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I didn’t know Andrew personally but I know his mum and I knew his grandfather, Danny, when he was alive. The connection I have with the lad is that we were both at Salvesen Boys Club and we shared a mutual love of Hearts. I know he attended games and had plenty mates in the stands at Tynecastle Park.

It’s such a heartbreaking thing to happen to anyone. I don’t think any parent can relate to how the family must be feeling at this time unless you have been through a set of circumstances like that.

It is very difficult to find words when something like this happens. His friends would have been round about him when the tragic incident took place. That in itself just seems wrong on so many levels – that a young kid can be playing football at school with his pals and the next minute he is gone.

The people at Salvesen are trying to give as much support as they can without overstepping the mark because it is really important that the family get their time to grieve. That’s only right and hopefully Andrew’s family can draw some small comfort from that.

Salvesen are doing as much as they can behind the scenes to get support to whoever needs it. That might be class-mates, team-mates or friends, all of whom will miss him. This will affect a lot of very young people if you think about the whole circle that is attached to a 15-year-old. I’m sure he had a lot of friendship groups and everybody’s hearts go out to them and all of his family members.

The support people have given on the GoFundMe page which was set up in Andrew’s memory sums up the community spirit which is present in the area. Having known his grandfather from the Broomhouse area, the people around there are the salt of the earth. I think you can see that not only from donations given, but the fact people have set up a page like that. It’s a truly awful set of circumstances which nobody could have foreseen.

LINK: Andrew MacKinnon GoFundMe page

Gary Mackay: Andrew MacKinnon's Broomhouse community are salt of the earth and my heart goes out to them