Gary Riddell

The 11th June 1989 to some may not stick in the memory, it’s probably just another day but to the Riddell family from Ellon it’s a date they will sadly never forget. It’s  the day  their eldest son Gary, former Aberdeen and Dunfermline Athletic central defender tragically died while running in a half-marathon raising money for the victims of the awful Hillsborough disaster. Two weeks ago I tweeted on what would have been his 51st birthday. The response was touching, so much so that I decided to write this column to serve his memory and offer an insight into a player and person who was much loved in the game and beyond.

Gary was born in Ellon on the 9th August 1966 to parents Kathleen and Edwin, a Dons fanatic. From a young age it was obvious to all that he had a special talent for the game and it wasn’t long before he caught the eye of Aberdeen scouts while playing for Deeside Juveniles. He signed S-Forms as it was known back then in the early 80’s and quickly established himself as an accomplished centre-back having originally been deployed at full-back.

During his apprenticeship at Pittodrie Gary represented Scotland Schoolboys as well as Scotland Youth. I spoke with Gary’s Youth Team Coach George Adams recently and George told me” I cannot speak more highly of him” George went on to say that Gary was an excellent centre-back: aggressive, strong in the air, good tackler, excellent distributor but what really caught the attention of George and the late Teddy Scott was Gary’s ability to organize all around him, “an excellent talker on the pitch”. When speaking with George I sensed sadness in his tone but at the same time a huge amount of pride as like Gary George lived in Ellon and often used him to babysit his own children, former Aberdeen midfielder and current Plymouth Argyle manager Derek Adams and his lovely sister Leanne.

Having sat on the bench for a number of first team games under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson Gary found himself surplus to requirements when Fergie moved on. It was an almost impossible undertaking for Gary to break into the first team considering the caliber of player ahead of him. Gary even admitted this in Aberdeen’s very own matchday programme ‘The Don’ when he said “It’s not been easy with Alex McLeish and Willie Miller there, then there’s big Brian Irvine. He’s a big guy who has done very well when he’s got in” He finished off by saying “You just have to play your hardest every week. One problem is you see others make their debuts at a younger age than myself and then they make progress you could begin to ask yourself whether or not you can play at first team level”

Everybody at Pittodrie wished him well when he moved on and it wasn’t long before Dunfermline Athletic Manager Jim Leishman pounced and offered Gary a two-year deal which he subsequently signed in September 1987. He immediately went straight into Leishman’s side making his debut v Morton on the 19th September where he was named ‘Man of the Match’. Gary settled without fuss into his new surroundings and formed an excellent partnership in central defence with the late Norrie McCathie. Gary went on to play 44 games for the Pars and collected a First Division Championship medal in season 1988/89. Then tragedy struck.

The Dunfermline half-marathon or ‘The Big Race’ as it’s more fondly known is an annual event held in the town to help raise money for various charities. Gary decided to take part after being horrified by the events at Hillsborough. He was reaching the 10 mile point when he stumbled and collapsed. According to old newspaper reports a doctor who was on hand as well as an ambulance crew immediately went to his aid but after much effort to revive him Gary tragically passed away. He was only 22.

Gary died from ‘inhalation of gastric acid’ which came as an even bigger shock given how fit he was, you could say it was a freak of nature. The family was devastated.

A day does not go by when Gary’s parents and Brother Kevin don’t think about him, often wondering what he would be like now and what he would be doing. For them it was tragedy beyond comprehension but the Riddells’ take great comfort in the fact that to this day Dunfermline Football Club continually care for them and take great delight whenever his name is mentioned and remembered. Gary is buried in Ellon cemetery; he deservedly has a beautiful headstone which is complemented by a plaque which was presented to the family from the Board of Directors at Dunfermline FC.

Gary was not just a fine football player he was also a scratch golfer and won many competitions in and around the Ellon area including both the Ellon and Cruden Bay Championship in the same year when he was only 20 years old.  To this day Ellon Golf Club play an annual event in Gary’s name called the ‘Gary Riddell memorial trophy’ I was told recently by one member that this competition is just as important to win as the Club’s very own Championship. All that I have spoken to when researching this column speak very fondly of him, it’s quite obvious to me he was much loved by all. His family misses him terribly; they will never forget him but have learnt to cope over the years without him in their lives. He was a son, a big brother and a hero to so many.

He shall always Stand Free.