Tribute Planned for Scotland Fan Who Passed Away in Boston
Friends and family of Donny Strathie, a 76-year-old devoted Scotland supporter who died at a hotel in Boston, have arranged to honor him with a minute's applause during the World Cup match.
Strathie, a long-standing member of the Tartan Army from Grangemouth, collapsed at the Boston Norwood Hampton Inn on Sunday.
The upcoming Scotland fixture against Morocco on Friday would have marked his first attendance at a Scotland World Cup game.
His family has requested that fans at Boston Stadium pay tribute to this "real Tartan Army character" by applauding during the 76th minute of the match.
He had been in Boston accompanied by friends and family members who had traveled from Canada to watch the game.
Family and Friends Remember Donny Strathie's Passion
Family friend Lynne Connell spoke to about Strathie's enthusiasm for the tournament, saying he had been "so excited about seeing Scotland since they qualified."
"We thought what can we do to try and get Donny to the game. So, we basically has this idea about the 76th minute campaign - trying to bring Donny there in spirit."
Strathie was best friends with Lynne Connell's father, Stewart Easton, and they grew up watching Scotland and Falkirk, where Strathie was a season ticket holder.
They traveled together with the Tartan Army, attending matches in Wembley, Norway, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Malta, and Lithuania.
Stewart Easton Reflects on His Friendship with Donny Strathie
Easton described the planned applause as "fantastic" and shared his memories of Strathie with BBC Scotland News.
"Donny was very outgoing and bubbly and the most helpful and generous person."
"Since we started going to away games, the two of us have always travelled together. This is the first time he's been away without me. And I'm devastated."
Easton had recently suffered a heart attack, which prevented him from attending the World Cup.
"But I said to him 'I want you to go and enjoy it'."
He added that Strathie was "ecstatic" about going to the United States.
"You only get the World Cup every four years, and there's always something that can crop up and stop that. But this year he was ready for it, we qualified for a change, and he wanted to go there and fulfil his life dream."
Additional Tributes Planned at Hotel and Stadium
In addition to the applause during the Morocco game, Strathie's family intends to honor him outside the hotel where he passed away.
On Friday morning, a bagpipe player will perform "Flower of Scotland" as a tribute.
Lynne Connell added,
"He was such a friendly guy. Donny was one of these real, Tartan Army-type characters. He was such a people person, always got a story - usually a very funny story."
Additional reporting by Stephanie Abbot.
