Watsonian Football Club is saddened to hear of the passing of former George Watson’s College director of rugby Ally Donaldson at the age of 60 after a short illness.
Ally served Currie and Edinburgh with distinction as a player and was honoured by Scottish Rugby a few years ago when he was presented with a retrospective Scotland cap having toured the South Pacific in 1993 and played at stand-off against Fiji.
He then coached Currie in many guises, including as head coach for a long spell during which the Malleny Park outfit won the Premiership title in 2006/07 and then again in 2009/10.
Indeed, he was still involved in coaching at the club until his passing and he coached a number of representative teams such as the Scotland Club XV over the years too.
“You would need pages and pages to note the roles he delivered so brilliantly at Currie Rugby Club,” current Currie Chieftains’ vice-president Duncan Wilson, who was previously involved with Watsonians, told Scottish Rugby.
And, as a PE teacher then director of rugby at GWC for 36 years until recent times, Ally helped bring plenty of success to the school teams and brought through so many talented rugby players. Many of those players then went on to play for Watsonians, Currie, other clubs and professionally and internationally post-school - indeed, a lot of them still are.
Roy Mack, a former colleague at GWC, told Scottish Rugby: “Ally was a cracking human being, an absolute 100 percent guy. He would routinely go the extra mile - and then some - when it came to helping young players.”
WFC president John McLellan said: “Everyone at the Watsonian Football Club sends their deepest condolences to Elaine and Ally’s family and to Currie Chieftains.
“Ally nurtured a generation of rugby talent at George Watsons College and many of these great players who have graced the field at Myreside and Malleny as well as Murrayfield. Indeed, many of them are currently playing first team rugby for Watsonians and the Chieftains.
“After Scott Hastings, there is now another void in Edinburgh rugby which will never be filled.”
Ally is survived by father Kenny, wife Elaine, daughters Laura, Amy, Katie and Lucy and three grandsons.
There will be a minute's silence to remember Ally before this weekend's match between Watsonians and Heriot's at Myreside.