On Sunday 6th June Rev Alex Forsyth dedicated a memorial bench to commemorate the five teenage boys from Markinch who died in Scotland’s worst ever football disaster. The bench is sited in the churchyard with a south-facing view over the town and a number of the congregation were in attendance at the dedication, held after the morning service.
Peter Easton (13), Bryan Todd (14), Ronald Paton (14), Mason Philp (14) and Douglas Morrison (15) were all school friends and pupils at Auchmuty High School. Sixty-six people died in the disaster at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, at the traditional ‘Old Firm’ game played at on the 2nd January 1971 and over two hundred people were injured.
The local Rangers Supporters Memorial Committee gifted the bench and Rangers fans across world contributed to the fund. The Memorial Committee also plan to restore and enhance the existing memorial stone at Park View in Markinch and intend to plant a tree in memory of each one of the boys.
In addition, the committee members are presenting twelve trophies to Auchmuty High School. The former Rangers and Scotland player Sandy Jardine will hand them over at the schools prize giving evening later this month.
The photograph shows Mrs Gisela Easton and Mrs Margaret Paton seated on the bench surrounded by other family members, friends of the boys and representatives from the Rangers Supporters Memorial Committee.
A larger copy of this photograph can be downloaded from HERE