By MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
26 October 2009
FORMER basketball teammates of fallen fireman Ewan Williamson have unveiled a new strip in his honour – featuring cartoon dog Scooby Doo.
Mr Williamson, 35, who lost his life fighting a blaze in the Balmoral bar in Dalry Road in July, was nicknamed Scooby by his WHEC Phoenix Basketball Club teammates for the outlandish moves he would pull on the court.
Teammate Cammy King, 39, a newspaper distribution manager from Wester Hailes, described the awful moment when he heard his friend and teammate had been killed.
He said: "I had been working nightshift the night before so I arrived bleary-eyed at the breakfast table on the Sunday morning to a telephone call from one of the other players.
"He said: 'Have you heard the news?' I didn't know what he was talking about at first, but then he told me that the fireman that had been killed the night before was Ewan.
"That whole Sunday, and the days leading up to the funeral, were all a bit of a haze.
"All the guys from the basketball team turned out in force at his funeral.
"A few of the guys that had decided to call it a day changed their minds after the funeral and decided to play on for Ewan."
WHEC Phoenix played their first Lothian League game without Ewan at Fettes College's Westwood Sports Centre against Boroughmuir Blaze on Friday night, kitted-out in their new Ewan inspired Scooby strips.
Mr King added: "He was a legend on and off the court. We called him Scooby because of the heroic moves he pulled, and the way he would run around the court just like the cartoon dog Scooby Doo.
"He could throw a ball through his legs and it would still end up in the hoop somehow.
"Off the court he was just a really nice, genial guy.
"We all used to joke with him about the cushy life he had as a fireman, as though all he did all day was play table tennis in the station.
"He never expressed any fears that his job had the potential to lead to a fatality.
"He loved being a fireman, and he loved playing basketball for WHEC Phoenix.
"He has been sadly missed by us all."
The navy-blue strip turned out to be a lucky charm for the team on the night, coming from behind at half time to win the game 37-33.
Mr King added: "We missed Ewan a lot, but we all pulled together to do the job."
WHEC Phoenix have given their undivided support to the Evening News campaign to secure the Queen's Gallantry Medal for Mr Williamson.
Thousands of Evening News readers, along with politicians and colleagues of Mr Williamson, have backed our call to secure the honour.
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