Last week we ran a photograph of the St Mary’s Primary School football team who won every competition they entered, Colin Scott immediately recognised his brother, Brian and knew that he had to share his tragic story.

Brian, who grew up in Mayfield Road, Saltcoats was widely known for his talent on the footballing field and this started from a young age. As part of the formidable team at St Mary’s, his reputation began to grow and it wasn’t long before he was picked up by a professional side.

Brian signed for Kilmarnock when he was just 14 and featured for the first team on a few occasions.

The most memorable of these was remembered warmly by his brother Colin: “Brian played against Manchester United in a side that featured Bobby Charlton in a testimonial match. Brian would have been around 17 and he took that match by the scruff of the neck and showed just how talented he was. Brian scored a double, picked up the man of the match award and Bobby Charlton gave him a pair of his boots.” The Manchester United and England legend was so impressed by the performance of the young Saltcoats lad that he said: “ You’re limitless at what you can do.” Such high praise from someone so highly rated in the world of football is not a mean feat but it seems to be that everything went downhill from there for Brian, his career and his family.

Not long after the Manchester United match, Brian and a number of other players were let go by Kilmarnock and his family feel that they were discriminated against due to their religion. Kilmarnock denied the accusations at the time and Colin, although being younger, can remember his dad’s reaction when he said: “How can he not be good enough anymore?” Soon after this, Brian joined Ardrossan Winton Rovers but in 1978 tragedy struck, Brian’s wife Anne was unwell and found out that she had colitis which was untreatable but could have been if it was caught earlier. She sadly passed away from the disease leaving Brian to look after their son, Mark.

Only two months later, Mark, who was just two-years-old, tragically lost his life in a house fire.

Brian had obviously been struck with tragedy by losing his young family but it was the wider family that would be affected when Brian was killed in a hit and run in Pennyburn just eight months after he lost his son.

When Colin spoke of this you could tell that he is still affected by this more than 30 years later: “It was such a sad loss, we still miss him to this day. Brian was such a nice person, all he wanted to do was play football. I remember that people were calling him the next Bobby Lennox and when I attended St Mary’s I had a lot to live up to because Brian had impressed so many people with his footballing skills.” Brian was a winger and always wore the number 11 shirt. He was renowned for his electric pace but Colin remembered that Brian was very modest about the way he played the game: “Brian was a phenomenal player but he was always very reserved, he always used to say that you’re only as good as your last game, whether it was against Manchester United or Saltcoats Vics!” The story of Brian Scott and his family is such a tragic tale and Colin wanted to tell it on behalf of Brian and his father: “I wanted to let people know about my brother, the work he put into the game and the pleasure that he gave to people when he played football. We’ll never forget him.” Do you remember playing, watching or hearing stories about Brian? As well as Kilmarnock and Ardrossan, he also played for the ICI football team alongside former Rangers goalkeeper, Jim Stewart.

Anyone who wants to share their footballing memories of Brian can do so by getting in touch with his brother Colin on 07779311871 or they can also contact the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald on 01294 464321 or email us at editorial@ardrossanherald.co.uk.

Do you have old sporting photographs? Be sure to get in touch as we love to see them and hear the stories that go alongside.

For the full story see this week's Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald.