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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Stuart Hodge

Junior football superfan collapses and dies outside ground after match

A junior football fan died after collapsing outside his club's ground.

Gordon Sheach had just finished watching his team Neilston Juniors lose 4-1 to Pollock when he took ill.

Physios from both clubs - Chloe Aitken and Euan Duffy - an off-duty police officer and a member of the public battled to save him, but sadly they were unsuccessful.

Club spokesman Mark Kirkland explained that Gordon's death has devastated the community, the Daily Record reports.

He said: "Gordon was well-known around the club and in the local community. I mean, I'd known the guy for 40 years.

Mark said the game had just finished when news spread that someone had collapsed outside Brig O'Lea Stadium.

He explained: "Right away the physios from both clubs were on hand to provide CPR and there was an off-duty CID officer and a member of the public who helped with the compressions.

"Around 50 to 60 people gathered around to have a look but we quickly dispersed the crowd and got a blanket and a an umbrella.

"There was also a defibrillator that the local community kindly donated and that was used four times as the ambulance was phoned.

"The Pollok physio kept trying to talk to Gordon saying things like 'don't give in, auld yin', but after the third or fourth attempt it was clear it wasn't going to work.

"Myself and the police officer looked in the man's pockets and we found only keys and a phone and that's what made me think it must be someone local.

"But it wasn't until we lifted him and I saw the face that I recognised Gordon."

Gordon was a keen bowler and a regular attendee of the East Renfrewshire club's games.

Kirkland added: "It's been an absolutely devastating weekend for the club.

"Our physio, Chloe, is only 19 or 20 years old and she was completely shattered by it, but she was wonderful as was everyone else.

"He stays about 500 yards away from the ground and came to a lot of home games. We, as a committee, will be going down to visit his wife with some flowers.

"He was born and bred in Neilston and alongside hearing of the loss of another of our fans - Stuart Byars - this weekend, it's just a really, really sad time."

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