Bob's beloved Hearts were his biggest passion

TRIBUTES are paid to Bob Haig, chartered accountant and former director of Hearts, who has died, aged 83.

Bob, who died last week, lived and breathed Hearts after seeing them play for the first time at his beloved Tynecastle as a schoolboy.

Little did he know then that he would become one of the founding members of the Hearts Associates Club in 1972, and go on to represent the Hearts consortium of shareholders on the board of directors from 1981 to 1982 – the start of the Wallace Mercer years at Gorgie Road.

His passion for Hearts started as a boy when he would go to Tynecastle with his father. In those days it cost between 1s/6p (7.5p) and 2s/6p (12.5p) for a ticket.

Bob followed Hearts through thick and thin. He was there to see the club win the league twice – in the 1957-58 season and again in 1959-60. He saw them lift the Scottish Cup in 1956 against Celtic and again in 1998, beating Rangers 2-1. He also saw the club lift the Scottish League Cup four times, from 1954 to 1960.

Bob's daughter, Sheena Haig, 41, recalled: "Dad was passionate about Hearts – it was in his blood and he lived and breathed the club. He would often talk of players like Willie Bauld being legends. Even right at the end he was still following them."

Bob was the elder of two children. He was born on May 23, 1924 to Robert and Mary Haig, in the West Lothian village of Westfield. His little sister, Marion, was born on August 25, 1925.

The siblings were raised in the village and Robert attended Bellquarry Public School before going on to West Calder High School.

After leaving school, his first job was as a clerk for Edinburgh accounts firm Herriot and Hay, in Forres Street. Here Bob learned the invaluable skills of shorthand and bookkeeping that were to see him embark on a career as a chartered accountant.

The intervening war years saw his career path interrupted when, after volunteering for the RAF in 1943, he was finally called up on May 19, 1944 – the week before his 19th birthday.

Bob served with the RAF until 1947, based in Gloucester, and on his demob he returned to his old job in Edinburgh.

In 1954 he moved to rival firm Clunie & Scott, where he would meet his future wife, Margaret.

He was made a partner with Clunie & Scott in 1962 and had the prestigious task of looking after the Drambuie account – an important one for the firm.

The couple married in 1960 and started a family with Douglas and Brian, followed by twins Sheena and Helen in 1968, at their home in Cammo.

Although Bob's occupation would take the family to exotic locations such as the Caribbean, he preferred the tranquil setting of the Borders. Often the family would stay at the Peebles Hydro Hotel.

Sheena said: "There were many family holidays at Peebles Hydro. We had a big family gathering there for his 80th with all his family and grandchildren there for it.

"Apart from the Hearts, dad was a family man who loved it when his grandchildren would come up from London to stay during their holidays."

Bob's funeral was being held today at Cramond Kirk, at midday, and afterwards for interment at Burngrange Cemetery, West Calder, at 1.40pm.