The lifetime's dream of one of Buckie Thistle's "greatest supporters", which he was tragically fated never to see, has been commemorated in a specially commisioned painting.

Norman Wilson was widely regarded as one of the bedrocks of Buckie Thistle after spending over 50 years following the Jags through thick and thin.  Throughout the ups and downs his lifetime's dream remained seeing his beloved Buckie Thistle end their agonising 52-year wait to return the Highland League title to Victoria Park.

This was not to be as Mr Wilson succumbed to illness in October 2009, scant months before the team claimed the league crown on May 1, 2010, with a 3-0 victory over Wick Academy at Harmsworth Park.

However, determined not to let Mr Wilson's immense contributions to the club fade away, Jags President Mark Duncan and Director Murray Duncan set about commissioning a portrait from local artist John Tasker of Mr Wilson lovingly cradling the Highland League trophy.  An emotional ceremony at the Sportsmen's Dinner held in the Fisherman's Hall on Saturday February 26 saw the painting - fittingly entitled 'A Lifetime's Dream' - presented to one of Mr Wilson's daughters, Corrina Reid, on behalf of the family.

It was a move which came out of the blue for Mrs Reid, who said she was "overwhelmed" by the Duncan brothers' gesture in memory of her father.

"It came as a total surprise when Mark handed over the painting of Dad," she told the 'Advertiser'.  "He had asked me for some photos of Dad before the Scottish Cup game and one of those - the year he turned 60 and was awarded the Supporter of the Year Award and became the first recipitent of the Lifetime supporter award - was later used, but I had no idea what they were for.

"I thought maybe they were for the new book Easton Thain is doing on Buckie Thistle.

"It was an unbelievable gesture from Mark and Murray and it has left me overwhelmed.  I will never forget what they have done for Dad; the brothers do so much behind the scenes that people do not know about or appreciate.

"He was a big part of the club and the supporters for so long - he had been going to Buckie games since he was 10 years old - and the portrait is a brilliant idea.

"It was Dad's lifetime dream to see the Jags win the league and he knew when Mark and Alistair Jamieson took the Aberdeenshire Cup up to the hospital for him to see that he would not live to the end of that season.

"The league-winning season was one of mixed emotions for me.  Deep in my heart I wanted Buckie Thistle to win the championship, but a part of me did not want that if Dad was not there to see it.

"I have the painting hanging in my family room at home and it's the first thing I see in the morning.  Dad would have been delighted and it will be handed down through the family.  I have already had lots of requests for prints from the rest of the family."

Mrs Reid added that her father's passion had created a legacy of its own as she was now "hooked" on following the Jags and currently serves on the Club Committee.

Mark Duncan stressed that commissioning the paiting was something he and Murray "had to do".

He continued "We were delighted to be able to present Corrina and the family with this portrait of Norman and there was a great ovation from everyone in the hall for her when she came up to receive it.

"He supported the club through thick and thin for over 50 years and never wavered; it was so sad that he was to pass away just six months before the club's most successful season for more that half a century.

"When we took the Aberdeenshire Cup up to hospital to let Norman see it he told us that it was his lifetime's ambition to see the Jags win the league but that he was not going to live to see it.

"Although Norman was no longer with us in body we felt he was there with us in spirit.  The away game against Fort William, which was sponsored by the Supporters' Club in honour of Norman's memory, was a turning point for our whole season.

"We were drawing 3-3 but two late goals by 'Molby' (striker Ian Murray) won us the game which, along with results elsewhere going our way, was really a turning point in our season.  I did feel that Norman was looking down on us that day.

"When most people think of the Wick game their minds will turn to all the celebrations that went on, but in the quiet moments when all the celebrations have died down you think about the guys like Norman who never got the chance to see it and it was quite sad that his family never had a photo of him with the trophy.  It was then Murray and I knew we had to do something and we approached John Tasker to produce the painting and as usual he has done a fantastic job.

"A copy of the painting will be hung in the Victoria Park Function Hall in a few weeks so that years from now people will know that Norman Wilson was one of the Jags' greatest supporters."

His father taking him to his very first Buckie Thistle game at the age of ten was to mark the start of a 52-year association with the club for Mr Wilson.  Come rain, hail or snow he was there for the Jags and when the club stood perched on the abyss of extinction in the early 1980s, he was to be found driving here, there and everywhere in a bid to raise funds.

Mr Wilson was also to serve as a Club Committee member for many years and was one of a group of eight visionary supporters who seized the opportunity to form a Supporters' Club.

Mr Wilson survived by his daughters Corrina and Jacqui and eight grandchildren.

Story from Banffshire Advertiser