A FOOTBALLER who was assaulted on the pitch - leading to the last lifetime ban of a player in Scottish football - has been laid to rest after his death at the age of 79.
Alex Paterson was a sporting star from an early age and played doubles tennis with star Andy Murray's grandfather, Roy Erskine, as well as developing his skills on the football pitch.
He played for Kilsyth before joining Stirling Albion in 1954 after being pursued by several UK clubs. He made his debut for the Stirling side in a league cup tie against Glasgow Rangers on August 28, 1954, a game that would later go down in history for being the last in Scotland after which a player was banned for life.
Rangers captain Willie Woodburn turned on the then 19-year-old striker, and is variously described as either headbutting him or punching him in the face.
It led to Woodburn being receiving what is thought to be the only "sine die" ban ever handed out in Scottish football, ending his 16-year career.
The ban was overturned nearly three years later but by that time 37-year-old Woodburn felt too old to play professionally.
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