Bruce McDiarmid, farmer; born March 21, 1911, died October 13, 1999
Bruce McDiarmid, who gave his name to one of the country's main football stadiums, has died aged 88. He donated the land on the outskirts of Perth on which St Johnstone's ground was built in the late 1980s. When it was built to replace the club's rundown Muirton Park, McDiarmid Park became the first all-seated stadium in Scotland.
A native of Perthshire, he was educated at Collace, Perth, and Strathallan and was a fine sportsman in his own right.
He was a long-term captain of Wolfhill Cricket Club and was also a past president of the Dunsinane Curling Club, and a member of Perth Whist Club.
A farmer throughout his life, Mr McDiarmid became particularly associated with the potato trade across Scotland.
As well as being a leading light in the Scottish Potato Trade Association, he served as chairman of the Perth and Angus Fruit Growers. He was also a founder member of the Chemical Spraying Company in Perth.
Mr McDiarmid remained a bachelor and spent the majority of his life at the family farmhouse at Milton of Collace, near Coupar, Angus.
His interests in arable farming were substantial and concentrated on the land around the fringes of Perth. But it was his involvement with the local football team which created his permanent legacy for the community.
He agreed a deal to hand over several raspberry fields to let the club build a 10,700 seat ground to replace Muirton, which had been pulled down for an Asda supermarket.
In return for the land at Newton of Huntingtower Farm, Mr McDiarmid had the ground named after him and was gifted a 20% stake in the club. He also became the club's honorary president.
St Johnstone chairman Geoff Brown paid tribute to the role Mr McDiarmid played in securing the club's long-term future. He said: ''Bruce was a real gentleman and over the past 12 years or so we enjoyed a superb relationship.
''Without Bruce McDiarmid's help and co-operation it is fair to say Perth would not have had such a marvellous stadium at its disposal. He got very enthusiastic about our plans for a new football stadium to replace Muirton Park and we worked very closely to bring that about.
''I know it's something that Bruce took great pride in,'' Mr Brown said.
Mr McDiarmid is survived by his sister, May Reid.
Gordon Currie
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