Alastair (Ally) Riddle, former Arbroath businessman and semi-professional footballer, has passed away aged 81.
Alastair, better known as Ally, had a long career playing for Montrose FC, as well as a period at Dundee United and, following a career offshore, he turned a hobby into a business by opening a television repair and electrical shop in the town with his wife Hazel.
Ally was born in Arbroath Infirmary on June 17 1941, to Ethel and Norman Riddle and grew up with his younger brother, Jim. His father, Norman (Nor), was chief reporter for the Arbroath Herald.
At the tender age of 10 days old, Ally, sheltered by his mother Ethel, survived a Second World War German air attack which struck the grounds of Arbroath Infirmary. From there he returned to the family home on Arbroath High Street where he lived until he married his wife, Hazel.
Ally was educated at Arbroath High School Primary and Secondary where, as well as being exceptionally bright, he was also a sports all rounder. He captained the school football team, was a low-handicap golfer and was a useful wicket keeper for Arbroath United.
His football career started with Arbroath Lads’ Club and Ally very much appreciated the community of the club. As well as the games, he often spoke fondly of helping with the building of the Lads’ Club pavilion which started in 1957.
Ally was signed as a schoolboy by Montrose FC in April 1959, when he was only 17.
After just over three years with Montrose FC, he was signed by Dundee United but after six months was transferred back to his beloved Montrose where he remained until 1967. Ally played on the right wing and along with his teammates brought great respect to the club by challenging for promotion to the top tier.
On leaving school, Ally went to work with The British Jute Trade Research in Dundee alongside attending Bell Street Technical College to continue his studies in maths, chemistry and applied physics.
It was during this time that he met his future wife, Hazel, when attending a weekly dance at the Marine Ballroom in Arbroath.
The couple married in 1965 and went on to have three daughters, Alison, Jenny and Carole.
After a spell working at NCR, Ally joined Shell in 1975 and began his offshore career as an electronics engineer.
The long spells onshore gave him time with the family to enjoy many camping trips in Scotland and Europe. It also allowed him to indulge in his hobby of restoring old televisions and he would often take his girls on road trips, picking up televisions from every corner of the UK.
In the 1980s, he turned his hobby into a business when he and Hazel opened A & H Riddle, an electrical sales and repair shop on Guthrie Port. Hazel ran it herself when Ally was offshore and when Ally was home they ran it together.
When the Co-op sold the building, Ally seized the opportunity to purchase it, renting out the adjacent shop and converting the two large stores above into flats. Always the entrepreneur, Ally also renovated other properties alongside his brother-in-law, joiner Ken Fairweather.
Ally retired from Shell, aged 50, and when he turned 60 both he and Hazel retired from the business to allow them time to enjoy many holidays and spend time with their six grandchildren.
Sadly, Hazel passed away in 2015 not long after celebrating their golden wedding anniversary.
Ally always kept himself very fit being a member of both Arbroath and Edzell Golf Clubs and playing several times a week.
He could regularly be seen walking many miles around Arbroath and was proud to complete the West Highland Way, together with daughter Jenny, and grandsons Daniel and Alex, only a fortnight before his 75th birthday.
Just over a year ago, Ally was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and following further health complications earlier this year, passed away peacefully on June 13 2023 surrounded by his loving daughters.
Arbroath Youth Football Club (a very recent amalgamation of Arbroath Lads’ Club and Arbroath Community Sports Club) and League of Friends of Arbroath Infirmary benefitted from the collection at Ally’s funeral which took place at George Stewart Funeral Directors, Chapel of Rest, Arbroath.
You can read the family’s announcement here.