Rothes has an unusual link to the new Mel Gibson movie "We Were Soldiers". Oscar winner Mel Gibson of "Braveheart" fame is using a moving lament for a fallen Scottish hero on the soundtrack of his new Vietnam war film, which is based on a true story.
The lament, "Sgt MacKenzie", is written and sung by Joe Kilna Mackenzie son of Maria McCabe and the late Alex McCabe of Provost Christie Drive, Rothes. Joe wrote the song in memory of his Grandfather a Moray man, from Bishopmill, who along with hundreds of other Seaforth Highlanders from the Elgin/Rothes area went to fight in the great war. Sgt Charles Stuart MacKenzie was bayoneted to death at, the age of 35, while defending one of his badly injured colleagues in the hand to hand fighting of the trenches.

Joe penned the haunting lament after the death of his wife, Christine, five years ago. The track was then included in his band Clan An Drumma's album "Tried and True". Film director Randall Wallace, who also won an Oscar for his screenplay of Braveheart, received a CD of the album and was haunted by the emotion and spirit of reverence captured in "Sgt MacKenzie. He arranged for Joe and band mate Donnie MacNeil, who played the pipes, to re-record 'Sgt MacKenzie' with the backing of an 80 piece orchestra and the WestPoint Military Choir at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London. The lament has been introduced into the film during key scenes with Joe singing on his own and on the last track of the film with the orchestra and choir.

Joe's granny, Catherine MacKenzie Rizza, was a daughter of Sgt MacKenzie. She returned to Moray from Glasgow and settled in Rothes where her daughter Maria and son Charles along with her grandchildren and other members of the family were living. Through the years Joe spent many hours listening to her tales of his great grandfather. Sadly his granny died three and a half years ago and never got to listen to the song. Recently Joe visited her grave in Rothes and sang the song to her.
Sgt Mackenzie's wife, Joe's great granny also called Catherine, lived in Rothes for many years. Later in life she married Lewis Allan, North Street where she lived until her death in 1955.
Joe plans to visit France sometime in the future to play Sgt MacKenzie at the grave of his great grandfather.
The film 'We Were Soldiers will be showing in the Playhouse, Elgin in late March.

The new season starts after the Easter holidays.
We have entered a team in the P 6/7 age group, and for the first time there is a league for P 5 and unders, and we have also entered a team in this league. At the moment, we have 45 children in training, including 9 girls. We are still training indoors, but hopefully we will get outdoors soon.
We are grateful to the Seafield Arms Hotel Football Club for the kind donation of cash and footballs - many thanks!
On Saturday, 2nd March, we went to Aberlour for an indoor tournament. We took 30 children with us, enough for two teams in each age group. The P 6/7 teams did not fare too well, finishing 5th and 7th.
The P 5 and under teams played much better, with both teams reaching the Final. It was a close game, finishing 0-0, so on to extra time. Just 3 minutes into extra time, Aaron Lee hit the golden goal to win it for the Falcons.
Special mention to both captains; Calum Firth (Falcons), who did not concede a goal, and Kim Fenton (Ospreys), whose goals took them to the Final.
Finally, having to play each other meant one team had to change their strip to green/yellow. Grant Johnston complained that they looked like Celtic strips, and the look on his face said he did not want to wear the top. I think he must support another team in Glasgow!
Well done to all the players who took part.

Willie Younie