Clydebank footballer shares thoughts on passing of 'Caskie'

Despite the familiar feeling of this time of year, when the club prepare as best they can for the marathon season of weekly football ahead, this year, there will be one element sadly missing.

Stevie ‘Caskie’ McAneney.

The much-missed Bankie - a legend in his own right - tragically passed away on Wednesday, July 5, sparking a raft of tributes and well-wishes for his family and the football club.

Caskie – as he was so warmly known – had his hand in all things Clydebank FC, from being the kit man to the programme editor, club director and running the supporter’s bus, he bled Clydebank red.

And the former player he took his name from admits, in the season ahead, it just won’t be the same at Holm Park, a piece now gone following Stevie’s death.

Stevie played many roles at Clydebank including kitman (Image: Supplied)

Stevie and Jimmy used to spend matchdays at Holm Park chatting all this football (Image: Supplied)

“I was absolutely flattered his nickname came from my goal,” says Jimmy Caskie, the former Clydebank player whose 1970 goal against Aston Villa sparked Stevie’s love affair with the Bankies.

“To know that Stevie got into Clydebank more from me scoring a goal, for me, that's great.

“I don't say I was responsible, but partly responsible for Stevie doing the things that he did for Clydebank over the years.”

The story goes that the Villa goal, notched amid a 3-1 triumph over the Birmingham-based outfit, sparked something inside Stevie that he couldn’t shift, a love and passion for his hometown club and the 20-year-old winger whom he would go on to form a friendship with.

Jimmy first met Stevie on his 60th birthday, when his family wanted to do a ‘This is Your Life’ style look back on the six decades of his life. Of course, there was only one man who would be stepping into the Michael Aspel role.

Stevie was also chuffed to be the man to hand Jimmy his Hall of Fame inductee trophy in 2014, a feat the older Caskie believes Stevie was determined to achieve.

But it was their chats at Holm Park on a Saturday over the years where the relationship between the two men really bloomed, a budding friendship where Clydebank and football were the bridges which connected the two.

Jimmy continued: “It used to be that when I would go down to the Clydebank games to see them, I was always with Stevie having a good chat about past and present and we got to know each other really well.”

Before adding: “His death came as a terrible shock to me.

“I just couldn't believe what I was actually reading about it.

“When I get down to Clydebank again, to see the games, I would be expecting to be able to go talk to him again.

“And obviously now I won’t be able to do that.

“For somebody who done so much for the club over all the years, they will miss him terribly.”

Admitting their matchday chats were often interrupted by someone calling on his adopted namesake to help them out with something, Jimmy revealed Stevie left his mark wherever he went.

“It’s just not going to be the same for me anymore,” he finished.

“Stevie was the main one I would go looking for, it won’t be the same.”