Barra boy Matthew flying high with the Ton
Youth academy starlet Matthew Davidson makes an incredible 300-mile round trip from his home on the Isle of Barra to train and play matches for the club’s Under-11 side.
And Scottish regional airline Loganair have stepped in to support his travel by providing tickets for the Twin Otter aircraft, which operates the daily Glasgow to Barra service and is famour for landing on the beach.
The 10-year-old midfielder, who recently scored a hat-trick against St Mirren, is the first footballer based in the Outer Hebrides to play for the Ton, signing on after a successful trial overseen by coach Ross Gourdie.
Head of the junior academy Gourdie said: “Given that I fix Loganair’s aircraft for a living, it was a nice coincidence to find out he was from Barra. He’s definitely the first boy from the island to sign for the club.
“Geography is obviously a bit of an issue but we’re doing our best to help him train at home and he is still impressing us during matches every weekend.
“Matthew definitely has a lot of raw talent. He combines speed with an incredible close control, really impressive when you consider he has just been playing football with Castlebay Community School.”
Chief executive Warren Hawke added: “We have seen a number of players, such as Rothesay’s Jim McAlister and Dunoon’s Lewis Strapp, overcome geographic challenges to become professional footballers at Morton.
“None of those were quite on the same scale as young Matthew, though, who travels all the way from his home on the isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides to train and turn out for our academy’s Under-11s side.
“That exceptional commitment is admired and supported by everyone at the club, and we would like to thank Loganair for their generous assistance in Matthew’s efforts to fulfil his dream of becoming a future Ton star.”
Loganair commercial director Kay Ryan said: “Congratulations to Matthew for getting the opportunity to play against the best youngsters in Scotland. We’re proud to support him and watch as his career develops.”
Images courtesy of Loganair
