Hundreds of donations totaling more than £10,000 have been pledged to support the family of a Keith teen killed in a crash.
Stuart Begg, 18, died in a road accident on the A96 Aberdeen road near his hometown on July 26.
Tributes poured in for the popular footballer who was described as a “cheeky chappy” and “lovely loon”.
Well-wishers have now raised about £10,700 to support the family with funeral costs following the tragedy.
It is hoped the fund could also create a legacy for the footballer to support other young talent in the north-east.
‘Stuart was just starting his life’
Mr Begg, who was a former Keith Grammar pupil, was a keen sportsman and dedicated himself to coaching other youngsters in his spare time.
Better known as Beggy, he most recently played for Macduff AFC, who have announced they will retire the 24 jersey in tribute to him.
Mr Begg also had spells with Deveronvale and Turriff, who also had fond memories of the much-loved defender.
Harry Hay set up the online collection to support the teen’s family.
IN MEMORIAM | Stuart Begg
Alongside @valecommunityfc, all at Deveronvale would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of former youth player, Stuart Begg, who tragically passed away last night.
🔗 https://t.co/dOtbvW2UVC pic.twitter.com/MlYFkrJYEp
— Deveronvale Football Club (@DeveronvaleFC) July 27, 2021
He wrote: “Stuart was such a well-known lad who had a passion for football and refereeing.
“In his spare time Stuart devoted most of his time helping to coach kids and helping clubs as much as he could.
“Stuart was just starting out in life and had so much to look forward to.
“I’ve set this page up to help his family cover funeral costs and expenses. Any of the money left would be donated to youth development teams to bring on youngsters in his memory.
“No family should have to bury their 18-year-old son, let along thinking about having to pay for it.”
Donations can be made to the online collection in memory of Keith teenager Stuart Begg here.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.