TRIBUTES have been paid to Jimmy Wilson after Haddington Rugby Football Club lost one of its favourite sons.

Mr Wilson, 73, who passed away on January 8, has been described as a “lovely family man” to his three children, Joanne, Jamie and Jennifer, and three grandchildren, Robbie, Alex and Joshua, and will be “missed dearly” by family and the local rugby community.

Jimmy, of Knox Place in Haddington, was born and grew up in Pencaitland, attending the village primary school before moving to Ross High School in Tranent.

A mainstay of the brilliant Haddington side of the 1960s and 1970s, he captained them to many successes, including the third division championship in 1975/76.

He was part of talented three-quarter lines of the 1970s along with the likes of Ronnie Skea, Johnny Walker, Vic Dobbs, Colin Young and brother-in-law Andy Cuthill, who all played competitive and determined rugby with a dynamic edge that constantly worried defences across the division.

Keith Wallace, club president, said: “I was lucky to grow up watching these guys as a kid, and Jimmy was at the heart of it. He was fast, tough and wiry, and had shoulders that looked like the coat hanger was inside his strip.

“He was also a very good sevens player and was probably our best-ever captain. He was captain in seasons 72/73, 73/74 and again in 75/76, with his captaincy described as ‘unique’ in his first appointment and ‘even more unique’ in his second, reflecting his strong will and deep thinking on and off the field.

“His first year of captaincy was the first season HRFC scored more than 1,000 points in a season, and this was when a try was worth four points.

“His second saw promotion in the inaugural national league season of 73/74; and his third season saw the third division championship won in 75/76, when famously HRFC had to beat championship rivals Leith by seven points at Neilson Park and won a heroic battle 7-0 – great successes for him as a leader and for the club.

“My recollection of that whole period is seeing very few home defeats. Jimmy and his team-mates did not like losing!”

Ronnie Skea, former team-mate and captain, said: “He did not say much on the field but what he did say was usually right, being very focused and reading the game well.

“In his first season as captain, I was on one wing and Colin Young the other. We scored about 70 tries between us, such was the quality of the service.

“Off the field, he had a very dry humour and was his own man. One year in Wales, we were snowed in and could not get to our hotel; some of us found beds nearby with our hosts but he insisted the safest place to sleep was the rugby club – must have been a cold night for him, but we all got home safely.”

His playing career came to an end following a leg break but his influence on the club continued in his off-field duties.

Gordon Bathgate, former president and secretary, said: “Jimmy came back into the fold when his ex-team-mate, the late David Laidlaw, was president.

“He served on the committee, coached the women’s team, was fixture secretary for about four years in the mid-1990s, and was also team manager for the 1st XV. He was also a frequent traveller to our fixture with CYM in Dublin, his last trip being the one before last.”

Mr Wilson also had massive impact on developing the sport, notably in his dedication to the women’s game.

His daughter Jennifer said: “We were also very proud that he drove forward women’s rugby.

“He was a great fan of equality and, for a period of time, he worked hard developing the women’s rugby team at HRFC.

“We are very proud of all his rugby club achievements and we are very grateful to all the members of HRFC that have given us support at this time.”

Outside rugby, Jimmy also had a successful career in insurance and property management with Standard Life. Funeral details are expected to be announced shorty.

Jimmy's funeral will take place on February 2 at Seafield Crematorium before a gathering at Waterfield Bistro in Haddington.