Buckie Thistle have thanked Stephen King after the horror writer made a “fantastic” donation to a fundraising campaign aimed at securing the club’s future. The Highland League side say the contribution will help them tackle their current financial predicament.
The relationship between club and author goes back six years, when King featured Buckie Thistle in his book If It Bleeds. At that time, the best-selling writer of Carrie and The Shining donated two copies of the novel to the Moray side, one of which was auctioned off. The 79-year-old has now helped boost their coffers again.
Interim president Daniel Farquhar said: “It is fantastic. We reached out and we are just really grateful for Stephen to take the time to donate something.” He added that the club does not want to disclose the sum but described it as “a nice little figure that will keep us going,” helping to pay for players and operation costs. Farquhar also said King’s email response read: “hopefully this donation inspires others to get involved and put their hands in their pockets as well,” adding that Buckie are “eternally grateful” and hope it encourages further support.
Buckie Thistle found themselves in the spotlight in early 2024 when they played Celtic in the Scottish Cup, losing 5-0 in Glasgow. The Highland Jags have found it tough to make ends meet after long-standing president Garry Farquhar stepped down for health reasons earlier this year.
Daniel Farquhar said operating costs of around £20,000 per month are “far outweighing the money coming in at the moment,” and the club is undergoing a big task to examine expenditure and try to reduce it. He added that Buckie have received in the region of £55,000 worth of donations in the last five or six weeks, describing it as “phenomenal.”