Mr MORTON
Supporters want a stand tribute to
MORTON supporters are urging the club to rename the main stand at Cappielow after former chairman Douglas Rae, who has died aged 87. The Greenock outfit announced his passing yesterday, paying tribute to a figure credited with keeping the club alive during the darkest period of its history. The official statement said: ‘Born on June 14, 1931, Mr Rae attended his first Morton match aged eight alongside great friend Arthur Montford and held a season ticket each and every season thereafter until joining the board in 1988. ‘After over eight years as a director, he resigned from that role on August 1, 1997 prior to a regime change at Cappielow before returning to buy a controlling interest in the club and preserve its very existence. ‘Mr Rae stepped in to prevent administrators from putting the club into liquidation in August 2001 and went on to serve as chairman for 17 years. ‘As a supporter, he saw the club participate in national cup finals and watched as footballing icons such as Sir Stanley Matthews and Tommy Lawton turned out for the ’Ton as war-time guests. ‘However, it was more recent events that ranked as personal highlights, including victory over Peterhead to clinch the 2002-03 Third Division championship and a shock League Cup success at Celtic in September 2013. ‘Owner of successful local confectionery firm Golden Casket, Mr Rae was the recipient of an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s birthday honours list in 2016. ‘He stepped down as Morton chairman in April 2018, following the final game of the 2017/18 season, due to ill health and took up the role of honorary club president while passing the stewardship of the club to his son Crawford. ‘There will be no further comment and we would ask that everyone please respect the privacy of the Rae family at this difficult time.’ Among the tributes from footballing figures flooding social media, many supporters floated the idea of rebranding the main seating area at Cappielow as the Douglas Rae Stand — a permanent tribute to the saviour of their club. A number of clubs sent their condolences to Morton, while current goalkeeper Derek Gaston Tweeted: ‘Devastated to hear this news. ‘You would struggle to find a nicer, or more caring man. So many players over the years including myself may not have got the chance to pull on a Morton top if it wasn’t for his generosity and love for the club. ‘Thoughts are with Crawford, Stuart and the rest of the Rae family at this difficult time. RIP chairman.’