With thanks to Scott Sinclair for Cover & Infographic
Introduction – Margaret Birrell A big, warm welcome to everyone who has come along to celebrate a decade of The Jim Birrell Memorial Sports Dinner. For anyone who didn’t know Jim, he was a family man through and through. He appreciated the fact that he had been raised within a loving, warm family but he was also aware that others were not so lucky. He had very strong values and opinions but would listen to others and would agree or agree to disagree. Jim was an extrovert; a people’s person who could relate to people of any age and was a great host. He loved life and he lived his life, albeit too short, to the full. Jim enjoyed attending sports dinners. It was his type of entertainment (as was karaoke) being entertained by superb speakers and surrounded by friends and family. He was always very ‘cheerful’ after these evenings, although it was sometimes early morning by the time Jim came through the door – if he wasn’t already asleep on Stuart’s couch! Jim would be so proud and grateful to you all for supporting this annual dinner and, more importantly, contributing to worthwhile charities and organisations that reflect causes dear to his heart. Could I take this opportunity to thank Calum, Carolyn, Stuart, Laura, Steven and Lee, your organising committee, for all their hard work over the last ten years. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to our guests from the Maggie’s Centre and Asbestos Action Tayside. Finally, to everyone here tonight as well as friends and guests from previous dinners, thank you all for making this such a memorable occasion. The 10th Jim Birrell Memorial Sports Dinner Piper & Top Table Welcome Jim Birrell – Ally Gourlay Maggie’s Centre & Asbestos Action Tayside Heads & Tails Starters: Soup or Pate Main: Steak Pie or Chicken Balmoral Dessert: Gateau or Cheese Plate Speakers Raffle & Auction
About our top table Tonight, at our 10th dinner, the three speakers at your top table will collectively rack up ten appearances. Frank, John and Joe are three of the very best in the business and not only have they been hugely popular with our guests over the last decade, each of them is a pleasure to work with and all have offered advice and support to the organising committee. When there was chaos in the kitchen at our first dinner back in 2005, Frank Robb not only brought order as our compere but some well needed laughs. Every member of the audience ended up with a new nickname as we went on an adventure with him. Unfortunately, the years have not been kind to the waistline of the one he called ‘Little Red’! Frank makes his third appearance at the dinner tonight as does John Gahagan. His Wikipedia page describes him as a former professional footballer, now after dinner speaker but the write up really doesn’t do him justice. When people ask you to recall jokes or stories you’ve heard at dinners, I never do it for John. His after dinners are experiences and you get drawn in from the first moment to the last. A master of his craft and I’m not just saying that so he doesn’t give us stick for the rubbish bottle of whisky we’ve got him for the hat-trick. I first met Joe Camay outside Pilrig Bowling Club in Edinburgh. He was having a quick cigarette before going back inside to blow the crowd away and I was outside trying to grab a breath of fresh air having struggled to keep up the pace with two of your organising committee. I realised that day how Jimmy would often end up on Stuart’s couch after one of these gigs! Joe was on top form that day as he has been on each of the three occasions he has compered and spoke at our dinner. Guests have frequently told us how outrageous Joe is…before asking when he is coming back to see us. All three of our speakers have become firm friends and favourites of the Jim Birrell dinner over the last ten years. We would like to thank them for all the support and laughs they have provided and look forward to many more in their company this evening.
A Decade of The Jim Birrell Memorial Sports Dinner 2006 – Frank McAvennie, Tony Higgins & Frank Robb – Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres 2007 – Bill Leckie, Alan Rough & Eric Davidson – NET Patient Foundation 2008 – George McNeill, Peter Brown & Scott Glynn – Bo’ness Community Hospital 2009 – Willie Young, John Gahagan & Joe Camay - CHAS / QMH Breast Cancer Unit 2010 – Sandy Strang, Jim Robertson & Willie Allan - Mary Leishman Foundation 2011 – Frank Robb, Joe Harper & Joe Camay - Yorkhill Children’s Foundation/Cystic Fibrosis Trust, CHAS 2012 – John Rowbotham, Jimmy Stirling & Paul Reid – Millie McKenzie / Arran Brown Rainbow Foundation 2013 – John Gahagan, Lorraine Summers & Joe Camay – Caoimhe and Calum, mobility equipment NHS FIfe 2014 – Eric Davidson, Peter Martin & Scott Glynn – Fund-A-Wish Foundation / Dunfermline Foodbank 2015 – Joe Camay, Frank Robb & John Gahagan – Maggie’s / Asbestos Action Tayside
Thanks to our friends at Kenny’s Music for once again providing the PA