Brian Scott
The Committee were saddened to learn of the death of former SFWA President, Brian Scott.
Brian passed away, aged 82, on Thursday and our thoughts are with his family, friends and former colleagues.
Jim Black has kindly written a wonderful tribute to Scotty, which you can read below.
By Jim Black
I have known for some months that the day was coming when I would have to pen an obituary to my dear friend and hugely respected colleague Brian Scott.
It is a task I have dreaded. How could it be otherwise when you have known someone for 56 years and who was always ready to offer unflinching support and sound guidance?
Often at times like these, it is easy to inflate the personality and status of the deceased but there is no need whatsoever for embellishment in Brian’s case.
None of us is perfect, but Brian was as close as you get. He cared about people in a way that very few do and was always the first to offer kind words and encouragement to nervous newcomers to the press box.
I have been reminded by several of those who were grateful for his embrace and there have been moments since I learned of Brian’s passing at the age of 82 when I could not have trusted myself to reply in turn.
Brian and I did not live in each other’s pockets over the years. We didn’t have to. But we shared very many special moments.
It was also a measure of our affection for one another that when Brian, who was in many ways an intensely private man, learned of his failing health he instructed his son, Roddy to contact me while at the same time not wishing to broadcast the grim news to the world at large.
That meant a great deal to me and I kept his trust until it became general knowledge, as these things invariably do.
Although it was Roddy who relayed the news, I could almost hear Brian’s voice as I recalled with a smile his 40th which I shared with him at his home in Lenzie.
Brian’s wife, Myra was in Hong Kong visiting friends and we sat up long into the night celebrating his landmark birthday a little too much before he pointed me in the direction of the guest bedroom.
Several hours later I was woken by a scream. Brian’s daughter, Lara has entered the room to retrieve her schoolbag to be greeted by the gruesome sight of yours truly under a duvet.
Typical Scotty, he reassured Lara that all was well in that distinctive way he had of speaking – and which I have acquired a reputation for mimicking – “It’s okay, Lara. It’s only Block!”
As far as I am aware Lara did not suffer any long-term psychological damage – at least I hope not.
In a more general sense, Scottish sportswriting has lost one the giants of the profession with Brian’ passing.
Brian enjoyed a long and distinguished career as the Scottish Daily Mail’s chief football writer and superb columnist and was held in the highest regard by his colleagues. He also served a term as SFWA President.
Scrupulously fair and honest in his reporting of events, Brian was a proven wordsmith who often agonised over every word he had written before pronouncing himself moderately satisfied with the finished article which never contained the “I” word if he could help it.
A veteran of several World Cup and European Championship tournaments, he was also held in great esteem by many of those of whom he wrote for several decades, from Jock Stein to Craig Brown, Fergie to Martin O’Neil and Jim McLean to Billy McNeill.
They may not always have liked his assessment of their teams or agreed with his sentiments, but such was his standing and reputation for honesty and fair play that any grudges were extremely short-lived.
Well, maybe that isn’t completely true. The late Jim McLean was given to “going off on one” from time to time and it was Brian who bore the brunt of the Dundee United manager’s displeasure when he dared to offer his own thoughts on how United had performed in defeat.
Brian’s assessment was spot on and worth noting, but “Wee Jum” threw a wobbly and proceeded to inform my utterly bemused colleague that he was talking “shite” which he uttered several times before reaching the end of his rant.
Scotty’s understated response was: “Well, Block, I think that was a little uncalled for.”
Uncalled for? Others might have been tempted to describe the outburst as the ranting of a madman, but that wasn’t Scotty’s style.
Deeply knowledgeable about the game and how it should be played, Brian conveyed his understanding of football to his many readers in a way that also earned their respect.
Born in Dundee and raised in Edinburgh, he was a lifelong Hearts fan who followed the Jambos’ fortunes until the end without ever displaying a hint of bias or favouritism.
How ironic then that Bran has not lived long enough to see the culmination of the most exciting championship race for years.
But if the Jambos make it across the finishing line in first place it will be a fitting tribute to a man who was widely travelled, worldly wise, and a veteran of countless domestic cup finals, European matches and international encounters.
As already stated, many of his colleagues who are mourning his passing will also be quick to recall his many kindnesses.
I was also extremely fortunate to enjoy Brian’s friendship and we shared many adventures, a host of wonderful moments, many bottles of red wine, and countless laughs.
I still smile when I think of the time we decided to visit Chateau Neuf-Du-Pape on a rare day off during the 1998 World Cup.
This followed a very late night out in the company of several colleagues, the Everton manager David Moyes, and copious amounts of vin rouge.
Such was our state of mind and level of fragility that when we arrived in the world-renowned French town after a short taxi-ride from our base in nearby Avignon all we could manage to digest were a few glasses of cold milk and watery omelette.
So much for our status as supposed connoisseurs of the local product enjoyed by kings and queens throughout the ages.
We retired with badly bruised egos in complete agreement that it had been a bad idea in the first place.
Not that we didn’t occasionally have our differences. But I am glad to say we never fell out and any disagreements were forgotten in an instant.
If they’d held a popularity contest among Scotland’s football scribes, Scotty, who is survived by Myra, Lara and sons Cammy and Roddy and his sister, Linda as well as five grandchildren whose ages range from nine to 22, would have won hands down every time.
The late golf coach Bob Torrance once said to me: “Look after yourself, for good men are hard to find.”
There was none better than my pal Scotty.