PICTURES: Keith's most famous football son inspires another Scotland win over England as former Rangers and Blackburn Rovers star Colin Hendry scores in Kynoch Park charity match raising over £13,000 for Keith Cancer Link and Primrose Hospice in Birmingham
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FORMER Scotland captain Colin Hendry led his country to victory in his home town of Keith in a charity match which raised over £13,000.
The man they call 'Braveheart' after he skippered Scotland at their last World Cup finals in France '98 inspired a 4-2 Scotland win over England in the match between football veterans on both sides of the border.
Highland League junior stars of yesteryear from across the Moray area represented the winning Scots.
Former Keith man Gary Macpherson returned home to lead the English team made up of his Catskill veterans' team from Bromsgrove in the Midlands.
Event organiser and Scotland goalkeeper Willie Dick said it would be the final year of the charity event which agreed to evenly split all proceeds between the Keith Cancer Link and Primrose Hospice (Birmingham) charities.
Dick has been involved in the event for 21 years and was aiming to break through the £10,000 barrier for the first time, so he was delighted by the rising total.
"At the moment we are past 13 grand," he said. "It was an amazing day, the auction was just unbelievable and everyone enjoyed the occasion."
The game was also be staged as a testimonial for Gogs Younie, a former Highland League player who kept playing Moray welfare football into his 60s - though the charities received all the cash.
Read more: Hendry to lead Scotland in Keith charity match.
It was fitting that Hendry scored a Scotland goal on home soil but the main tartan hero was striker Ryan Green, who won man of the match after dismantling the England defence with a well-taken hat-trick.
Green was a Highland League winner with Forres Mechanics as well as playing for Buckie Thistle, Elgin City and Lossiemouth and was the youngest Scotland player at the pitch at the age of 45.
"Big Ryan is a machine and a really nice guy," said Dick. "Technically it was over-50s but you are allowed to have three players between 45 and 50 and he was the only guy we had under 50.
"Colin scored with a shot inside the box and the English boys got a dubious penalty as they always do - you have to give them something!
"But everybody enjoyed themselves. The English guys were great, they were all in the Ploo (Plough Inn) with us and they loved the weekend."
Between 300 and 400 people attended the match and added to the charity pot, while over £6000 was made from a special auction including items donated by Hendry.
The former Rangers treble-winner donated a signed shirt from the Ibrox club as well as a Scotland jersey and one of the 51 caps he earned for playing for his country - the cap alone raised £1100.
A guard of honour was formed for Younie, who played for his hometown Rothes in the Highland League during the 1980s and made a comeback at the age of 55 in a league match at Wick in October, 2015 when the Speysiders were short of players.
Keith Football Club gave a helping hand - or two pairs of hands - to the visiting England team who arrived north without a goalkeeper.
The Maroons' under-18 keeper Matthew Cook and under-16 counterpart Finlay Ross played a half each against the Scotland veterans and showed up well.
Dick said: "This will make a massive difference to the charities. The football was great but that is just a bonus.
"We set out to make £10,000 and we are definitely at £13,000 now which is just great.
"It’s the last one, I’m getting too old for it now. My throat is gone and my back is gone!
"I had a really good save in the last five minutes so I’m chuffed with that.
"It would have taken them back to 4-3 and the boy thought he had scored, I don’t know how I got to it but it was good to keep it out.
"It's just been a really good weekend."