Stuart Findlay departs club having left a memorable mark

Stuart Findlay’s stay in Philadelphia was short-lived but one Union fans won’t soon forget.

The Scottish center back played his final game for the Philadelphia Union Saturday night before heading back across the pond to play for Oxford United in England. Findlay was set to leave the club last week but after Jack Elliott went down with a knee injury he agreed to stay and play two more games.

The two 90-minute performances in games the Union won by identical 2-1 score lines gave him just 734 minutes in regular season league play and 937 minutes in all competitions over his two seasons in Chester but the impression he left was undeniable.

His gutsy display alongside Aurelien Collin in last year’s Eastern Conference Final, his goal in the U.S. Open Cup loss in Orlando and his frequent appearances on the team’s social media channels — his Kids Night promo where he challenges a kid to a race among the most memorable — endeared himself to fans.

Findlay was also well-liked by his teammates and a mentor to some of the team’s younger players. Head coach Jim Curtin called Findlay a “true professional who gave everything for the club” in his post-game comments.

“I know he would have preferred more minutes on the field, but what he gave to this group, to the locker room, to the young players,” Curtin said. “He did a great job for us.”

Jack Verdeur