Team mourns youngest member of cup squad
A funeral will take place on Saturday for the youngest member of Hamilton side Avon Villa’s 1982 Scottish Amateur Cup winning team.
James Kennedy, from Whitehill, died after suffering a stroke aged just 55, on Tuesday, October 18.
His funeral will take place at St Paul’s Church in Backmuir Road, Hamilton.
A friend of James, who didn’t wish to be identified, said: “Sadly the youngest member of Avon Villa recently died; James Kennedy suffered a stroke and passed away on October 18. He was only 55.
“He was 21 at the time of the Hampden cup final, the youngest player in the team and the first to pass on.
“The older players have kept in touch with one another over the years, but it’s heartbreaking when our youngest player dies first.
“James was 21 when he played, and we were older players. We had a wee drink after the football, he was a smashing guy, quiet and always smartly dressed.
“He was a great player, a striker, and it’s terrible that he has died.
“I hardly saw James for years; my sister is in the nursing home that James came into when he had his stroke, but he had another one later and it ended up being fatal.
“All of the players have taken it quite hard, because he was the youngest in the team.”
Thousands of supporters flocked to Hampden to watch the 1982 Scottish Amateur Cup final, in which Avon Villa beat Ayrshire side Knockentiber 1-0, just seven years after their formation.
James’s friend and former team-mate added: “The team was made up of mostly local guys from Whitehill, Burnbank, Hillhouse, Fairhill, Auld Town and not forgetting the guys from the outskirts.
“The guys who ran the team were mostly local as well, including the legendary Wullie Summers.
“On our big day we had thousands of supporters at Hampden cheering us on, and the team were rewarded with a civic reception in the town hall.
“Avon Villa were a well supported team in the town and I’m sure older readers will have fond memories of years gone by.”
He was a great player, a striker, and it’s terrible that he has died