The Valley Spy Visits huntly

'Vale made the trip to the Huntly looking for their first away win against the Strathbogie side since 1983. The game would very much provide an indication of whether Banff/Macduff man would finally see what a league flag looked like.
Now Huntly whilst being very much a rural town benefits from two rivers flowing past -the Deveron and Bogie. The Huntly area is known as Strathbogie. The name Deveron would represent to most a Scottish clean flowing river, whilst Bogie conjures up an image of something less pleasant -you have got to question why the Huntly area is called Strathbogie - Strathdeveron would be preferable.
However, it has been the rest of the Highlands that have been green with envy at the exploits down Strathbogie way in recent years. Huntly, allegedly the tractor boys of the league have savoured the greatest spell in their seventy odd year history. Steve Paterson, now manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle joined Huntly as a player around 1990 and was quickly appointed manager. His inspirational leadership would see Huntly totally dominate the Highland League for the most of the 1990's,winning five championships in a row. The first success was at a time when Caley and Ross County were still in the league.
It is evident that Huntly are currently not the force they were, but on their day are capable of beating any team in the league, and it would be unwise to claim they are a spent force.
However, Huntly in the 1970's were most of the time down at the lower section of the league with the 'Vale. Their finances were so bad that in the 1970's they paid their players win bonuses wi bags o' tatties, neeps and carrots. It is not known if this staple diet attributed to the success of a future generation of Huntly players - but it definitely provided Huntly with a team of battlers.
The most memorable 'Vale/Huntly battle at Christie Park was the 1978 Bells Scotch Cup Final. The game was played on a Wednesday night in May. The 'Vale went through the 70's getting defeated in the Aberdeenshire Cup Finals. That season Huntly had managed to lose two finals. There had to be a winner and in May 1978, whilst the rest of the country were following Scotland to Argentina, Huntly and Deveronvale served up a classic final. The Bells Cup was sponsored by the Whisky firm and in the days in which carryouts were permitted every 6th spectator got a free miniature. Not suprisingly this promotion was never carried onto the Tennant's Scottish Cup. The Cup itself was more of a Rose Bowl - probably more at home as a prize in the Banff Floor Show.
The 'Vale took an early 2 goal lead. Huntly even missed a penalty -the cup/trophy/Rose Bowl call it what you like was heading down the Deveron to Banff. But this was the 'Vale of the 1970's anything was possible. Huntly came back with two goals in the second half and the 'Vale held out until the end of extra time. Penalties would follow. The 'Vale goalie was Jim Leighton who would go onto be an Aberdeen and Scotland legend. The 'Vale won 4-1 on penalties and the supporters celebrated as if we had won the World Cup, which was just as well as the next football extravaganza was watching Scotland in Argentina. It was the 'Vale's first cup success since 1966 and the next would be in 1994. Furthermore, 'Vale would not win another penalty shoot-out until March 2002 (v Clach in the Highland League Cup).
Now the Spy during his dancing period used to take in some of the finer disco halls of the North -East. One Friday night Huntly was the scene with the Huntly Hotel being the Huntly hot spot. It was interesting to witness the Strathbogie version of Disco dancing and watch the local enjoy some relaxation after a week ploughing in the park or working for RB Farquhar. The locals' relative success in the Bells Cup with the free miniatures had obviously whetted their liking for the national drink. This was evident when after the disco had finished the entertainment moved on to fighting in the Square. The local police were quickly involved in apprehending the Huntly equivalent of Ken Buchanan, and a young loon was soon on his way for a night's free bed and breakfast courtesy of the Huntly Cop Shop. This included a taxi trip in the back of a white car with a stripe in the side.
However, no longer had the first bout finished than a further boxing match was underway. The Police had again to deal with the trouble. The young loon who was in the Police car was now alone in the back seat. He decided that he would jump out the car - obviously to make more room for further incumbents. To the roar of the crowd he legged it down a side street. It was more akin to like a scene from the Wild West as opposed to being in rural Aberdeenshire!
The report on the game itself is found elsewhere on this website, however the Valley Spy was in Huntly to check out what following Deveronvale is all about.

Pre-Match Refreshments
A sizable travelling support arrived in Huntly to sample the Social Club adjacent to the ground. The club from the outside is a blockwork-constructed building with a cladded roof built by RB Farquhar. However inside it is almost regal with mock beams, cornicing and rich décor creating an environment that wouldn't have looked out of place in Huntly Castle.

Valley Spy Rating 5/5

Catering Facilities
The pie-shop at Huntly is a RB Farquhar building housed at one end of the ground. The shop was outsourced to private businesses in previous years but is now staffed by Huntly wiffies loyal to the club. The usual menu of pies, teas and coffees on offer for the supporters. Now the Spy once agreed to help out in the 'Vale pie shop some years back. The opponents that day were Huntly. The Spy thought shop duties would be a few minutes at the start of the game and also half-time. But the customers were hungry Huntly man - why eat one pie when God you enough hands for two pies. The Spy was in the shop until late in the second half. The Spy can reveal that Huntly supporters are the 'Official Gannets of the Highland League'.

Valley Spy Rating 4/5

Ground Conditions
The ground at Huntly has improved greatly over the years. Although the playing surface was a bit bumpy, this can be attributed to the recent dry spell after the less recent wet spell -work that oot!
The toilets are of the portable RB Farquhar variety whilst the impressive stand is a relatively new 300 seater facility built by - you've guessed it RB Farquhar.

Valley Spy Rating 4/5

Banter
Now Huntly during their successful period gained support in great numbers from as far away as the footballing heartlands of Rothienorman, Forgue,Ryhnie and Auchterless. For a decade they followed Huntly around the Highlands and beyond, but it was in Christie Park Huntly they made the Hunlty 'howling shed' their own.
The cry would go up: - OWAY! OWAY! OWAY! OWAY! (at this stage you thought you were in Continental Europe) Then the chant would go to: - HUNT-LAY! HUNT-LAY! (you quickly realised you were back in Aberdeenshire)
The support in still there for Huntly, although not is such great numbers. That being said there is some good-natured banter between the Huntly and 'Vale supporters- if not to mention some colourful language

Valley Spy Rating 3/5

The Match
A terrific no scoring draw. Now let's just say 'Vale do not have a Huntly Hoodoo - we just havnae won their in twenty years!

Valley Spy Rating 4/5

Final Score 20/25