Billy Bremner exhibition sheds new light on football legend’s life

The life of Scottish football legend Billy Bremner is celebrated in a new online exhibition.

Bremner was born in the area of Stirling known locally as the Raploch in 1942 and went on to become regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time.

He signed for Leeds United as a teenager and later captained the team as well as playing for Scotland.

Working with pupils from his former school St Modan’s High, and the local Raploch community, researchers at the University of Stirling uncovered a swathe of stories connected to Bremner.

This new material is now being shared in an online exhibition through the university website.

It includes a collection of anecdotes from former school friends, neighbours and team-mates, as well as photos, match reports and school records.

The online archive also shows a new “heritage trail”, created in partnership with St Modan’s pupils, which details sites significant to Bremner’s life in Raploch.

Sports heritage expert Professor Richard Haynes, of the University of Stirling, said: “We were overwhelmed with the amount of material we collected for this project.

“We met close friends of Billy’s, who had grown up with him and remained life-long friends, who gave us new insight into his personality and character.

“Billy was a star of the 1960s and 70s and so it was really important to capture these local stories now – as his peers enter later life, these memories were in danger of being lost for good.”

As part of the project, local school pupils interviewed lifelong Leeds fans about what Bremner meant to them, and comedy TV writer Philip Differ, also a former St Modan’s student, recalled Bremner’s visit to the school in the 1970s.

“The school still has a photo of that event displayed outside the head teacher’s office,” Prof Haynes added.

“But many of the pupils had never heard of Bremner nor realised his significance in the world of sport and to the local area.

“Intergenerationality was a main focus of the project. We wanted to explore how heritage can be shared and the benefits that brings to both the older generation – who are keen to share their stories – and the younger population, who were able to gain new knowledge and hone new skills.”

St Modan’s head teacher Claire Friel said: “This study has helped recognise one of St Modan’s most successful former pupils.

“Billy was a truly inspirational figure and speaking with supporters from Leeds who recall watching him in his prime, our pupils have learned how highly regarded he was and still is to Leeds fans.”

Also included in the exhibition is a film created by some of the university’s students, which includes interviews with those who knew Bremner growing up and fellow Leeds United and Scotland star Eddie Gray.

Karen Fraser, who worked as a researcher on the project, said: “It was an honour to talk to people who knew Billy as a friend before he became the footballing legend, and to record their thoughts.

“Their pride and affection for him shone through as they spoke about his talent, his humour and sense of fun, his loyalty to his friends, his love of Raploch and the fact that he never really left this behind – even when miles away playing and then managing.

“Their generosity in spending time participating in the project enabled us to bring to life the time that Billy spent in the Raploch.”

There is a statue of Bremner, who died in 1997, outside Leeds United stadium Elland Road which was erected in 1999, but no permanent memorial exists to mark his achievements in Scotland.