Tributes to ‘man with a big heart’

Raith Rovers stalwart Ally Gourlay fought brave battle against cancer

Tributes have been paid to a Fife man who fought an inspirational battle against cancer in recent years.

Ally Gourlay passed away surrounded by his family at Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital, aged just 53, but his determination to fight the disease has captured the imagination of thousands of people across Scotland.

Mr Gourlay was given months to live by doctors in March 2014, after being diagnosed with inoperable cancer of the oesophagus. He decided against pursuing a course of chemotherapy, choosing quality of life over quantity.

“The way I look at it is, cancer doesn’t respect anybody so why should I respect it?” he said at the time.

He defied doctors’ expectations, helped to raise thousands of pounds for local charities, including Maggie’s Fife, and inspired people across Scotland through his blog posts on Facebook.

The popular Fifer, from Glenrothes, was probably best known for his love for, and encyclopaedic knowledge of, Raith Rovers FC, securing a dream job as the Kirkcaldy club’s media officer in April 2014 and continuing in that role until recent weeks. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

A former Kirkcaldy High School pupil, Mr Gourlay was also chairman of the Raith Rovers’ Former Players’ Association and played a key role in organising the club’s annual Hall of Fame event. That won him friends across the game, many of whom have paid tribute, including Scotland boss Gordon Strachan.

Despite being given just hours to live by doctors after developing pneumonia early last week, Mr Gourlay left his hospital bed on Wednesday to say an emotional goodbye to colleagues at Stark’s Park and visit friends.

Raith chief executive Eric Drysdale said: “Ally will be sadly missed by us all. Manager Ray McKinnon and the players have all come to greatly value and respect Ally’s significant contribution to the smooth running of all interaction with the media, but, more than that, he became a friend to all and was always willing to help.

“Ally was also greatly respected by his many friends in the media and at other clubs, and nobody, but nobody had a bad word to say about the guy.

“It is testament to Ally’s incredible character that, less than 48 hours after being diagnosed with the illness that was to claim his life, he still was able to manage a very busy media conference ahead of our 2014 Ramsdens Cup Final win against Rangers.

“In the 22 months since, as the illness gradually took hold, that inner strength stayed with him throughout – to the extent that he managed the trip all the way to Dumfries in December for what turned out to be the last time he watched his beloved Rovers.

“His final visit to see Stark’s Park one last time, and to say an emotional goodbye to his colleagues there, just three days before he died, showed once again his quite extraordinary courage in the face of terminal illness.”

Author and Rovers fan Val McDermid said: “He was a man with a big heart, he understood the importance of staying close to your history. We’ll miss him.”

The father-of-three and grandfather is survived by his daughter Samantha and sons Jonny and Matthew.

Picture: George McLuskie. Father-of-three Mr Gourlay was described as “a friend to all”.