Niall Erskine

𝐑𝐎𝐘 𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐄 Everyone connected with Cowdenbeath FC was deeply sorry and saddened to learn of the passing of our former player Roy Erskine on 19th January 2026. Roy was aged 94 and our condolences go out to all the family. Pictured is a copy of the birthday card the club sent to Roy on the occasion of his 90th birthday on 5th September 2021. Roy of course played for Cowden almost 70 years ago and in recent years became universally well known as Judy Murray’s father and as the grandfather of Jamie and Andy Murray. Roy’s family had originally come from Fife – living in the Shiresmill area, near Blairhall, but Robert Sinclair Erskine, better known as Roy, was born in the north of Scotland as his dad, Andrew Erskine, had a chemist shop in Fochabers. Andrew was also involved with the golf, tennis and badminton clubs in Fochabers. The Erskine family moved back south from Morayshire towards the end of the war in 1944 to settle in Bridge of Allan. Roy began playing football then for an under-17 juvenile side called Whins of Milton at Bannockburn. He then moved into junior football playing in the Fife juniors for Valleyfield Colliery. In those days he would travel to games on the back of a motorbike. Cowdenbeath were interested in signing Roy when he was at Valleyfield but he was studying then in Glasgow. Playing as an amateur he didn’t want to commit to going pro. Then Roy had to do National Service. He served half of his time at Catterick where he was able to play for Crook Town who won the FA Amateur Cup on a number of occasions. Then he served in Japan and Korea during the Korean War. He came home in 1952 and met ex-Hibs player and Stirling Albion Chairman Archie Gourlay in the street. Archie obviously had a bit of clout as next thing Roy was signed by Hibs in the days of the Famous Five. He didn’t get a first team chance at Easter Road though and was just training on Tuesday and Thursday nights, trying to be an optician the rest of the time. Later, he was farmed out to play for Peebles Rovers in the East of Scotland League – full back, outside left or at centre half. Hibs released Roy in 1954. Tom Fergusson, the famed Stirling Albion supremo with his wooden leg and stick came to see him. Alex Paterson who came from Bridge of Allan played for the Albion (Alex was the player involved in the incident that saw Willie Woodburn suspended sine die by the SFA) and Roy had some advice from his father re signing for Albion. Alex’s father was Jim Paterson who had been capped by Scotland when playing for Cowdenbeath in the 1930s. Living in Bridge of Allan, Stirling Albion was of course fine and handy for Roy. Tom Fergusson was in charge of everything at Annfield – he picked the team. He was also the local coal merchant. Roy lasted two seasons at Stirling and then was released again. That was when Roy came to Cowdenbeath in 1956. Roy was the regular centre half at Central Park in 1956/57 although he felt that heading wasn’t the strongest part of his game. That season we were in the race for promotion all season. We just fell away at the death and Clyde and Third Lanark pipped us. Roy was then being paid £5 a week during the season plus £1 a point. Roy got married in 1957 to Shirley Edney from Berwick. Shirley at that time was reigning singles champion at Berwick Tennis Club. Both Jimmy Duncan and Bobby Reid from the Cowdenbeath playing staff were guests at the wedding. John Dougary who was the Cowdenbeath manager sent Roy a letter then saying, ‘This is one of the important things in life’. His wife Shirley also had a football connection as her father Jock Edney was Berwick Rangers secretary. Indeed Jock was a brilliant all-round sportsman — an athlete and amateur tennis player who had played in goal for Berwick Rangers for a number of years after the 1st World War. Shirley Edney was of course a talented tennis player and won many trophies and competitions. In 1948, when she was only 14, she won the Middle School championship at Beacon School, Bridge of Allan. She and Roy were then playing doubles together by 1954. After two years Roy was released by Cowden and it was rumoured he would join Berwick Rangers. Instead though he returned to Stirling Albion. He had though started as an optician in Glasgow but round about 1960 obtained his own opticians business in Bridge of Allan. His dad had retired as a chemist by then and he rented Roy one of his properties. Thus the football took a back seat and he concentrated on tennis. In total he had played in 62 senior games – 47 of them for Cowdenbeath. As a boy he had reached the semi-final of the Scottish Boys' Tennis championships. However, tennis was very much an amateur sport in those days and as he had played professionally as a footballer he was limited in terms of competing in tennis. However in 1961 there was a change in the rules and that benefitted Roy. He then could play in competitions and was able to play at county level. Roy retired as an optician when he was 60 in 1991 but Erskine Eyecare continued to be run by the family in Bridge of Allan. But of course maybe Roy (and Shirley’s) greatest contribution to tennis in this country is the genes they passed on to Judy, Jamie and Andy! And maybe a little bit of tuition over the years – indeed Roy was wont to claim he was the man who invented topspin in tennis. Roy joined us to celebrate Cowdenbeath's title win at Wee Jimmies back in 2006 and he was always a popular club guest back at Central Park on many occasions over the years since. We enjoyed his company and good humour.

🚨 BREAKING: The Sky Sports Scottish Premiership Goal of the Season winner is... Hibs' Jack Iredale vs Hearts (2nd March 2025) 🔥

Thanks so much to the 1 and only @JudyMurray for sending me the video of my 1st coaching session with my new client in my new career😂😂😂🏸@andy_murray absolute gentleman and legend.

His cousin Ailsa Erskine plays Goldilocks in the panto dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scott…