Obituary: Tributes paid to Falkirk Victoria Harriers stalwart David Wilson

The club’s condolences go out to his extended family at this time.

David joined the club in 1964 after playing football and competing in cross-country with the 3rd Grangemouth Boys’ Brigade. He quickly established himself as one of the club’s leading athletes as well as being a dedicated club member. Davey competed in the three miles race at the official opening of Grangemouth Stadium in July 1966 and was a member of the Vic’s team which won the prestigious Tom Scott 10-mile road race in 1972.

Following the death of club coach Tom Todd in 1974, David stepped up and took over as the club coach while also serving as Secretary. He played an instrumental role in galvanising the club, recruiting boys from the local Boys’ Brigade Company’s whilst continuing to compete because the club had relatively few senior athletes. Under his guidance, the club flourished, winning East District cross-country league titles and many of the boys won Scottish Cross Country Championship team and individual medals in the 70’s and 80’s as a result of his coaching and encouragement. When the 90th National Cross Country Championships were held in Callendar Park in 1987 David was Clerk of the course, a role he repeated when they returned in 1993.

David served as club President for many years during this period and stepped up again to fill the Treasurer’s role in the early 1990’s.

In 1991the club completed a long-held ambition of transforming the “hut” on Thornhill Road in Falkirk into a proper fit for purpose building with David once again the main driving force organising fellow club tradesmen in building the premises that the club still occupies.

A proud Portonian, David was educated at Dundas Primary and Moray Secondary Schools, before starting working life at the Falkirk Electrical Winders in 1961, where he served his apprenticeship as an electrician. He then joined Falkirk Council where he served for over 30 years rising through the ranks before retirement.

David was a regular at Brockville and Falkirk Stadium for Saturday home matches and also enjoyed golf, darts, dominoes, and snooker at the ICI Club in Grangemouth. In his younger years, he loved dancing, and it was at Doak’s Ballroom that he met Margaret. They married at Grahamston Church in 1969 and had two sons: Stuart, born in July 1973, and Kevin, born in May 1976. A devoted family man, David enjoyed taking the boys to Falkirk matches, and they also became Harriers. After Kevin moved to Australia, David and Margaret enjoyed several trips visiting him and the family. David sadly lost the love of his life, Margaret, on 8th September 2019. Although life was never the same, he kept active by walking around the Helix each morning and drew support from his immediate family. He also enjoyed meeting friends at Behind the Wall and helping to lay out courses for the National Cross Country Championships and primary-school cross country events in Callendar Park, whilst continuing to support Falkirk Football Club.

David is survived by Stuart and Claire; Kevin and Alex, his four sisters Janette, Elizabeth, Susan and Nada, his brothers-in-law David, Andrew, Brian and Gordon and grandchildren Fletcher, Fergus, and Olive as well as nephews and nieces all of whom he was extremely proud.

He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

David’s enduring contribution to Falkirk Victoria Harriers, both as an athlete and through his decades of service, will be remembered with gratitude and affection. He leaves a legacy that will always remain an important part of the club’s history.