Stephen King donates to save Buckie Thistle
Stephen King has stepped in to help save Buckie Thistle.
The writer behind Carrie and The Shining has given money to the Highland League club's fundraising push to secure its future, BBC Sport reported on 1 October 2026.
Buckie Thistle play at Victoria Park in Buckie, Moray. They are a fifth-tier club. That means they sit below Scotland's four professional divisions, in the regional Highland League. The club are nicknamed the Jags.
Money is tight. Interim president Daniel Farquhar said it costs around £20,000 a month to keep the club running. About £55,000 has come in through donations over the past five to six weeks. The club has chosen not to disclose the size of King's latest gift. Every pound matters at that level.
The appeal is called 'Save Buckie Thistle - Our Club, Our Community, Our Future'. Its GoFundMe page, launched on 16 September, says the cash will provide essential working capital and cover day-to-day operating costs. The club also posted a thank-you message to King on its official Facebook page on 30 September. It calls him its biggest American Jags fan.
This is not a new friendship. King featured Buckie Thistle in If It Bleeds six years ago. He later sent the club two signed copies of the book. One was auctioned off to raise funds.
Buckie had a rare taste of the big stage in early 2024. They travelled to Glasgow to face Celtic in the Scottish Cup, the national knockout competition open to clubs across the country. They lost 5-0. It was the first competitive game between the two clubs.
There has been change off the pitch too. Former president Garry Farquhar stepped down earlier this year for health reasons. Daniel Farquhar is now serving as interim president. On the pitch, the club's website notes the Jags opened the 2026-27 Highland League campaign at home to Locos.
What makes this stand out is the reach. A small-town club asked its community for help. An author with millions of readers remembered its name. For supporters in Buckie, that backing means more than money. It says people are watching. That is football as shared memory.
