4 sides will face off this weekend to win a trophy named in honour of one in all St Patrick’s FP’s most influential figures.
St Pat’s, St Mungo’s, St Joseph’s, and Inverclyde Amateurs will play over two days to elevate the John McMurrich Trophy, named after the Dumbarton membership’s best ever supervisor.
John guided St Pat’s to 2 Scottish Cup wins, seven Scottish Novice League titles and 5 League Cups throughout his 25 years in cost, establishing the membership as one of many strongest within the beginner sport.
Nonetheless, tragedy struck when John, who lived in Bonhill, handed away immediately after a coronary heart assault in 2017 on the age of simply 63.
Eager to maintain his reminiscence alive, St Pat’s boss John O’Brien and coach Tommy Graham revived the trophy – with each having performed beneath McMurrich.
Tommy advised the Lennox: “Earlier than John got here all the way down to our membership we had been simply one other beginner soccer workforce. We had no actual standing within the sport or something like that.
“By the point he had completed with us then everybody in beginner soccer in Scotland knew who St Pat’s had been.
“We had been very profitable.
“Within the season simply gone, we gained the West of Scotland Cup last which might be the toughest trophy apart from the Scottish Cup to win.
“We additionally acquired to the Scottish Cup last final yr and gained the Central League, which is a tough league to win.
“None of that will’ve been doable with out John McMurrich.
“When he handed away it was a shock for us. He was nonetheless younger and stored himself match.
“He was in all probability crucial man within the historical past of St Pat’s, and we’ve been going because the Fifties.
“He’s sorely missed.”
McMurrich was born in Dumbarton and performed for Balloch Juveniles, Vale of Leven Juniors and Glasgow Perthshire, earlier than sustaining a career-ending knee harm.
This harm put paid to him enjoying at senior degree, which eager observers of the sport mentioned he was sure to have loved.
Nonetheless, he proved each bit as proficient as a coach as he was a participant, turning St Pat’s into a significant drive within the beginner scene.
His proudest second got here when Saints gained the Scottish Cup – first at Hampden in 1990 after which at Kilmarnock’s Rugby Park in 1999.
Tommy continued: “I solely acquired again concerned with the membership final yr, there’s been a trophy since John handed away. However it had fallen by the wayside a wee bit.
“When John O’Brien acquired concerned with the workforce he knew concerning the trophy so recommended we get a wee match going as a part of our pre-season.
“It’s a great way of honouring John.
“We have now St Mungo’s, St Joseph’s, ourselves and Inverclyde as one other of the Saints pulled out.
“We nonetheless commonly discuss John and his groups and we felt it was a great way to maintain his reminiscence going.”
The video games get underway at Mountblow in Clydebank on Saturday, with the 2 successful sides and two shedding sides enjoying once more at Alexandria’s Argyll Park on Sunday.
Presenting the trophy shall be John’s widow Mary, alongside his two daughters Karen and Louise.
And Tommy added that household was a key side of St Pat’s ethos.
“We’ve invited John’s spouse, Mary, and his two daughters, Karen and Louise. They're going to do the presentation.
“We wished to maintain them concerned. We used to carry dances and participant of the yr nights, and they'd all the time be together with John.
“It was vital for us to maintain them concerned.
“We’ve acquired so many households who've been concerned with the membership for generations.
“I performed with among the guys’ dads and it does make you're feeling fairly previous.
“We’re an enormous household actually.
“After I joined in 1989 I didn’t know most of the gamers.
“The fellows I performed with turned a few of my finest mates.
“It creates a household ambiance and there are many boys there you continue to commonly see.”