Retiring a shirt number, naming a stand or erecting a statue are some of the highest gestures a football club can give a player. However, in Scotland it’s not something we usually do for living legends. Instead, we tend to retire a number or name a stand after tragedy or death.
If we look at the continent there are umpteen clubs who have honoured some of their living legends. AC Milan retired the number 3 for Paolo Maldini and the 6 shirt to remember the displays Franco Baresi put in for the Italian side. While their city rivals Inter retired the number 4 for Javier Zanetti. In Holland, Ajax paid tribute to Johan Cruyff by dedicating the number 14 to him.
Naming a stand or erecting a statue can be quite costly but retiring a number comes at no cost at all.
To date there are very few shirt numbers that have been retired in Scottish football. Set of supporters often get credit but it’s mostly through tragedy that numbers are retired. Here is a list of the ones in Scotland.
Motherwell
Motherwell retired the number 10 shirt following the death of Phil O’Donnell in December 2007. O’Donnell collapsed on the pitch during a game with Dundee United due to heart failure. The 35-year-old was pronounced dead shortly afterwards at Wishaw General Hospital.
A year later the club renamed the main stand at Fir Park after him and still support charities of cardiac risk.
The only player to wear the number 10 shirt since O’Donnell passed away was David Clarkson.
Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic decided to retire the number four shirt after the death of Norrie McCathie. He died of Carbon Monoxide positioning in his home in 1996 alongside his girlfriend.
Norrie was the captain of the Pars when he died. The board at East End Park retired the number four shirt for the remainder of the 1995/96 season, however it has now been reinstated. One of the stands at East End Park is now named after Norrie McCathie.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen decided to retire the number 12 shirt in tribute to their fans who are known as the Red Army.
The Aberdeen faithful are often referred to as the ’12th man’ of the team hence the number 12 shirt chosen to be retired.
Hibernian
Hibs retired the number four shirt after the death of under 20s player David Paul. The academy player died of an undiagnosed heart condition at the age of 18 in 2014. For the remainder of the 2014/15 season Hibs retired his shirt.
Hibs legend Lewis Stevenson decided to donate £40,000 of money raised from his testimonial last season to further research into heart problems among young people.
Rangers
In another example of a club paying tribute to their fans, at the end of the 2011/12 season Rangers retired the number 12 jersey in honour of the supporters who backed the club when it went into administration.
At the time the number 12 shirt was worn by left-back Lee Wallace.
The Forty Two 