THE project manager on the award-winning Tornagrain housing development in the Highlands is getting set to play at Celtic Park in the Scottish Cup this weekend.
Lewis Mackinnon is a player and assistant manager at Buckie Thistle, the Highland Football League side taking on Scottish champions and current Scottish Cup holders Celtic this Sunday.
During the week, Lewis is a project manager at the housing association Places for People. He is currently overseeing and managing the build of the Tornagrain housing project which sits eight miles east of Inverness. The development will create a new sustainable town that will eventually comprise 5,000 homes interspersed with open green spaces and neighbourhood squares.
The 39-year-old centre back has played for Buckie Thistle since 2006 and took on the dual role of player and assistant manager in 2015. Videos of Lewis and his teammates went viral in November when they celebrated being drawn against Celtic in the Scottish Cup, a competition the Glasgow side has won a record 41 times!
Lewis said, “I’m 39 now and have played for Buckie Thistle for 17 years, so this could well be my last season as a player, but I’ll remain as assistant manager, and it feels surreal that I’ll be walking out with my team in front of 60,000 people to play Celtic – a huge and iconic club.
“When I found out, I was in disbelief. The draw is absolutely huge for us as a club in terms of our profile and revenue and I’m really proud to be part of something so historic for what is an amazing club and community.
“Unlike the Celtic players, we all of course have normal day jobs we’ll all go back to on Monday. Being a football assistant manager is slightly different to developing homes but both are real passions of mine and I know everyone at Places for People will be cheering me on when Sunday comes.”
Greg Reed, chief executive of Places for People, added, “I am so proud to lead an organisation made up of so many incredible people and what Lewis and his team mates have achieved in earning the opportunity to play on such an enormous stage is remarkable.
“I’ll have to be careful not to upset any of our staff or customers who support Celtic, but Lewis we are incredibly proud of you, and we’ll be backing you all the way on Sunday.”
