Mark McLaughlin
Edinburgh Evening News
July 31, 2009
TRIBUTES were today paid to former SPL striker Paul McGrillen by his Bathgate team-mates.
The 37-year-old's body was discovered at his home in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, on Wednesday. Police said there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.
Today, his colleagues said he always gave 100 per cent and had intended to "go out in a blaze of glory" in his final season with Bathgate Thistle.
He was due to play in Bathgate's match against Broxburn Athletic, which was cancelled as mark of respect and to allow the team to adjust to the loss.
Club secretary Syd McAlpine paid tribute to "a likeable guy . . . who could never put up with second best".
He added: "The news of his death has hit us badly. He always gave 100 per cent on the field.
"He would go out on the park and just run and run and run. He always kept himself fit, and was always keen to play his part in the team game, which is a very important thing in football.
"Paul was a likeable guy, and although he could keep himself to himself, he was always inquisitive as to how other people were keeping and what people were doing."
McGrillen joined Bathgate Thistle from Bellshill Athletic, where he was player-manager, in 2007.
Mr McAlpine added: "He came to Bathgate because he wanted to, as he put it, go into a big junior team. In his first season, he helped us win the Scottish Junior Cup by scoring in the final.
"He stayed with us last year and indicated that this would be his last year in football, and that he intended to spend it with Bathgate Thistle because he thought so much of the club.
"When he came along to the football he would often bring his son Joshua on a Saturday afternoon, and to some of the training sessions, and I think he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps.
"Paul said he intended to go out in a blaze of glory this season and that he was going to score a good number of goals, both for himself and for the club.
"He was our top scorer in his first season with us, and he was just joking with me recently that this season he would go out and do even better than that. Now, sadly, he won't get that chance."
He leaves a wife, Michelle, and children Joshua, ten, and Chloe, six.
McGrillen was a member of the Motherwell squad that won the Scottish Cup in 1991, although he did not play in the final.
McGrillen made nearly 100 appearances for Motherwell and scored 13 goals.
He also had spells with Falkirk, Airdrie, East Fife, Stirling Albion, Partick Thistle, Clydebank, Stenhousemuir and Stranraer. He played for Bathgate against Motherwell in a friendly last week.
A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said: "There would appear to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and a full report will be sent to the procurator fiscal."
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