'A true Leither' - Leith Athletic pay tribute to Shaun Woodburn with new sponsor

Leith Athletic have paid tribute to former player Shaun Woodburn as the East of Scotland side unveiled their new home kit.

Leith Athletic's new strips will carry Shaun Woodburn's name on the front

Dad-of-one Shaun, 30, died after being attacked outside Gladstone’s pub in Leith in the early hours of January 1, 2017 while bringing in the new year with a number of pals, including closest friend Danny Swanson, then with Hibs.

A former footballer himself, Shaun had started his career with Leith Athletic before going onto play for teams including Newtongrange Star and Bonnyrigg Rose before taking a step back in order to spend more time with his family.

The new shirts carry the name of the charity set up in his memory, the Shaun Woodburn Memorial Trustees, and mark the club’s 25th anniversary. Hibs defender Darren McGregor who came through the ranks at Leith Athletic and was named the club’s first ever ambassador earlier this year, helped to launch the new kit.

Shaun Woodburn

A statement from Leith Athletic read: “The club is delighted to announce that the Shaun Woodburn Memorial Trustees will be the main sponsor for the whole club over the next two years.

"This is our first ever club sponsor and we are immensely proud that every player at the club will wear a strip with Shaun’s name.

"Shaun joined the club when it was reformed 25 years ago and played all his boys club football with us before having a successful senior career.

"Shaun was certainly a true Leither and one of our own who was sadly taken from us far too early.

"The club would like to thank Football Nation and the Woodburn family for all their support. We can’t thank you enough, and look forward to seeing over 400 players wearing the new strip in the new season.”

Leith Athletic will wear the new strips for the first time in a competitive game when they travel to Coldstream in their East of Scotland Football League Conference A opener on Saturday, July 17.

In the aftermath of Shaun’s untimely death, his family campaigned tirelessly for changes to the post-mortem examination process, and in November 2018 new rules were introduced to prevent families from facing long waits to bury their loved ones, dubbed “Shaun’s Law” to reflect the Woodburn family’s efforts.

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