COWDENBEATH supporters were shocked with the news last weekend of the death of stalwart fan Willie Nellies.

Willie, who was won of our regular Times Jury contributors on Cowden’s fortunes, was taken ill on the Thursday before the Dumbarton home game with a skin infection, the day of his 65th birthday.

He was taken to Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, where staff battled to contain the infection but Willie died on Saturday 4th April His connection with Cowdenbeath FC came about in the early 1990s when Gordon McDougall took over the club. Willie’s wife Kathryn was hired by Gordon to work in the club office and she was there for many years until Gordon left a few years back. Willie then took an interest in the club and began attending matches. In 1992/93, Willie re-established the Cowdenbeath Football Supporters Club and he was the president of the club at that time, organising buses to away matches, etc. The Supporters Club is involved in running a bus to this day (Miners Mini Tours) and Willie was still on the committee and also became a Cowdenbeath FC shareholder.

Club director David Allan said this week, “Willie had a winning personality; he was a committed fan, possessed of good commonsense and his heart was in the club – he wasn’t a fairweather fan or a glory hunter. “Willie was a constant fan through all the bad times and in the more recent good times. “On the bus or at the ground or in the pub, Willie was an upbeat character who could always see the lighter side. He and Jimmy Scade policed the steps at the High Street end selling those 50/50 tickets and they would abuse or amuse, depending on which strategy best shifted tickets. It was so sad to see Jimmy on his lonesome last week and so downhearted as he already knew his best pal was unlikely to make it”.

He added, “Willie didn’t get to every away game latterly as his wife Kathryn wasn’t in the best of health. Thus, he didn’t go on the bus to the more distant away matches so he could be home for Kathryn. “It was Willie’s 65th birthday just the other week and he and Kathryn haave two daughters – Katy (married to Euan) and Ruth (married to Ian) as well as two grandchildren, Isla and Olive. Cowdenbeath FC offers its condolences to Kathryn and all the family on behalf of everyone at Central Park and we thank Willie Nellies for all that he did for this club of ours. We will all really miss him”.

A minute’s silence was held before Saturday’s home game with Livingston and a minute’s applause broke out around the ground in the 50th minute to remember the work he did with Jimmy Scade for the half-time 50-50 draw.