FRANK Armstrong's football career never gained the recognition it deserved because his flair as a centre-forward was made redundant by the skills in the 1950s of Hibs' ''Famous Five''. So long as Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull, and Willie Ormond maintained their line-up, Armstrong was sidelined.

Frustrated, and transferred to Cowdenbeath, he leapt at the chance of a first-team place, and in a first leg League Cup match against Rangers, he scored twice. But age was catching up with him, and he gave up any further chance in football to study law.

The pattern of Armstrong's life was that he tended to take the scenic road rather than any conventional route. He qualified as a solicitor not through university and apprenticeship, but the hard way through study with the legal practice of Shepherd and Wedderburn in Edinburgh.

Last county clerk of Banffshire and first chief executive of Highland region, he was born in Canonbie the son of a contract shepherd. The itinerant nature of his father's work meant that the family travelled all over Scotland, with the result that

the young Armstrong picked up his education where he could

in schools from Dumfriesshire

to Durness.

At the outbreak of war, he joined the Cameron Highlanders, and served with some enthusiasm in the 5th battalion as part of the re-formed 51st Highland Division under Montgomery in North Africa. He reached El Alemein, invaded Sicily, was mentioned in despatches, and ended the war as a company sergeant major.

Freshly qualified, his first job was as legal assistant in Forfar with Angus County Council before moving to Roxburgh County Council in 1957. His leadership skills saw him take over as county clerk for Banff County Council.

His passion for football never waned, and while his wife, Betty, ran the family home in Banff in conjunction with a guesthouse, Frank adopted struggling Highland League club Deveronvale FC, helping to bring it back from what some supporters feared was a terminal decline.

Possessed of strong personality, he had an easy knack of inspiring confidence between officials and councillors, and this marked him out for a senior place in thr local government reorganisation of 1975. In 1974, while still Banffshire's county clerk but already appointed first chief executive of Highland region, he was actively involved in smoothing the way for Banffshire's place in the new Grampian region, working alongside local government luminaries Maitland Mackie and John Russell of Aberdeen County Council, John Smith (later Lord Kirkhill) and Fergus Watt of Aberdeen Corporation, and James McPherson, his own county convenor in Banffshire.

Highland Regional Council, one of nine regions and 53 districts created in Scotland, covered an area larger than Wales, and in making the senior tier of the new system work, Frank required all the charm, humour, and patience for which he was known. ''A perfect gentleman with a great head on him'', was the memory of one politician.

For all his modesty and self-effacement, Frank Armstrong remained a people person. He loved company, and had an encyclopaedic ability to remember names, faces, and individual circumstances. An entertaining pianist who played by ear and confessed to being unable to read a note of music, he was ever in demand for parties, though he steadfastly never touched drink.

His retirement to Inverurie in Aberdeenshire proved premature, and his life of wanderlust pulled him and Betty to one last new home, Vancouver Island. Settled there, he found more time to read campaign history and military biographies.

He was appointed CBE in 1982 for services to local government. Five years ago he contracted Parkinson's Disease, but though his health deteriorated badly, he never complained.

He is survived by Betty (nee Campbell), his wife of 53 years; children Alan, Hilary, and Lindsey; and grandchildren Michael, John, Eilidh, and Reay.

Frank Glendinning Armstrong CBE, footballer and chief

executive; born July 27, 1920, died August 24, 2002.