Willie 'Cowboy' McCulloch

WILLIE "Cowboy" McCulloch, who has died aged 85, was a cult hero with Airdrie fans during an eight-year spell with the club in the 1950s. His former inside forward partner Ian McMillan remembers a big, hard-running winger who was a joy to play with because he always made himself available for a pass. McMillan also recalls that McCulloch was capable of the most outrageous unexpected things.

"When he cut in from the left when we were attacking the old clubhouse end at Broomfield," he said, "fans watching from the clubhouse balcony never knew what was coming. Willie was just as capable of sticking the ball in the top corner of the net as of hitting one of them with an off-target shot.

He was born into a mining family in Tarbolton, but the McCulloch's moved to the Glenburn "rows" in Prestwick when he was a youngster. His father hewed coal down Glenburn pit, but Willie was spared this life because he was "too wee" when he left school. He got a job in the pit office, going on to spend 32 years in the coal industry, at Prestwick and latterly at Lugar, before being made redundant.

He then obtained a job with British Aerospace at Prestwick, where he worked until his retirement. But, his Monday to Friday work was merely the warm-up for his real passion, his Saturday afternoons on the football pitch.

His football education was in the Ayrshire juniors, with Annbank United and Muirkirk, while his first senior club was Kilmarnock, where Willie's son Iain would later star during the 1970s, prior to a move to Notts County. Willie's Rugby Park career, however, lasted a mere 10 games before he was freed, returning to the junior ranks with Cumnock.

From Cumnock, where he won a Junior Scotland cap, he went back to Airdrie in 1950 and he was soon established as a cult figure as he rampaged up and down the left wing.

That Airdrie team had a terrific forward line. McMillan, of course, is rightly seen as one of the club's greatest players, but centre forward Hugh Baird also won Scotland caps, Jimmy Welsh played for the Scottish League team and McCulloch won his B cap, in a 2-2 Dens Park draw against England in 1956, celebrating his selection with Scotland's opening goal.

However, competition from the likes of Billy Liddell, Tommy Ring and Willie Ormond denied McCulloch – known as "Cowboy" from his distinct bowed legs – the ultimate honour of a full cap.

From Airdrie he moved on to St Mirren, then Morton, before a spell as player-manager at Newton Stewart. Early in his Airdrie career he had briefly been loaned out to Ayr United, where he would later return as trainer.

Away from football, he was a keen golfer, a life member of Prestwick St Cuthbert Golf Club, while in his later years he also bowled, although he never enjoyed bowling to the same extent as golf.

His latter years were blighted by a stroke in 2007 and the onset of vascular dementia. He and his devoted wife Betty celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on Christmas Eve, 2012. He is survived by Betty, daughters Elizabeth and Caroline, son Iain, who still lives in Nottingham, where he has been since his transfer to Notts County – four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.