Club gifts parents a painting of tragic son

Published Date: 24 December 2008

By FAY SINCLAIR

THE parents of a tragic young footballer have been presented with a special Christmas gift by the club he played for as a youngster.

John and Sheila Gowans, from Blackhall, were presented with a painting of their son, Craig, in his Hutchison Vale strip when he was aged ten.

Craig died after being electrocuted in 2005 following an accident at Falkirk FC's training ground just tw

o weeks into his first professional footballing contract.

Mr Gowans said: "The painting is excellent. It is a very close likeness. We are absolutely delighted."

Hutchison Vale Football Club director, Les Trotter, arranged to have a photograph of Craig made into a painting by Edinburgh Art College student Amy Murray.

He said: "It is something a wee bit special.

"We have known the family for a lot of years and we just wanted to give something back after what Craig did for us.

"We are going to keep the memory of Craig alive through the club."

Craig was 17 and had just signed a professional contract with Falkirk when the accident happened. He had been asked to move a six-metre high net designed to catch stray balls at the Little Kerse training ground in Grangemouth when one of the metal poles came into contact with the 11,000-volt wires.

The club pleaded guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act in November 2005 and was fined £4000.

The club has since moved to a new training facility at Stirling University, named after Craig, which was opened by Scotland manager George Burley in August this year.

The university offers four Craig Gowans Football Scholarships to talented young footballers to combine their sport with a university degree.

After his death, the teenage central defender's shirt bearing his squad number, 37, was framed and placed in the Falkirk Stadium tunnel.

The couple said that it means a lot to them to know their son's memory is being preserved.

Mrs Gowans said: "We have always been told when we are invited to anything that Craig is a driving force. He is still inspiring people."

Since his death, thousands of pounds have been raised for charity in the former Stewart's Melville College pupil's name.

The Craig Gowans Memorial Fund was set up three years ago by SFA referee Tam Carter, with a memorial cup five-a-side tournament in Portobello and other events raising money for charity.

This year's five-a-side tournament in June raised £2000, while a sports brunch in the Minto Hotel in October raised a further £8000.

Mr Carter and his wife Elaine were at Hutchison Vale's clubroom for the presentation to the Gowans family this week.

He said: "We set up the memorial fund to let Craig's memory live on. Everything we have raised, we have given to the Sick Kids fund.

"This year we have raised over £10,500 which will all go to worthwhile causes."

The full article contains 495 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.