News

Aberdeen football man receives prestigious award

Monday, 25 June 2012

A Scottish FA regional committee member has won a prestigious sport award in Aberdeen.
 

Neil Paterson has recently been honoured with an Aberdeen City Sport Award in recognition of an outstanding contribution to football.
 

Neil started running football teams for King Street Sports Club in 1971 when he was still playing for the club in the Granite City League.
 

For ten years he ran the club’s team in the Hazlewood League on the Saturday morning as well as running their under-14 team in the Youth Service League on a Saturday afternoon.
 

During this period he also served as the organising secretary of the Grampian Union of Boys Club as well as being President of the Aberdeen Youth Service League.
 

With growing family commitments Neil decided to concentrate his efforts on his Saturday afternoon team.
 

In 1985 he managed the King Street Belmont team that won the Scottish Juvenile Cup at under-16 level - the first club from Aberdeen to do so.
 

Andy Smith, who scored the winning goal in that final, went on to score a goal for Airdrie in the Scottish Cup Final against Rangers.
 

Aberdeen star Russell Anderson is another player Neil worked with at youth level.
 

Neil served as club secretary and president of the King Street Sports Club for more than thirty years.
 

He was awarded a Life Membership of the Aberdeen and District Juvenile FA in 1991 and has served on its executive committee for the last fifteen years.
 

With the formation of the Scottish Youth FA Neil undertook the voluntary role of North Regional Secretary with responsibility of organising the local rounds of the Scottish Cup and arranging the selection process for the various age group Regional Development Squads.
 

Neil is extremely proud of the fact that since the inception of the SYFA North teams have won no fewer than 15 Scottish Cups at various age groups.
 

In 2004 Neil was awarded the Scottish Youth FA Presidential award for his serves to youth football and in particular his work in developing a Club Resources Pack for new clubs and his work on producing match programmes for Scottish Cup semi-finals and finals.
 

He was further honoured by the SYFA with the award of a Life Membership in 2009.
 

Currently Neil is in his fourth year as President of the Aberdeen and District Juvenile FA.
 

Earlier this year Neil had to undertake the additional duties of Association Secretary following the sad death of Raymond Kelly.
 

Neil had previously stepped in for Raymond for 18 months thirteen years ago when Raymond was on business in America.