Appointing club ambassadors is viewed as a key part of mapping the club’s future – using the appointed Arbroath FC Club Ambassadors standing and reputation in the local, national and international areas to engage and help the Club and community.
Ambassadors get involved in a variety of ways, representing the Club at various events, taking part in fundraising events, supporting our campaigns or even something simple like tweeting a message for us, or providing a quote of support and a photo for us to use.
Arbroath Football Club is proud to have fans from far and wide, and we are delighted to have 6 experienced and successful Arbroath supporting ambassadors who not only excel in their chosen field but help promote and put Arbroath FC and the town, firmly on the map.
Jonny O’Mara is a 27 year-old British professional tennis player who plays on the ATP World Tennis Circuit and has enjoyed a career high ATP Doubles ranking of 44th in the world (May 2019)
Jonny was part of the GB University Team who beat the 5-time Champions, USA, in the final for the very first time.
In June 2018, along with partner Luke Bambridge, he claimed his maiden ATP Tour title in the men’s doubles final at the Valley International in Eastbourne before winning the Stockholm Open in October 2018.
In 2019 Jonny and Luke made it to 3 more finals – Maharshtra Open in India, the Brasil Open in Brazil and the Estoril Open in Portugal.
Jonny has also featured at the hallowed turn of Wimbledon in the many tournaments played across the world.
Jonny grew up in Arbroath attending Arbroath High School and follows the Lichties, often representing by wearing his Arbroath top at many of the major tennis arenas throughout the world.
You can follow Jonny on Twitter @Jonny_OMara
Ewen Murray is a retired Scottish professional golfer who played on the European Tour.
He is now better known as a golf commentator having recently celebrated over 25 years of golf coverage on Sky Sports. He turned pro in 1971 and won both the 1980 Zambia Open and the 1984 Nigerian Open.
Ewen’s first commentary role came in 1990 at the Desert Classic in Dubai. He then commentated on the 1991and 1993 Ryder Cups before taking on commentary full time when he joined Sky Sports ahead of the 1995 Ryder Cup at Oak Hill Country Club in New York.
Ewen has enjoyed several online Twitter wagers and banter with fellow commentator and Clyde fan Dougie Donnelly when the teams played one another last season.
Ewen’s father hailed from Arbroath and supported the Lichties and his Uncle Frank was a Director at Gayfield.
You can follow Ewen on Twitter @ewenmurray77
Alan “Soots” Soutar has been making incredible progress since coming through Q-school, turning professional and winning his tour card on the PDC.
Soots, who is also a fire fighter continues to play a massive part in the local community supporting many charities as well as running his own darts academy for the stars of the future. Alan burst onto the scene earlier in 2021 defeating former world champion Raymond Van Barneveld in his very first televised PDC event, since then Alan made his World Championship debut at Alexandra Palace defeating Austrian Mensur Suljovic and seventh seed Jose De Sousa along the way. Alan now in his second year on the pro circuit has once again secured his place at the World Championships and continues to be an ever present in the world’s top 50.
Away from the oche, Alan and his partner Amanda work tirelessly for local charities including the raising of guide dog puppies.
You can follow Alan on Twitter at @soots180
Darren has twice won Commonwealth Gold as well as winning 10 World Titles on the world bowling circuit.
As well as playing bowls around the globe, Darren is well known around Arbroath, from his work as a police community officer as well as being down at Gayfield as a season ticket holder for many years cheering on the Lichties. On top of all of this Darren is now a coach for the Girls U12’S team for the Arbroath Community Sports Club.
Proudly representing Scotland, Darren has played for his country on numerous occasions at the very top with his most notable victories coming in the Commonwealth games where he secured Gold in the 2014 Glasgow games for the Men’s singles, then winning a second gold in Australia 4 years later in the Men’s Triples alongside Ronnie Duncan and Derek Oliver.
Success has also come 4 times in the World Outdoor Championships where he won silver in the 2008 Christchurch finals in the Men’s Pairs, before winning a gold and bronze in Adelaide in 2012 in first the Men’s triples and then the Men’s fours before he added another bronze in the Men’s singles in Christchurch in 2016.
Turning to the World Indoor Bowls Championships Darren has 3 golds, winning his first in 2014 in the Singles, before winning gold twice in 2016 in the open pairs and also the mixed pairs.
Darren’s first major honours came in 1999 by winning the World Indoor Junior Singles Gold Medal which he won for four consecutive years before being eliminated by age. Further gold medals have been achieved at National and British Isles Indoor Championships where Darren became the first Scottish player to win every National and British Discipline including pairs and Triples wins with his late Father, Willie and Brother, Ryan. Darren has also been the Scottish Outdoor National Singles Champion in 1999, 2002 and 2005 which is a record he shares with Joesph Black, David Dall and Robert Sprot.
