A huge online campaign has raised nearly £11,000 in memory of a gifted young Scots teenager who was found dead on New Year’s Day.
Scott Martin, from Falkirk, died at the start of 2021 leaving his family and friends devastated at his passing.
Tributes have since poured in for the hugely popular 16-year-old, who was a super-talented boxer and footballer.
The family are still shaken by his tragic sudden death.
After just four days, kindhearted friends and relatives have raised a staggering £10,846 on a fundraising page.
Some of the money will be used towards a memorial for Scott with the rest being donated to charity.
Writing on the Gofundme page, relative Brian Redding said: “Thanks to everyone who is donating for our Scott my family cant thank youse enough.”
Scott was an apprentice joiner who worked alongside his dad, David.
He was also a talented top youth footballer who played for teams including Falkirk, Partick Thistle and Hearts.
He boxed at Grangemouth’s Sparta Fitness and Boxing Gym.
Bosses at the gym now plan to name their new professional boxing gym after their star and in an online tribute, owner and lead coach Sam McLeod said: "I’m absolutely devastated to hear the news about Scott.
"He had the heart of a lion and was tough as nails. He had something special about him, an aura that drew us to him as a coach.
"My dad was his number one fan and we envisioned Scott being part of our Pro stable in years to come."
He added: "We will honour his name the best we can moving forward and I will make sure he is never forgotten.
"We had been planning on creating another entity to our gym name. One would remain as our amateur gym ‘Sparta’ and our professional stable would be ‘McLeod’s Boxing Gym.’
"In memory of Scott we will be making the name ‘McLeod Scott Boxing Gym.’
"His name should be remembered in this way because he truly was the definition of boxing and how I would wish for all my boxers to carry themselves.
"Scott was deeply loved by his Sparta family and we are devastated to have lost one of our own. We will make him proud and carry on his name."
Speaking after the devastating loss, mum Samantha thanked Sam for his message and said the family would "never forget" what the gym did for Scott.
Samantha said: "You will all always have a special place in my heart and my families hearts.
"His memory not only lives on in us but in all you who were so close to him as well."
Scottish former professional boxer Alex Arthur, MBE, also paid tribute to Scott.
He said: "Devastating to hear young Scott Martin from Sparta boxing academy is no longer with us.”
Donations can be made to Scott's memorial on the Gofundme page here.
