Football fans from Montrose and Arbroath will hold a minute’s applause before Saturday’s derby to pay tribute to well-known amateur footballer Neil Taylor, who died last week.
Montrose FC is expecting a large crowd at the Links Park match and believes many would have known Mr Taylor, who died at the age of 56.
The club said it was holding a minute’s applause before the game to “pay a fitting tribute in remembrance of a really great guy”.
Mr Taylor was born in Auchenblae and raised on a farm in the Mearns and later Montrose.
He attended Luthermuir Primary, Southesk Primary and Montrose Academy.
After leaving school at the age of 16, he started as a trainee butcher at Wm Lows in Montrose High Street and then Macrow, the local ship’s chandler.
In 1979 he started working as a trainee at the Ship’s Agency Department of JM Piggins, which later changed its name to Piggins & Rix and then Rix Shipping (Scotland) Limited.
Agency work would see Mr Taylor work between Montrose, Inverness and Ardyne Point. In the early years he produced bills of lading and manifests at a time that potato exports were a significant trade in Montrose.
He was employed by the company for 37 years and was regarded as an expert on woodpulp, with knowledge of pulp types and supply routes.
Outside of work he had a passion for football and was part of the Dockers team (JM Piggins) in the Welfare League.
He also played for Forfar Central in the Amateur League and, in the Summer League, he played for the Eskvale team coached by Allan Crowe, and later a team from St Cyrus. He was also a member of the Tartan Army.
Music and travel were other passions.
He was also a doting father to his daughter Denny, who was born in 2009.
Mr Taylor had been due to marry his long-term partner Susan McRobbie next month.
He is survived by his daughter.