Hoping to add more medals to his already huge collection Darren was selected for the 2020 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Australia but unfortunately due to Covid that event was cancelled and also represented his country at The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
Darren’s highest ranking position was number 3 back in 2011.
You can follow Darren on Twitter at @DarrenBurnett21
Arbroath born footballing star Kelly, who is current club captain of Celtic FC, is a real life inspiration for all footballers who come from the Arbroath Area, especially to all the young girls who make up a large portion of our support on a match day and are turning out in huge numbers over many different age groups at the Arbroath FC Community Trust Football Academy.
At the age of 7 in 2001 Kelly started playing football for the Arbroath girl’s side Arbroath Inchcape Strollers. In 2006 she played and scored in the winning Inverbrothock Watters Cup Final at Gayfield.
Kelly moved to Forfar Farmington in 2010 and Forfar Farmington Manager Mark Nisbet handed Kelly her full Women’s debut that year at just 15-years-old.
Moving to Stirling to attend university, Kelly was finding it hard to juggle her studies and travel to Forfar to train three times a week. A chance to sign for Celtic was just too good to turn down, after having turned them down earlier in her career when she was still in school. This month is the 9th anniversary of Kelly signing for the Parkhead side as she moved to the Glasgow Giant at just the age of 18.
Since then Kelly has went on to become a history maker with the Glasgow side and in October 2021 Kelly reached a historic milestone as she played her 200th game for Celtic. To mark that occasion, Celtic made a special documentary on Kelly called “Counting on Kelly”.
Leading out the team in the Championship League was a dream come true for Kelly, but in December Kelly lifted the SWPL Cup as Celtic overcome Glasgow City in the final which Kelly says was the best day of her life as she lifted the trophy in a packed out Firhill in front of her family.
Kelly has 26 goals for Celtic and is up to 207 appearances and whilst she shines on the pitch, Kelly was also a regular pundit on Celtic TV before the pandemic struck.
Internationally Kelly made her Scotland debut in 2007 against Wales for the U15s. Including friendlies she made over 40 appearances for the U15s, 17s and 19s combined scoring 1 goal against Belarus in 2012. In November was given a late call up for the Scotland squad and flew out with the Scottish team to Spain for the crucial qualifier.
Kelly’s career is even more remarkable as she has combined her amazing football career with an education and a career in finance also under her belt after becoming a qualified Chartered Accountant for Deloitte. Anyone who works in finance will know, it takes a lot of dedication and exams to become a chartered accountant.
With a staggering schedule Kelly manages to juggle working as a Chartered Accountant as well as training with Celtic and playing on a Sunday.
You can follow Kelly on Twitter @kellyclark_94
BOBBY LINN
Within the world of football, if you are lucky, you perhaps once in a lifetime get to witness a player who is classed as legendary or iconic.
For many Arbroath supporters, Bobby Linn has been that once in a lifetime iconic legend, and it is with a heavy heart that we announce that Bobby is to leave the Lichties after 10 seasons, 374 Competitive appearances and an incredible 86 competitive goals.
It was just under 10 years ago in June 2013 when Paul Sheerin signed Bobby Linn for Arbroath, and alongside current team mate Ricky Little, they both made their debuts on a very warm and sticky Edinburgh afternoon on Saturday 6th July 2013 in a friendly against Craigroyston Football Club.
It was a tough debut season in League One in 2013/2014 and Arbroath ended up being relegated to League Two, but as he would go on to prove, time and time again, Bobby would be player who could provide a moment of magic and help his team either with a goal, normally in the spectacular fashion, or an assist.
In his first full season, Bobby netted his first Arbroath goal in a 3-2 friendly win over Lossiemouth before opening the scoring in his first competitive match in a 4-4 game after extra time against Stenhousemuir in the Ramsdens Cup.
Although, perhaps it was Bobby’s goal at Ibrox which was the one to savour, as he left Lee McCulloch on the deck as he ran forward before slotting past Cammy Bell to silence the home support. 39 Competitive appearances and 7 goals. A great return, and a sign of things to come for Linn and Arbroath. Bobby Linn also won player’s player of the year with over 3/4 of the votes and was named TASC Player of the Year.
Season 2013/2014 also produced one of the most iconic videos which highlighted the true brutality of the weather at Gayfield as Bobby and Alan Cook were hit by a wave as they took a corner kick!
The new season 2014/2015 in League 2 started so well with Arbroath running away with the League come January with friends Simon Murray and Paul McManus joining Bobby in attack. As the season progressed Arbroath lost momentum and eventually lost out to Queen’s Park at Hampden in the play-offs, but Bobby still was leading the way with 13 more goals in 45 appearances. It was these stats that seen him voted the PFA Scotland League 2 Player of the Year and was named in the PFA Scotland team of the Year alongside Simon Murray.
