MORTON ‘OLD BOYS’ GET THEIR OWN DREAM STREAM

MUCH has been made of the problems facing football fans who will be unable to attend their club’s matches when the Premiership resumes on August 1.

Rather less has been said about the issues facing fans from lower leagues and less still about the old and infirm when their season begins in October.

It may be by then that some will be allowed inside grounds provided they follow social-distancing rules but, for those with underlying health issues and mobility concerns, that may not be an option.

Plus — as Championship side Morton’s chief executive David MacKinnon found out — the World Wide Web has not yet conquered all of Scotland, never mind the planet.

The ex-Dundee, Partick Thistle, Rangers and Kilmarnock full-back was visited at Cappielow recently by a group of pensioners, anxious for information on their club.

‘The men who came to see me were fans concerned about the club and wanted to know what was happening,’ he said.

‘I’ve been posting stuff on the club website but they didn’t see it as they don’t have computers.

‘I told them as much as I could and gave them my mobile number so they could call me if they had any questions and one guy, Hamish, calls me just about every day for updates.

‘Last week he asked when our games would start and I said the Championship is due to begin in October, although I also pointed out there’s no guarantee fans will be allowed in and there is also the chance of smaller crowds due to social distancing.

‘I tried to cheer him up by saying we’ll be starting our own Morton TV to stream matches into the homes of season-ticket holders.

‘Hamish asked if he could watch it on his TV but I said he could only see it online, which disappointed him.

‘However, I later had a chat with Brian McLaughlin from our Community Trust and he spoke with Caledonian MacBrayne.

‘They agreed to supply us with 20 laptops for older fans who find it difficult to get out or those with health problems.

‘We’ll give them out before the season starts and some of the young lads from the Trust will go to their houses and talk them through how to use the technology and keep cheering us on.’

MacKinnon is also aiming to strengthen the bond between Morton and the local community by creating a monument to ex-players, officials and fans of the club who have died as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

‘It’s easy to forget how serious this has been if you haven’t been directly affected,’ he said. ‘But I’ve received a lot of emotional emails from people who, due to Covid-19, have lost family members with a connection to Morton.

‘Photographs are often included in the messages and that’s particularly poignant when you see the ones of fit, young players.

‘There was Charlie Stewart, our top scorer in 1959/60, goalkeeper Bobby Russell, who played in Morton’s only away leg in Europe — against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge — in 1968 and Dennis Laughton, the defender signed by Newcastle United after scoring against them in the Texaco Cup in 1974.

‘Our ex-chairman, John Wilson, also died as a result of the virus, while last week Callum Tosh, a 12-year-old regular at home games and a former mascot, passed away after developing a rare form of cancer.

‘Allan McGraw, who managed the club between 1985 and 1997, hated sitting in the dugout so he moved into the stand, where he sat next to lifelong fan Donny McGregor, who also passed away recently.

‘Consequently, we have plans to have a Memorial Wall built to pay our respects to everyone from the club who has died in the last few months.

‘With mourners being unable to attend funerals, I’d like to think it will help people pay tribute to those who are no longer with us.’