St.Mirren all time leading goal scorer David McCrae played in 352 matches and scored a club record 251 competitive goals, including 222 league goals, as well as winning the 1926 Scottish Cup.
It came to our attention thanks to work completed by SMISA member Kenny Barr, that Davie’s headstone, which can be found in Kilbarchan Cemetery, was in need of some major restoration work. Davie lived most of his life in Bridge of Weir, and was good friends with Kenny’s great-grandfather. So much so that after the 1926 Scottish Cup win, Davie gifted a glass (one which all players received) to Kenny’s family. The glass now proudly sits in the Boardroom at The SMiSA Stadium.
Thanks to connections with a volunteer group called The Scots Football Historians Group, we were able to confirm and locate the plot in which Davie is buried. The headstone was in really poor condition, and after many efforts to track down his family through local connections I decided to reach out to SMiSA. My hope was that they could donate a small headstone, recognising his importance to our club. It didn’t feel right to me that a player as good as Davie was, was being forgotten. SMiSA Board member at the time Eddie Devine sought permission from the local council to have it cleaned and then soon after, we were granted permission to recondition the stone.
Kenny Barr alongside David McCrae's restored headstone
The work done of The Scots Football Historians Group can be found using the link below. All donations gratefully received.
Contact them on: [email protected]
Or visit the website: https://www.thescotsfootballhistoriansgroup.org/
Huge thanks also go to McPherson memorials, who were invaluable in helping to restore Davie's headstone. Check out their website at https://mcphersonmemorials.co.uk.
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