By Gordon Berry

ATTEMPTS TO have Fife Council honour golfing legend Jack Nicklaus in the wake of his embarrassing snub from St Andrews Community Council have now met support from around half of the area’s elected members.

Several councillors have sent messages of support to Cupar man Andrew Gold, who has circulated an “electronic petition” to several community councils and golf clubs.

The idea is also being given the backing of caddies in St Andrews, with well over 100 of them set to sign up.

Mr Gold came up with the idea of suggesting that Fife Council make Jack Nicklaus a “freeman” of Fife after the community council in St Andrews attracted ridicule with its decision not to pursue its own form of honour.

The chairman of the community council was forced into writing an apology over what had happened and the petition now circulating states that signatories wish to dissociate themselves from a decision said to be not in “any shape or form” representative of the people of Fife.

Although council chief executive Douglas Sinclair has made it clear the public call from Mr Gold is well meaning but not helpful in delicate circumstances, it is already clear a number of councillors feel the subject to be well worth following up.

Councillor Alan Kenney said he and many colleagues in the Labour group shared the views expressed and intended to raise the matter within the council.

Councillor Robert Young said he had already raised the matter with Provost John Simpson and was sure the matter would come up at the next Labour group meeting.

“Although not a golfer myself, you cannot go through life without having heard of Jack and I was ashamed to be a Fifer when I heard of the decision reached by a very small minority of St Andrews folk,” he added.

Yesterday Mr Gold said there had been support from politicians on all sides and that the petition now circulating asked for the honour to be awarded in recognition of the golfer’s distinguished services to sport, his unrivalled promotion of St Andrews and Fife and for the unprecedented regard in which the citizens of Fife held him.

He added that an Email address—awardjack@hotmail.com—had been set up and individuals or organisations could show support.

“The support for my proposal to grant Jack the title of Freeman of Fife has already gained real support from all political parties.

“However, it is essential that individual Fifers themselves make their feelings known and I hope people will sign up to my petition”

Mr Gold said that Crail Golfing Society and Balbirnie Park in Markinch were among golf clubs that had already said they would display the petition and there was strong support among caddies in St Andrews.

This was confirmed yesterday by caddie David Lindsay, who had spoken to many of his colleagues.

“I was lucky enough to caddie for Dale Douglas in the same group as Jack Nicklaus at an event at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland.

“Just a couple of weeks ago, when Jack was in St Andrews, he spotted me on the golf course and made a special point of coming over to speak to me. That’s the sort of thing he does.

“He is a wonderful ambassador for golf and I expect the St Andrews caddies will give overwhelming support to the call to Fife Council.”