John Mitchell

Many within the Forfar Athletic ‘family’ and most certainly the club’s unofficial ‘Band of Brothers’ the squad from the late seventies and eighties will be saddened if not devastated with the news of the passing of John Mitchell at his home early this morning.

Many of those former playing colleagues from without doubt the greatest days in the history of the ‘Loons’ in fact attended a celebration of John’s life following terminal cancer diagnosis organised by the man himself a week past Sunday at Forthill Sports Club in Broughty Ferry, a very emotional and now poignant day for all concerned. On the day both Billy Bennett and Ronnie Scott paid their own tributes to John on behalf of their colleagues.

Typical of the man however a substantial sum was also raised on the day for both the Dundee Carers and the Spinal Injuries Society from a well supported auction at the event attended by well over a hundred family and friends.

On the footballing front, John a speedy striker with an eye for goal was signed for the ‘Loons’ by Archie Knox in the summer of 1979 from Arbroath. He was to go on to play over forty competitive games for the club that season and was of course a member of the Athies squad who headed to Ontario in the summer of 1980 on that never to be forgotten first trip across the Atlantic. John was an integral part of that two week trip both on and off the park. However on this occasion, what happened on tour stays on tour!

The next eighteen months saw John’s Station Park career blighted by injury, his appearances limited under the stewardship by then of Archie’s successor Alex Rae. Nevertheless John had by early February in 1982 played in all three games against East Fife and Hamilton Accies at the start of what was to be the most famous Scottish Cup run in the club’s history and one that almost and should perhaps have had the true fairy tale finale.

Hearts at Tynecastle were due to be Forfar’s next opponents on Saturday 13th February. Tragedy however was to strike John in particular but in fact the whole club and community four nights earlier on the evening of Tuesday February 9th. John was on his way home from training in a car driven by club coach Alex Carsewell when a vehicle reversed out of the garage at Muiryfaulds on the Dundee Road into their path. Alex was blameless, but John’s injuries from the crash included a snapped spinal cord which was to say the least to be life changing.

The ‘Loons’ players of the time were unsure whether they could face up to the challenge of the Tynecastle tie, but at training on the Thursday the decision was made to go ahead as a tribute to John who by this time had been moved Bangour Hospital in West Lothian. The rest is history as they say. Thanks to a Stevie Hancock goal, the ‘Loons’ beat the ‘Jam Tarts’ 1-0, the win dedicated to John and the team coach headed to the hospital where the whole team gathered round his bedside to celebrate the victory.

Of course that amazing run ended in semi-final replay heartache, by which time John, his family and friends knew he was to be confined to a wheelchair for life. This brought a new prospective on life for John but on his own admission very recently having celebrated his 70th birthday last November when he admitted that he had lived that life in a positive manner with many wonderful days to cherish and remember.

John became a champion for the disabled, gave motivational talks and was rewarded for his unstinting devotion to many causes by being awarded the accolade in 2007 of Dundee’s Citizen of the Year.

John who still managed to make visits to see his beloved ‘Loons’ in action on an all too infrequent basis, notably when he took a full part in the after match celebrations when that first league title was achieved back in ’84. He became an avid follower of Dundee United, a season ticket holder in fact at Tannadice and was a welcome visitor to the Etihad to support Manchester City in more recent times. In fact his last visit to the ‘toonie’ was probably in late 2023 when despite having been pretty ill in the preceding week he made it to the Reid Hall for David McGregor’s tribute event, a fact very much appreciated by our now Honorary President.

John was without doubt a truly inspirational figure to all who knew him and a great friend to many especially his former colleagues at Station Park, none more so than lifelong pal former ‘Loons’ keeper Ian Boardley. In fact Ian was a witness at a very emotional moment for John only a few days ago when he was a witness to John and his long time partner Ingrid who has been such a strong support to him receiving a private blessing of their relationship in the home they shared.

John was indeed an inspiration to all who knew him, even following the final medical set back he received. His cheery smile and his few well chosen ‘sound bites’ for want of a better wording a week past Sunday epitomised his passion for life despite the setbacks summed him up to perfection.

The sympathies and prayers of the Directors, Officials, current players and especially the supporters of Forfar Athletic are with Ingrid, his family, his close friends and of course his Station Park ‘Band of Brothers’ at this time.

The world is undoubtedly a sadder place today.

Rest in Peace John.