Death of Malcolm McLean
Malcolm McLean of Hillhead Cricket Club, and a former member of the Board of the Scottish Cricket Union, has died, quite suddenly, in hospital in Glasgow. According to club sources, he had been on holiday in Portugal with his wife Joan when he was taken ill. They flew home on Friday, when he was immediately admitted to the Western Infirmary, where yesterday evening (7 May) he succumbed to the effects of pneumonia.
Malcolm McLean retired early from his job as a senior civil servant in the Scottish Office Industry Department, and subsequently pursued a political career, elected to Glasgow City Council. He quickly established himself as a sensible and reliable man of influence - not least in the policy areas surrounding sport - and was appointed to senior licensing and other roles in the Council.
A leading light in the development of the Western District Cricket Union, of which he became chairman, his early playing attachments were with North Kelvinside Old Aloysians. Later, he joined Hillhead Sports Club, where he was much involved behind the scenes in the struggle to put that club onto a solid financial footing.
For the SCU, he acted as an energetic and innovative Membership Secretary, anticipating the move towards the registration of players, although his far-reaching thoughts on any accompanying payments have never seen the light of day.
During his time as chairman of the WDCU - soon after its merging of the old Western Union and the Glasgow & District League - he oversaw major and pioneering developments of its junior section activities. With significant family contacts in South Africa, he and his close friend Bill Gardner accompanied the West District's U19 tour to South Africa in 2002 as travelling umpires.
He became a familiar umpiring figure on the regional and national scene, and continued to take an active part in Hillhead's cricket affairs, latterly as its junior convener for at least five years. But the current recession put paid to his 'master plan' to redevelop the club after reaching agreement with a major national housebuilder to sell a small parcel of club land at Hughenden for flats - an agreement rescinded on the day it was due to be signed.
Our deepest sympathy is sincerely extended to Joan and his wider circle of family and friends at this unexpected bereavement.
- Malcolm McLean's funeral has been arranged for SATURDAY the 28th MAY at 11.00 at the DALNOTTAR Crematorium, and thereafter at the Beardmore Hotel in Clydebank.
- Please be aware that Malcolm's wife Joan is in the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, recovering slowly from her own battle with pneumonia.
