Villagers plan to turn out in force for Jamie

The Jamie Drysdale Memorial football match will be staged at Kirkliston Leisure Centre tomorrow (Saturday) from 11am.

Jamie (18) had been diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 13 but medication had helped to control his condition and he had not suffered a seizure in the 18 months leading up to his death on February 1.

The former Queensferry High School pupil loved playing bowls and golf in between his studies at West Lothian College, where he was studying computing.

Jamie was a Hearts season ticket holder and, following his death, former schoolmates decided to remember him by staging a memorial football match in aid of the charity Epilepsy Scotland. So far over £3160 has been raised with this figure set to increase through sales from a tombola, raffle and tea tent.

One of the memorial match organisers, Daniel Hunter, said: “Football was such a big thing for Jamie that it seemed appropriate when we wanted to do something in his memory.

“It was a terrible shame what happened. We just wanted to do something to celebrate his life.”

Last week his parents Kenny and Kathryn spoke for the first time of their son’s tragic death and the devastating moment when they found him on his bedroom floor.

Just 10 minutes earlier he had told his mum that he was getting up to walk the dog.

Despite attempts to revive him, he passed away before paramedics arrived at the family home in Kirkliston.

His parents believe he may have suffered from a condition known as Sudden Death in Epilepsy which affects one in 1000 people with the condition.

Jamie’s death is the second tragedy to hit the village in less than a year. The other being the death of Jordan MacKay.