Charity golf tournament to honour Hibs legend Waugh

HE was the former Hibs chairman who steered the club through some of the most turbulent days in its 140-year history.

Kenny Waugh. Picture: Bill Henry

Now a charity golf tournament is aiming to raise thousands of pounds for Marie Curie in memory of Kenny Waugh, who died last month at the age of 78 at one of the charity’s hospices.

Around 90 towering figures from the worlds of football and business will descend on Duddingston Golf Club tomorrow in a bid to raise more than £6000 – enough to fund the operating costs of Marie Curie for one whole day.

Organiser Keith Sands, a lifelong Hibs fan and family friend of Mr Waugh’s, said he hoped the fundraiser would become an annual event.

He and his co-organiser Allan Preston – a BBC pundit and former Hearts defender – both previously lost their mums to cancer within a week of each other.

Mr Sands said: “This golf day is about giving something back to the people who look after the patients and keeping the memory of Kenny Waugh Snr alive.

“It’s grown arms and legs and its turned out to be quite a big event. The more money raised, the more goes to Marie Curie.”

Ex-players set to tee up include former Hibs players John Brownlie, John Blackley and Darren Jackson as well as their fellow internationalists Willie Miller, John Robertson and Jackie McNamara Jnr. The competition will be followed by a three-course meal and a charity auction – with a range of top prizes up for grabs to the highest bidder.

Big-spenders can bag tickets for the Bay City Rollers in Glasgow – including hotel stay – as well as seats at Manchester United’s Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven at Old Trafford next month.

A round of golf with Hibs boss Alan Stubbs and captain David Gray is also on offer, alongside hospitality at both Easter Road and Tynecastle for forthcoming matches.

Kenny Waught Jr, son of the former Hibs chairman and a well-known local businessman, said he would be heading up his own team on the day and was “very confident” they would come out victorious.

He said the event would be a fitting tribute to the memory of his dad – even if the choice of sport is a little ironic.

“I’m looking forward to it. It’s for a great cause – you couldn’t get a better, and we will be doing it every year,” he said. “My dad wasn’t really a golfer. He was a member of Duddingston but never ever completed a round – that’s how bad he was. He never had the patience for golf.”

Fiona Bushby, Edinburgh community fundraiser for Marie Curie Hospice, said: “We’re so grateful to Kenny’s family and friends, and supporters of the football clubs that they’d like to honour Kenny’s memory in this way. All the money raised will help us pay for a day of care at the Marie Curie Hospice.”