Swifts stalwart ends long service
Time for new faces, says John
Loyalty is often lost in football but Jeanfield Swifts stalwart John Soutar is reflecting on more than five decades with the club.
The former player, coach and all-round committee man – most recently treasurer – is leaving the club after a sterling 54 years of service.
Memories to last a lifetime have been created but John (74) is still looking forward to following the progress of the club he loves.
Swifts move away from the junior football ranks this summer and begin a new chapter in the East of Scotland League.
“I joined Jeanfield Swifts in 1964 so there comes a lot of sadness,” John said. “One thing about this game is that it’s full of ups and downs.
“But you make some really good friends. I’ve known guys since I started that are still close friends and that’s due to the football.
“There is a sense of loyalty
John Soutar has been involved with Jeanfield Swifts for 54 years because when you play you realise there are a lot of people putting things into the club which you benefit from.
“After that I felt like I wanted to help and put something back into the club but I feel that it’s time some younger guys take over. We sit at committee meetings, six of us, and five are over the age of 70.
“I’m steeped in all of the old methods and traditions, still doing the books with a big ledger and everything is hand entry.
“The young guy taking over can have it on a spreadsheet on the computer, which is great.”
John was part of a St Johnstone team which included Sir Alex Ferguson.
His involvement with Jeanfield then led him on a special journey, both at Simpson Park and more recently the Riverside Stadium.
“I played juvenile and then signed for Saints, the same team as Alex Ferguson,” he reminisced.
“I joined Luncarty and then moved to Jeanfield. We had a bit of success, got to the sixth round of the Scottish and won a lot of cups.
“I broke my leg for Saints and then again for Jeanfield, both times at Muirton Park.
“It was a case of ‘what do I do now?’ and I did play a few more games but I wasn’t wanting to take any chances or risks.
“I did a bit of coaching and was Paddy Winton’s second in command for a lot of years. We had a lot of good times.
“With the stadium move, we decided that we didn’t want to go out of the town. Sites were available in places like Balbeggie.
“We searched around and made an approach for where the Riverside now sits. At the time it was just a field.
“I used to drive past Letham and see all the kids playing football but here there were a dozen kids kicking a ball about the shops.
“We had long negotiations and then built the Riverside, which has been all of our own money, and that makes me proud.”
The future is a bright one for Jeanfield, John believes, with the infrastructure and staff in place to push forward.
“The facilities are here and the backroom staff is in place,” he said. “It’s going to be hard this coming season but it’s all exciting.
“It’s an exciting time for the club and I am as excited as anyone. I live around the corner so I will still be about.”