Euan ‘Ernie’ Macfie, 1945-2024

It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Euan Macfie on 10th June 2024 - a fine man, player, past President and great supporter of the Club. He was 79.

Euan was a very popular and active President of the Club from 2011-13 and was a true stalwart, serving on the Committee in various roles either side of his Presidency. Indeed, Euan was one of those Club members who just got on and did his bit for the Club, over a long period of time. Whatever was needed - looking after the ground, cleaning showers, ensuring everything was in place for the weekend’s games - Euan just rolled up his sleeves and got stuck in!  

His old friend and fellow ex-President, Willie Liston, said: ‘Euan (Ernie) Macfie hooked for Accie 1st XV, as did his older brother, Jock, and I had the great honour of propping with both of them. He played with a certain steely edge and, as a hooker and person, was rock solid. After playing, he did a huge amount of work behind the scenes for Accies. Indeed, many games might not have gone ahead without the work he put into the ground and preparation prior to game.’

Another old friend, John Paterson, recalls: ‘Like Willie, I played in the 1st XV with Euan and previously with his older brother, Jock. Both were hookers, though sometimes Euan played at wing forward. Jock, a lawyer, did his extra bit for the Club by being Field Secretary for many years. Euan, however, did very much more, having been a very active supporter of the Club until his recent and very sad death. On ceasing to play for the 1st XV in the early 70s, he became Team Secretary, a very demanding job, especially on Friday evenings when the call offs from about 5 teams would come in on his house phone. His wife, Pat, was a great help to him, and in fact helped reduce the number of call offs, by demanding from the players the exact reason for crying off!

In the 90s he took over most of the duties of Field Secretary, which evolved into him also carrying out a wide role of duties on match days, such as putting out the flags, ensuring everything was returned including all the balls, while the rest of the supporters were tucking into their first pints! This he did during most of the 2000s, until the new clubhouse was built. I might add a VERY unsung hero. Euan was also always on the touchline supporting and was part of Sandy Burnet's legendary 'Cobra Tours' for the away games by train. Always one with a cheery greeting, Euan will be sadly missed by all the members that knew him and should also be remembered for giving considerably more to the Club than most.’

Euan watching the Accies in 2016 with his good chums, Big John Cochran and Roy Durie.

Euan‘s memories of his early days at the Club are recorded for posterity in the Club’s 150th anniversary book ‘The Accies: The Cradle of Scottish Rugby’ and are worthy of mention here:

I started playing rugby down at Raeburn Place in 1967 and it was a very different game to what it is now. The wingers used to throw the ball in at the lineouts, but never used to bother to learn the codes. Some of us were still using leather studded boots and often these were worn through and would have nails sticking out which could give nasty cuts when rucking. The brown leather ball was still in use which got very heavy and slippy in wet weather and difficult to see in failing light. You had to make your own tee in the ground to kick the ball – none of these plastic things they use now!

Of course, the scoring was different as well - only three points for a try plus two for a goal – so high scoring games were not common. There were no blood replacements or subs, so you were just patched up and sent back on, or the team played with less players – and I was always surprised that this usually did not seem to affect the game very much.

At Accies, the captain and the vice-captain took training on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6.00pm to 8.00pm, and we only had the old floodlights along the Comely Bank Road side. The changing rooms upstairs were used on training nights, but on Saturdays these became the 1st XV and the visitors’ changing rooms. One of my abiding memories was of stud on stone as the teams came down the stairs and ran out on the park on Saturdays. Everybody wanted to be in the firsts….to have this privilege of coming down the stairs.

The 1st XV wore white shorts, and all the other teams wore dark blue shorts….and obviously the white shorts became a mixture of grey to white after use. Clean and polished boots were expected when you were selected for the 1st XV. The jerseys were made of heavy material which became even heavier in wet weather. Little or no kit was supplied by the Club, and you were expected to wash your own jersey.

Euan with the Accies 1st XV after playing the Hawks in 2012.

Another old friend, Bill Menzies, affectionately recalled: ‘Euan was a regular in his latter playing years with the very socially minded ‘Accie Dinosaurs’ team. During the 70s and 80s, when we were organising various types of social occasion at the Club, Euan and Pat were always fully supportive, and his active involvement within the Club continued thereafter to current times. In later years, he persuaded me to take up curling for Accies and we had many more enjoyable years playing together, where again he was a key figure to the continued wellbeing of the club, and only stopped playing 2 years ago when health related issues did not allow him to continue. Euan was a first-class person and great family man, and our thoughts are with Pat, Heather, James and their families at this very difficult time.’

Over the last few years, after all his great service, Euan stepped back from being hands-on, but was a regular attendee at Raeburn Place, supporting the Accies teams - indeed, he was at the recent Accies v Bradford & Bingley game just three weeks before his very sad and untimely death.

Euan was born on St Patrick’s Day which solved his parents’ naming conundrum, calling him Euan Patrick MacFie! He was the youngest of four brothers (Alex, Jock and David), all educated at Edinburgh Academy then Merchiston Castle School. So, Euan was one of a rare breed – he was both an Accie (1950-58) AND a Merchistonian (1959-63) – which perhaps explains his diplomatic nature!

Euan was a keen fisherman and was a member of the Midlothian Angling Club. who fished local rivers and reservoirs. He was also a keen curler and a member and committee man of Edinburgh Accies Curling Club. He also kept up with his old Scouting friends through a club called the South Edinburgh Camping Club, attended their annual dinner for the past fifty years.

In his professional life, Euan was a Member of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (MCIBSE) and worked at Blyth & Blyth Consulting Engineers from 1969 to 2007, a wonderful 38 years’ service. He was predominantly based in the company’s Edinburgh Head Office, located on George Street, until 1989 when they re-located to South Gyle. Euan was an Associate at the company, and worked in mainstream Mechanical & Electrical design initially, before leading the company’s move into Facilities Management, a sector and service he led until leaving the company.  

Euan presenting Accies captain, Dan Teague, with the Players Player of the Year Trophy in 2013.

Euan was a true gentleman and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Our thoughts and condolences are with Euan’s many friends and family, especially his wife Pat, children Heather and James, and five granddaughters, at this sad time.

Euan’s funeral will be in the Main Chapel at Mortonhall Crematorium at 2pm on Friday 28th June, to which all friends are invited. Family flowers only please, however a collection will be taken in aid of My Name'5 Doddie Foundation.