Born: December 26, 1927;

Died: December 10, 2019.

DOUGLAS Dalgleish, who has died at the age of 91, was a well-known solicitor whose deep involvement in, and love of sport saw him achieve recognition as President of the Scottish Golf Union as well as chairman and, latterly, Honorary President of Dumbarton Football Club.

Born in Erskine on Boxing Day 1927, Douglas Story Dalgleish was the son of Dalmuir Council’s Superintendent of Parks and was raised in the Old Dalnottar Cemetery Gatehouse. He should have been educated at Clydebank High School but, that establishment having closed during the Second World War, it was Dumbarton Academy that welcomed him.

As a teenage boy he endured the wartime Blitz of Clydebank. Throughout his school years he was active in the Boys’ Brigade, becoming an Officer and playing for their football team.

His education took him to the University of Glasgow to study law, only for National Service to intervene. He served two years with the Royal Air Force in Cornwall. He resumed his university studies, graduating with an MA and LLB, then serving his apprenticeship with solicitors Baird, Smith, Barclay & Muirhead. Once qualified, he joined the law firm Brunton, Miller, Alexander & Martin, with whom he would continue working for the rest of his life, rising to the position of senior partner.

Over his long and distinguished legal career he was well-known for his dry sense of humour and he became something of a specialist in licensing, representing pubs, clubs and restaurants to considerable effect.

He also acquired a number of celebrity clients, including Billy Connolly.

The young Dalgleish continued to play football. His amateur career with Clydebank High School’s FP was followed by a spell with the Babcock & Wilcox works team.

In 1956 he married May McWilliams, a primary school teacher from Dalmuir. They had two sons, Colin and Gordon.

In 1965 the family relocated to Helensburgh. The property was located directly across the road from Helensburgh Golf Club and the entire family quickly became immersed in the club; Douglas signed everyone up for golf lessons and threw himself into life at Helensburgh. He served on the Golf Club Committee, and in later years was appointed Club Captain and then Chairman. May became Ladies’ Club Champion and the two sons themselves would become dedicated golfers.

With great pride he watched as they competed in golf tournaments – indeed, Colin was a member of the 1981 Walker Cup at Cypress Point, California, and captained the Great Britain and Ireland side at Royal County Down against the USA in 2007.

Dalgleish helped his two sons to form a golf travel business, PerryGolf, in 1984, and he was a director of the company for the rest of his life. He also founded and organised the Helensburgh Boys’ Tournament and sponsored the club’s Annual Festival of Golf and Winter League.

He was instrumental in the club buying the golf course from its landowners in 1978 and he later played a key role in introducing equality of membership for women at the club.

As President of the Dunbartonshire Golf Union, he served on the executive of the Scottish Golf Union, and was elected President of the latter body in 1994. During his year in office he travelled extensively around Scotland and Europe, and also attended the US Masters tournament at Augusta.

If golf was his greatest sporting love, he was also a keen supporter of Dumbarton FC, serving as Chairman from 1996 to 2003 and in later years as Honorary President. He was instrumental in the move from the old Boghead Park to a new ground -- what is now the C&G Systems Stadium -- in 2000.

The plans were originally for two grandstands to be built, seating 4,000 spectators, with funding from the Football Grounds Improvement Trust, but a last-minute change of heart by the Trust diverted half of the funds elsewhere, to Dalgleish’s eternal regret.

He was also an enthusiastic curler, and was actively involved in ensuring that the 1985 Silver Broom World Curling Championships took place in Glasgow. An after-dinner speaker of some repute, he was in demand at Burns Suppers. He spent most of his legal career in offices within a short stretch of St Vincent Street, in Glasgow, and one of his after-dinner quips was: “You’re looking at a person who has spent over 40 years soliciting in St Vincent Street”.

He is survived by his wife and sons Colin and Gordon, daughters-in-law Anne and Marion and grandson Sterling.