Nairn County's swinging sixties
Part 2
Let's have a look at events that led up to the Wee County winning the Qualifying Cup in 68/69.
In 1969Man walked on the Moon, 50 pence coin introduced, Pele scores 1000th goal,
The Boeing 747 and Concorde made their first flights and Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast  - and let's not forget Woodstock!.
Best to Start with a look at  New Year 68.
The Nairnshire reported.
‘Berwick Rangers, the team who emerged last season as the gaint killers of the century by knocking Glasgow Rangers out of the Scottish Cup, have been warned that they must give the same all-out effort when they meet Nairn County at Shiefield on Saturday.
Berwick manager Jock Wallace said. I always ask for 100% from my players but in the cup it has to be 100% plus.  We know the quality of the Highland League.”  Rangers and Nairn have met before. The teams drew 5-5 in a thriller at Nairn and Berwick won the replay 3-0.
For a team on paper, has  abundant talent.  Berwick have not made the expected impression on the Second Division this season.  They have produced some class performances but failure to score has cost them dearly.’

May 68 Nairn v Aberdeen a 5-2 win for the dons before a crowd of 2,250. Dave Johnston got two of the goals for his new team and he got a cheer the moment he ran onto the park.

In June Tom Walls with 14 years service as County chairman was elected president of the Highland League.  Incredibly, during the last season, which had since an increase in on the pitch problems in the League, the Wee County had received no bookings or senidings-off.  Admission to grounds was set at two shillings but the word ‘minimum was added to that to allow clubs to charge a higher price if they wished.
Also in that month it was announced that County had agreed to allow St Ninian to use Station Park for their home fixtures and training.

August and Abderdeen came again for a ‘closed-doors’ warm-up game with 500 spectators somehow getting in!  Later on they went down to Elgin 6-4 at Cooper Park in front of a 2,000 plus crowd in the Highland League cup quarter final.

As the year progressed Nairn knocked out Caley to secure a place in the Scottish cup, this was the third win over Caley so far that season. Then it was to be the Broch that were dispatched over the two legs.
And so the legendary visit to Forfar, who were riding high in the old second division at the time.
According to the Nairnshire the win was no fluke,
‘The County’s Preliminary Cup First round win was hailed as a Scottish shock but Nairn’s defensive consolidation plus disconcertingly fast and dangerous breaks were not the result of luck but of some first-rate team work.’

Nairn v Berwick Rangers 04 01 69. Start of the year a bit like groundhog day? It’s a New Year, it must be a game against Berwick. At the same time the previous year Nairn had to go down to meet Berwick in the cup.  It was the third tie between the sides within a decade.  The first meeting being a 5-5 thriller and Nairn lost 3-0 down the road.

The domination in defence of Jock Wallace, Berwick Rangers’ goalkeeper, was a vital factor in his side’s success against a Nairn team that played very well before a crowd of 2,622at Station Park on Saturday, but lost 2-0.

Wallace made some excellent saves against some fine County moves and thus a chance of further cup glory passed Nairn by.
The Nairnshire further reported after the tie.
Jock Wallace the Berwick player manager, who is to join Hearts in the near future as assistant manger and coach considers 18-yr old John Sim the best player on the field last Saturday and he is interested in the young student’s football future.

Pitches and training are not only a problem of the new millenium, an issue of the Nairnshire describes how the the team gratefully took up the opportunity to train in the Fort George gym to avoid cutting up the Station Park surface.
In March over 90 boys aged 9-15 met to form a junior supporters club, the meeting was a success and the older boys decided to also form a junior football team.  The aims of the club that was formed were to ‘support the County, to do useful community service, and to organise social activities for themselves.’

Semi-final of North cup against Ross County was called off and rearranged because five of 13 signed players were hit by flu and another was off with injury.  Nairn offered to scratch from the competition but after consultations between the North FA and Ross County it was moved.
This was the first time in over 40 years that the Wee County had been so badly hit by an influenza outbreak.
Nairn won the semi 2-1 with goals from Thom and went through to Elgin at Mosset Parkon the 19th of April.  Admission to the game was 3shillings, and boys and OAP’s were half-price (no mention of girls).  Supporters buses (plural) were advertised too.
This was to be one North cup that the Wee County were not to win in the 60’s.  They went down 5-3, letting in just as many goals in this game as they had in the last 6 outings but it was no mean feat to put three past the season’s Highland League Champions and not many sides did that in 69.

In April Nairn Stalwart Isabel Fraser was given a present of a clock to honour her years of service to the club and as a gift to her forthcoming marriage.

May came with news of former Nairn striker David Johnstone being unhappy with himself in Aberdeen, he was now a first-team regular there but wanted to come home to Nairn, despite being offered new terms.  David came back to Nairn and took up his old job at the laundry.

Nairn finished in 6th place with 38 points and 74 goals scored.  The sixties were just about over and County only had to wait another few years before their greatest-ever achievement in the mid-seventies – the Highland League Championship.
 

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