Final farewells paid to young crash victims

Feb 10 2009 by Jenny Wood, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

Final farewells paid to young crash victims

GRIEF-STRICKEN family and friends of a young footballer gathered yesterday to pay their final respects to the popular Perthshire sportsman killed in a tragic car crash.

Dave Menzies, one of two local footballers killed in a crash which claimed the lives of three friends, was laid to rest in Scone New Cemetery on Monday after a service in Scone Old Parish Church.

Described as a “loved son, brother and loving grandson, nephew, cousin, godson, colleague and friend to many”, 25-year-old Dave’s life was cut short when the 4x4 vehicle he was in careered out of control in West Lothian last weekend.

Dave, a defender with Scone Amateurs and employee of Perth and Kinross Council, lost his life alongside Alan Brown of Blairgowrie whose funeral takes place today (Tuesday).

Alan, also 25, played for Bankfoot and his death has left team-mates and club officials “absolutely devastated”.

He has been described by family as a “very dearly loved son, loving brother and loved and loving partner”. “He will be sadly missed by all who knew him,” they added.

Just 24 hours after family and friends said their final farewell to Dave in Scone, Alan’s will go through the same.

Alan’s funeral also takes place in Scone Old Parish Church at 12.30 today with interment in Scone New Cemetery.

And then tomorrow, final respects will be paid to the third young man who lost his life in the car smash.

The funeral of Gregor Crocker, a former Arngask Primary School and then Perth Academy pupil, takes place in Linlithgow.

Work took Gregor to West Lothian after leaving school in Perthshire but he still returned to the Big County to spend time with his family and enjoy his passion for fishing on the River Tay.

Gregor’s funeral takes place at 11.30am at St Michael’s Parish Church in Linlithgow and he will then be laid to rest nearby at Kingscavil Cemetery. The funeral cortege will be leave from his parents’ Stanley home at 10am tomorrow morning.

Amazingly two people managed to survive the crash which took place when the white 4x4 Toyota carrying the five lads ploughed into a stone cottage on a B-road in West Lothian in the early hours of Sunday, February 8.

Neil Gardiner, a 27-year-old player for Kinnoull, and Bryan Scott (25), formerly Scone Thistle and now with second division Arbroath FC, made it out of the wreckage with just minor injuries.