Plaque unveiled in memory of the late great Billy Bremner

A blue plaque marking the childhood home of Scottish and Leeds United legend Bill Bremner has been unveiled in Stirling.

The memorial was commissioned by the Scottish Football Supporters Association (SFSA) in partnership with Leeds United Supporters Group, Raploch Community Council and the University of Stirling.

It was officially unveiled by Eddie Gray, long time team-mate and friend of Bremner, outside 35a Weir Street, the house in which Bremner grew up on the Raploch estate. 

Former Scotland international Jimmy Bone, another team mate of Bremner's, was also in attendance. 

Jimmy Bone and Eddie Gray with Bremner's blue plaque

Addressing the crowd of fans and community members who had gathered to watch the occasion, Gray said: “It was real honour to be asked to unveil the blue plaque showing the world where Billy came from. He was fiercely proud of his roots, and it will be a fitting tribute to see a statue here in the coming years. 

“He really was an iconic player that everyone in Leeds and Scotland loved.”

The plaque is part of a wider campaign to celebrate Bremner, who is regarded as one of football’s greatest midfielders. He captained Leeds United from 1965 through the most successful period in the club’s history, winning two League Championship medals and an FA Cup-winners medal, and represented Scotland 54 times, captaining the 1974 FIFA World Cup squad. His significance to Leeds United is cemented by a statue outside the team’s Elland Road stadium, while in Scotland no such tribute had previously existed.

Having unveiled the blue plague, the campaign group are pushing forward with plans to erect a statue of Billy in Raploch, commissioning artist Kenny Hunter to create the sculpture and launching a fundraising drive to support their efforts.

The blue plaque is placed in Weir Street

The campaign to honour the late footballer has been supported by the University of Stirling’s Professor Richard Haynes and Dr Karen Fraser. The pair previously created an online exhibition celebrating Bremner’s life and career, called ‘Fae Raploch to Elland Road’.

Dr Fraser said: “I’m thrilled to see Billy Bremner celebrated like this in the community in which he grew up. Billy was a truly inspirational figure and left a lasting mark on Raploch.

"People who knew Billy as a friend before he became a footballing legend told us of their pride and affection for him and remembered not only his talent on the football field, but his humour and sense of fun, his loyalty to his friends and the area he was from – something he never really left behind, even when miles away playing and later managing.”

Dr Richard Haynes, Professor of Media Sport at the University of Stirling, said: "The blue plaque in memory of Billy Bremner's early life in Raploch, Stirling, is a further milestone in the campaign to develop a permanent memorial to one of Scotland's greatest ever football players.

“It continues to be a journey of discovery about his sporting career and what it means to others in both Leeds and Scotland. The partnerships between supporter groups, the local community and a range of regional agencies, including our own contribution from the university, provide an example of the power of sport to bring disparate communities together and use our cultural heritage to promote common values and aspirations across the generations."