Tribute has been paid to former East Fife FC player Bobby Gillon, who has died aged 91.
Bobby signed for East Fife as a 17-year-old in 1950, going on to make 26 appearances during what was a very successful time for the club.
East Fife paid tribute saying: “Everyone at Bayview was greatly saddened to learn of the passing of former player Bobby Gillon.
“We would like to extend our sincere condolences to Bobby’s family and friends at this sad time.”
Who was Bobby Gillon?
Robert Campbell Gillon was born on November 4 1932 at Fincraigs farm cottages, near Cupar, where his father worked the land.
Bobby was the fourth child of eight children – there being four boys and four girls.
The family moved to Kinloss Crescent in Cupar where Bobby went to Castlehill Primary School and then on to Bell Baxter High School.
His family are not sure if Bobby liked school. However, they do know that from a young age he started working. As a child he was a message boy.
When he left school, he trained as an apprentice fitter with Houston’s fabrications.
He served his time and became a fitter.
Although his work was interrupted by National Service – he served in the RAF and spent time in Germany – he was still able to pursue one of his passions in life, playing football.
He played against Borussia Mönchengladbach for the forces team in a friendly before he came back over from Germany.
His family, who believe he scored in that game, recall how the forces ensured he could play despite being due back in the UK before the match.
Regarded as an excellent player, he turned professional, playing for his beloved East Fife.
He was offered to sign for other clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, but he stayed at the old Bayview.
Bobby Gillon held down a day job while playing professional football
This was a different era to now when professional footballers on the whole still held ‘real’ jobs – and for Bobby that was at Houston’s in Cupar.
He played professionally from 1950 until 1960.
He only stopped when a bad injury put him out of the game.
Bobby met his wife Mary “at the dancing” at the tender age of 17.
The two fell in love and were married on June 30 1956 at Cupar’s Bonnygate Church.
The newly married couple went on holiday to Aberdeen. But there was no escaping football.
East Fife organised a training session in Aberdeen when he was away on honeymoon.
The newly married couple set up home at Star Farm cottage and it wasn’t long before their family started to grow.
Bobby Jnr was born in 1957, Dorothy in 1959 and Mary in 1961.
Later there were two sons in law and a daughter in law, Lorna, Roderick and Lawrence.
And as the years went by grandchildren Roderick, Rosalind, Robert, Liam and Victoria, as well as 13 great-grandchildren.
In 1968, Bobby went to work at the department of engineering at Leuchars where he stayed until 1980 when he went on to become the head of engineering at Stratheden Hospital.
Everywhere he went Bobby made friends and he was a very skilled welder.
He eventually retired in 1996.
Bobby Gillon was a dedicated family man
Many people remember Bobby as a talented footballer.
However, he was also a family man who delighted in seeing his family get on in life.
He was also known for his love for gardening and growing vegetables.
Others remember him for the long walks he enjoyed or his skill on the bowling green.
He played at national level in the pairs with his partner Tommy Robertson.
He was also a member of Lodge King Robert de Bruce No 304 at Ladybank.
The masonic lodge played a big part in Bobby’s life and he was a committed ‘brother’ and a ‘master’ on three separate occasions.
Bobby took a stroke in 2010 and lived with physical weakness after that. His wife Mary died in January 2014, then daughter Dorothy died a few months later.
But family say he carried on and never lost his determination before his own health further deteriorated.
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