Arbroath FC’s Hall of Fame welcomed its latest inductees at a celebration dinner in Carnoustie as a trio of fans’ favourites joined the growing list of honoured Lichties.
Jimmy Bone, Derek Rylance and Brian ‘Gubby’ Mitchell saw their names added to the list of legends recognised since the scheme started in 2015.
They received a rousing reception at the dinner – which doubled as a celebration of last season’s storming League One triumph.
Sheriff Lindsay Wood compered the Carnoustie Golf Hotel evening, with pundits Tam Cowan and Peter Martin also on the speakers’ line-up.
The trio follow John McGlashan, John Fletcher, Jimmy Cant, John Edward “Ned” Doig, Albert Henderson, Tom Cargill, Bob McGlashan, Dave Easson, Ian Stirling, Jimmy Jack, Paul Sheerin, John Petrie, Eric Sellars and Stevie Florence into the Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Bone joined Arbroath from Celtic in 1976 for £10,000 before leaving to join St Mirren, then managed by Alex Ferguson, for £30,000 in February 1978.
He returned to Gayfield as player/manager in 1985 and spent two seasons with the club but was again drawn by the lure of the Buddies in 1987.
Bone scored on his Arbroath debut in a 2-2 home draw with Dundee in January 1975, with Andy Penman also getting on the scoresheet. He was top scorer for the Lichties in his first three seasons and went on to score 41 goals in 97 league games between 1975 and 78, adding another two goals in 30 appearances in his second stint between 1985 and ‘86.
Derek Rylance made 275 league appearances between 1971 and ‘81, scoring six goals, three of which came in one remarkable game against Celtic in 1972.
The game was played at Hampden because of construction work at Parkhead and a meagre crowd of 4,962 turned out for the encounter, with two late goals from the Arbroath man earning his side a creditable draw.
Brian ‘Gubby’ Mitchell came through the ranks of the Arbroath Lads Club and signed on at Gayfield in 1984, making 292 league appearances and scoring eight goals during two spells between 1984 and 1995 and then 1997 and 1999.
He has the fifth greatest number of appearances by any player since the Second World War and was a member of Dave Baikie’s promotion-winning 1997/98 squad.
