CROSSGATES man Sidney Arnold had a very happy 90th birthday on Christmas Eve.

A piper and more than 50 socially-distanced villagers gathered outside his home in Church Place to wish him all the best.

And he had an extra birthday present when he learned he was one of Cowdenbeath Football Club’s Festive Friends, through sponsorship from the Scottish Professional Football League Trust, and the Aldi store in the town, plus a lot of hard work from members of Cowdenbeath Rotary Club and directors of the Blue Brazil.

Sidney was born in Dunfermline but has stayed in Crossgates for 65 years.

He was a lorry driver and worked for BRS and Hutchisons for many years, as well as in the opencast mining industry, transporting coal.

He was delighted with the way people turned out to wish him a happy birthday and being a Festive Friend of Cowdenbeath FC.

He said: “What a big surprise, I can’t thank everyone enough for this, it was marvellous.”

The Festive Friends initiative normally takes the form of a SPFL Trust Festive Christmas Dinner for the elderly which has been held in Wee Jimmies, in Cowdenbeath, previously, but with COVID-19 restrictions, the initiative was adapted whereby each club received funding to supply elderly people in the community, who may be in danger of social isolation, with a hamper of food.

Cowden director Tom Ewing said: “With the assistance of Aldi, in Cowdenbeath, who supplied the food, and Rotary Cowdenbeath members, who packed and delivered the hampers, 30 elderly residents in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area received a hamper on Christmas Eve.

“Also in each box was a fire safety leaflet supplied by staff at Lochgelly Fire Station.”

The Rotary volunteers filled the hampers last Tuesday and then toured Cowdenbeath, Lochgelly and the surrounding villages, distributing the hampers.

Rotary Club president Yolanda Hilton commented: “The events at Wee Jimmies have gone really well over the past few years and although COVID meant we couldn’t do that this year, the hampers have been very well received by senior citizens.”