It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Ian Mackay.

Ian was a sports reporter with the Edinburgh Evening News and in the 2010s it was he who introduced a page called ‘Local Heroes’. Prior to that coverage of minor events had been very spasmodic with, for example, results of youth and amateur football matches appearing one week but not the next and so on. This lack of continuity meant that the reader was left in limbo as to how matters were progressing.

The introduction of ‘Local Heroes’ changed all that with a large detailed page devoted solely to amateur sport. Why was that important ? It meant that people became more fully informed about sports that possibly they had scant or no knowledge at all. This in turn might encourage them to participate. Clearly this was Ian’s aim.

Ian was a very good friend of this Association.

Condolences are extended to Ian’s family and friends at this sad time.