John joined Falkland CC in 1980 after been coaxed out of retirement over a few whiskies in the Royal Hotel, Auchtermuchty. Prior to this John spent a few seasons excelling at Cupar and before that Freuchie where he began his playing career. During the sixties he was also a regular tourer with Falkland to places such as Elgin.

In his prime John was an excellent all-rounder but by the time he joined Falkland it was his swing bowling that earned him a formidable reputation eventually leading to him being nicknamed ‘The Guru’ due to his prowess with the ball.

Over two decades John took 639 wickets for the club at an average of 13.37. His best figures of 9 for 68 occurred in the 1988 a season when he also took a total of 94 wickets, a remarkable achievement. In some games John would bowl unchanged from one end throughout the whole innings often bowling 29 overs on the trot !

John played most of his cricket in the 1st XI but towards the end of his career and when well into his sixties he also turned out for the 2nd and 3rd XIs. John, being the generous man he was, was passionate about sharing his knowledge and expertise with the club’s younger players. Many who benefited from his wise words went on to become very good cricketers themselves.

When his playing days came to end John turned his focus to improving the facilities at Scroggie Park particularly within the clubhouse. Many of his refurbishment projects have stood the test of time and are still part of the fabric of the building today. John became known as the club’s DIY expert as he was involved in several clubhouse and ground improvements often completed with a very small budget.

There are endless cricketing tales to tell involving John which involve laughter, camaraderie, and friendship and for those reading this who knew him there will no doubt be a fond memory or two which may well involve a nip of whisky.

John was a very well-liked, kind, and respected character who will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

As a mark of respect, the club’s flag is flying at half mast and a minute’s silence will be observed in John’s memory prior to the Falkland v Freuchie match a week tomorrow 28th August at 12.50pm.

The club sends its deepest condolences to the Christie family at this very sad time.