Legendary sports journalist Allan Herron dies aged 95 as tributes pour in

Allan Herron, one of Scotland’s leading sports journalists, has passed away at the age of 95.

Allan spent nearly 55 years in newspapers and also broadcasting, spending 26 years with the Sunday Mail where he was chief sportswriter after an accomplished period with the now defunct Evening Citizen and subsequently 10 years with The Sunday People.

He covered Scottish football across the globe, from the pioneering days of European competition in the late 1950s, through Celtic’s European Cup triumph in 1967, Rangers’ Cup Winners’ Cup success in 1972, Aberdeen’s glory against Real Madrid in 1983 and Dundee United’s narrow defeat to Gothenburg in the 1987 UEFA Cup Final.

Allan reported on Scotland at five consecutive World Cup Finals from 1974 in West Germany through Argentina in 1978, Spain 1982, Mexico 1986 and then Italia 90 - when he drove all the way. He also worked at the 1966 competition and was there in the Stade de France in 1998 when Scotland opened the World Cup against the holders Brazil.

Current Scottish Football Writers Association President Chick Young said: "We’ve lost a football writing legend who realised long ago that having fun doing your job wasn’t a crime against humanity. Readers of the Sunday Mail of a certain generation will recall his byline - frequently married to another word - exclusive. He was a smooth operator with and without the working togs and I adored his company, particularly at the World Cup of 1986 in Mexico and the build up in Santa Fe.

"Allan was of the golden generation of football writing in this country and a former president of our association. He was witty, charming and connected to those in high places in the Scottish game. He always made me smile, a curious mixture of old fashioned