The following season of 2015/2016 was another challenging season as Arbroath struggled in League 2, but again it was on those dark days that Linn was the Licht for his team and supporters and despite the team finishing 9th under the guidance of new Manager Dick Campbell, it was another 13 goals for Bobby in 38 appearances. For the second season in succession Bobby was named in the PFA Scotland League Two Team of the Season alongside Ricky Little.
For Season 2016/2017 a new team had been recruited by the Campbell’s and everything clicked but with Forfar Athletic opening up a large gap it was Arbroath who came together and hunted them down with a magical afternoon in Stirling one that all Arbroath supporters will remember forever as Arbroath picked up only their second ever League win.
It was fitting that Bobby provided the cross from Martin Scott to head home the opening goal and the vital point needed for League success. Once again Bobby had provided numerous assists and netted another 7 goals in 38 appearances.
It was a hat-trick of PFA Scotland Team of the Year appearances as Bobby was named in the team for the 3rd consecutive season with his Arbroath team mates Ricky Little, Colin Hamilton and Steven Doris.
The test of League One in 2017/2018 was a big one, and despite an incredible 3rd place finish in their debut season, it was a cruel end after defeat in the Championship semi-finals against Dumbarton which seen the Lichties back playing in League One for the 2018/2019 season but again Bobby had netted 7 goals in 38 games.
Perhaps, like all good stories there are games and moments set for our hero and the opening day of the 2018/2019 season was one of those games. Montrose, our local rivals celebrating their own League Two Title win, and as they unfurled their flag, the Angus Derby kicked off.
A brace from Bobby, including the iconic images of leaping onto the Links Park wall celebrating in front of his adoring Arbroath fans, before celebrating his 83rd minute goal with a Ronaldo esq celebration in front of the Montrose fans who had berated him all afternoon, well it was the start of a special season.
From that first game Arbroath led League One for all 36 games, and it was a season that belonged to Bobby Linn. He netted 3 hat-tricks, including 2 against Forfar Athletic with that infamous incredible hat-trick free-kick, and another against Airdrieonians for a very special season.
A League One medal, his second in 3 seasons, but an incredible 23 goals in 39 appearances and being appreciated by his peers as he was voted the PFA League One Player of the Year by his League One fellow players and named for the 4th time in a PFA Scotland team of the year alongside Jason Thomson, Ricky Little, Thomas O’Brien and Gavin Swankie.
Championship Football awaited and the 2019/2020 season kicked off with one of the toughest Championships with both Dundee and Dundee United pushing for promotion.
The winning goal against Alloa Athletic after game 3 gave Arbroath their first Championship win, before Bobby netted the winning penalty over Dundee United at Tannadice to give Arbroath the win in the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Cup.
Another winning goal over Greenock Morton, and perhaps the most special goal came in the home draw against Dundee at Gayfield on the 7th December.
Nobody could have predicted how a global pandemic would end the season so quickly, but it was 8 more goals for Bobby in 33 appearances as Arbroath finished 5th in their debut season in the Scottish Championship.
Season 2020/2021 was incredibly difficult for everyone in Scottish Football as supporters had to stay at home, whilst a shortened season started in October made it more challenging for part-time players.
With Heart of Midlothian and Dundee in the league it was a challenge but as Bobby made his 300th appearance against Falkirk in the Scottish Cup, it was also an unfortunate one for Bobby as a heavy impact on his knee seen him stretchered off. Thankfully it wasn’t as bad as initially feared and it was another 25 appearances for Bobby and 1 goal against Queen of the South.
Season 2021/2022 and Arbroath had a season like no other, just 30 minutes away from the history books, but it wasn’t to be. It was an incredible season for the supporters and for the team and Bobby became the architect for Anton Dowds, Craig Wighton, Jack Hamilton and Joel Nouble as the team came together to defy the odds.
Surging past the 300 appearances mark, Bobby made another 31 appearances with another goal.
His 10th season with the Club and a well-deserved testimonial game, it was the fourth season in the Scottish Championship for season 2022/2023.
It was a tough season for everyone at the Club, but the tenacity and fight shown to survive will be looked back when the dust settles as another huge achievement.
Bobby started the season on fire with 2 stunning goals against FC Edinburgh, with another screamer in the friendly against AFC Fylde and yet scored another stunning goal against Dundee in the draw at Gayfield in October, and his staring performance set up a Scottish Cup tie against Motherwell as his double knocked out Fraserburgh.
A man of the match vintage performance against Hamilton Accies showed that Bobby Linn has and always will have that magic, and with 7 goals ended joint top goal-scorer with Michael McKenna making another 42 appearances.
374 Competitive appearances, 86 competitive goals, even more in friendly matches and dozens upon dozens of assists.
19:45 | 23 July
Premier Sports Cup
15:00 | 27 July
Premier Sports Cup
