Superfan Toshie will make final trip to St Mirren Park

Jan 10 2013 by Jeff Holmes, Paisley Daily Express

The family of St Mirren ‘superfan’ Jimmy McIntosh has revealed that his ashes are to be scattered at the stadium where he loved to watch his heroes in action.

Tributes to Jimmy, who was known to his many friends as ‘Toshie,’ have been pouring in since he died following a tragic fall outside his Paisley home last week.

A large turnout of supporters are expected to join Jimmy’s loved ones at Woodside Crematorium, in Paisley, at 9am today as his funeral takes place.

And his heartbroken granddaughter Elaine Hagan has revealed that, in a fitting tribute, his ashes are to be scattered at St Mirren Park.

She told the Paisley Daily Express: “St Mirren meant so much to my papa.

“I remember being told about the time when he and my grandmother were supposed to pick up the keys to their first house and he couldn’t make it because he was at the match. That’s dedication for you.

“St Mirren touched his life at almost every turn and he will be getting cremated because one of his last wishes was to have his ashes scattered at St Mirren Park.”

Jimmy, who was 90, suffered bleeding on the brain when he fell outside his Gallowhill home on Wednesday, January 2.

Sadly, he failed to regain consciousness after being rushed to the town’s Royal Alexandra Hospital and died in the early hours of the following morning.

Many of the mourners at today’s funeral will be wearing St Mirren shirts and scarves in his memory.

Elaine said: “I’ve spoken to supporters who plan to wear their St Mirren strips to my papa’s funeral.

“Many of them only knew him through the football, so for them to wear their colours is a really nice touch.”

Elaine also said her family has taken great comfort from the many tributes that have been paid to Jimmy.

She added: “We have taken so much comfort from the kind words that people have left on the online forums for St Mirren fans.

“It has been a really difficult time for the family but those tributes have been lovely to read and have helped us immensely.

“Not everyone has a papa who is so popular and that means we will have lots of nice things to look back on.”

Although this morning’s funeral will be a sad occasion for everyone who was close to Jimmy, his family also hope to make it a celebration of his life.

Elaine said: “Papa was a very active 90-year-old man. He was never housebound and he had a good life and that should be reflected in the service.

“It will be hard not to get upset because everyone in the family was incredibly close to him but it would be nice to be able to think about all the good times we had.

“Papa used to take me to the football matches, which I loved, and our entire family were brought up as St Mirren supporters.

“There is a real family feel to St Mirren as a club and that’s something that my papa always embraced.”