledgling career with his studies. James would drive his son to games for the Ibrox club sometimes twice a week during the season, before the summer arrived and MacDonald would head for Palace.
However, when Arsenal came calling at the tender age of 15, there was only one place he wanted to be.
"He moved down there at 15," said James. "He had to get written permission from his school to go, so Arsenal wrote to the school and vice versa.
"He was fine at first but got a bit homesick. When he came home though he just made his mind up that was where he wanted to be."
Characters that he received his football education alongside included Paul Dickov, who took the determined central midfielder under his wing.
Also in the Highbury youth academy were Scotland under-21 international Scott Marshall, who would later represent the first-team and go on to coach Aston Villa, and the club’s great hope for the future Stephen Hughes.
Under the tutelage of another Scot, George Graham, there was great things predicted from the fledgling Gunners.
MacDonald spent two years in the youth team before breaking into the reserves. But a change of manager – Graham was sacked in February 1995 and his replacement Bruce Rioch dismissed a year later – led to Arsene Wenger’s arrival and an influx of foreign players.
If this was not enough of a challenge to MacDonald, his injury nightmare soon would be.
"James got his first cruciate ligament injury at 18," says his mother Ann.
"He was absolutely devastated. But he fought his way back, played well and did it again a year later.
"He was told that was his career over but he stayed positive. He picked up the phone and said ‘right, I’m coming home, that’s my football career finished’."
Training with Clach did not work out after his knee swelled up massively after just three sessions, meaning a new career path had to be forged. Joining his father as a bricklayer was only too appealing, so much so it provided his income for the next decade.
"He enjoyed getting out and you were never stuck in one place," said James.
But when the banking crisis hit and belt-tightening took place en-masse, MacDonald found himself looking for work with a wife and young child, the third James in the family, to support.
An arduous two-year stint with Balfour Beatty followed, where the ex-Arsenal youngster would spend 17 days on location monitoring power lines followed by four days off. While the money was good, time away from loved ones was not.
At 33 he took on a role at SSE and it was a job he fell in love with.
"There was a bonus scheme and you couldn’t get him home until he’d made his money. He was extremely happy," adds James.
However, in February last year, he started feeling unwell. Given his lifestyle, picking up an illness was completely baffling.
"The doctors said his heart was the same as an Olympic athlete," said brother Jordan, player-manager of Inverness City who remained incredibly close to his sibling.
"He kept himself super-fit – he’d have his bag in the van and go straight to the gym from work."
By now he had a second son, Drew, and MacDonald was desperate to see his young boys grow up. He never lost faith.
"He never complained once. He was so fit and single-minded," recalls James.
"If anyone was going to beat it, it was going to be him."
Throughout it all his wife Kerry was his rock. Night and day she stayed by her husband’s side for three months, never wanting to relinquish any precious moments and showing an unwavering commitment to pull him through.
"She was absolutely fantastic," adds James. "She knew more about his illness and his medicines than the hospital did."
When asked about those final moments, James audibly exhales. For a father who has been through so much, such a calm motion indicated without question where MacDonald got his strength of character from.
"It’s just unbelievable," he replies. "I would never think life be as hard as those three months. James never wanted anything to change. He wanted life to carry on."
MacDonald passed away in hospital on January 20 at the age of 36. A talented husband, son, brother and father taken away infinitely too soon.
The football bug has not seeped down into the next generation just yet but James junior and Drew, just 21 months old, will know their father was a brave soul they can be proud of.
"No matter what happened he always picked himself back up," said James. "He had a job, wife and kids and he was just enjoying life. He loved it."
***The MacDonald family wish to thank the staff of Ward GC at Raigmore Hospital for their care and to all who helped raise £1750 for their Highland Hospice fund.