Willie Morton’s funeral service will be held on Friday 9th August.
Beginning at 2.45pm at Mortonhall Crematorium, the service will move to the Gorgie Suite at Tynecastle Stadium for a celebration of life.
Willie Morton’s family wish for family flowers only and donations to The British Heart Foundation.
Willie Morton first came to notice as part of a young, exuberant Stirling County side. His first representative appearance was for the Scottish Colts team in 1978 against the English Schools side. He then progressed to the Scotland B side in 1981, before winning the first of his 16 caps for Scotland in 1982. This number would have been far higher, but for his period in English County Cricket from 1984-6, playing for Warwickshire. His time at Warwickshire was blighted by a serious back injury and Willie returned to Scotland, securing a role as groundsman at Myreside, going on to become Head Groundsman for George Watson’s College. He returned to play for Stirling County but, apart from a brief spell playing for Watsonians, the later years of his playing career were with Penicuik, where he also introduced his son Keith to League cricket.
Quite apart from his own playing career, Willie is perhaps more remembered as a developer of young talent, using his tremendous charisma to motivate young players. For several years he was the lead coach for the Scotland Under 19 team. His many charges from that time, as well as the rest of the Scottish cricket community, remember Willie with great affection.
Words by Neil Leitch
