A Forfar Athletic club legend said he’s left “incredibly touched” after the cinch League Two side named their Main Stand after him for his four decades of service.
David McGregor, 73, was also named Life President by the Station Park club after spending over forty years working at the club.
David, who was incredibly seen The Loons play over 2000 matches, served as club secretary for 37 years, as well as club director, vice-chairman and chairman during his time at the club.
The ex-director, who retired from his role in May this year, was honoured by the club, the Scottish Professional Football League, fans, ex-players and staff at a ceremony in his honour in the town’s Reid Hall on Friday night.
He said: “I’m so incredibly touched by all this.
“Having a stand named after me feels surreal, but it it’s a real honour.
“Forfar Athletic has been a huge part of my life. It’s over 60 years I’ve been going to games, and I’ve gone to well over 2000 matches.
“It’s a really special club, and I’ll continue going to games as long as I can.
“I’ve made friendships across Scottish football that will last a lifetime, and that has meant a lot to me.”
David’s first memory of attending a Forfar Athletic game was ironically the first game the SPFL club’s Main Stand - which will now be called The David McGregor Stand - opened in 1959, when they played Rangers in the Scottish Cup.
He served secretary roles for club supporters’ groups from the age of 16, before becoming assistant club secretary in the late 1970s, and becoming a club director in 1983.
He served as club secretary for 37 years from 1984 to 2021, as well as serving as vice-chairman and chairman of the club, and estimates he edited around 800 club programmes in his time at the club.
His highlight from his time at the club was them winning the equivalent of cinch League One – the Scottish Second Division – in 1983/84 and he believes the most talented player he saw play for The Loons is ex-striker Craig Brewster, who attended the event on Friday evening.
David added: “Having so many ex-players travel to this event meant a lot to me.
“In the last 40 years I think I’ve missed less than 20 games, which is quite something.
“I’ve sat in the same director’s box seat over that time because you had a great view from the game.
“I’ll continue to make myself available to Forfar Athletic on matchdays and will take the Life President role as seriously as I can.”
Forfar Athletic vice-chairman Alastair Donald, who sits on the SPFL Board, said: “David is just one in a million.
“Forty years is a remarkable service to give to one club. He’s made an incredible impact here over that time.
“We’d all like to thank David for his work at the club, and the wisdom David has passed on to me during my 15 years at Forfar Athletic will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Calum Beattie, SPFL chief operating officer, presented David with a SPFL long service medal, and a bottle of SPFL branded whisky, at the event as a nod to his enjoyment of a small dram after watching his favourite team.
Calum Beattie said: “When we heard that David was retiring from his role, we were keen to attend to add our own tribute to his special evening.
“David is one of the titans of the game in Scotland. His knowledge and experience of the SPFL rulebook is second to none.
“His contribution to Forfar Athletic and to Scottish football is unparalleled in modern times – and is unlikely to be repeated.
“He retires with our thanks and appreciation for a job well done over many years.”
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