Registrar; Born June 22, 1913; Died March 27, 2009. ROBERT Clelland, who has died age 95, was Glasgow's "Mr Marriage". During his long career in the register office, he conducted more than 13,000 civil ceremonies.

Registrar; Born June 22, 1913; Died March 27, 2009.

ROBERT Clelland, who has died age 95, was Glasgow's "Mr Marriage". During his long career in the register office, he conducted more than 13,000 civil ceremonies.

Known to all as Bert, he was born in Shettleston, Glasgow, and as a youth played football for Wellshot and Eastbank schools, the Boys' Brigade, the Scouts, The Boys' Guild and for anyone who produced a ball to kick and often for several of these organisations on the same day.

He was a schoolboy international, being capped for Scotland against England and Wales (the match against Ireland was cancelled due to rough seas), ran riot on the left wing for Shettleston Juniors, had a brief spell with Queen's Park and then was signed by Motherwell in 1934 amid considerable interest from clubs on both sides of the border.

He was hailed as the most likely successor to the legendary Bobby Ferrier but his term with Motherwell was short-lived with the club and the player parting company by mutual consent.

He did war service as a member of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, sailing on HMS Pembroke, Eaglet, Edinburgh Castle, Cormorant and Victory, gaining the rank if first lieutenant. But he was injured at sea in 1944 and had to relinquish active service.

On shore he was officer in charge of the Royal Navy depot at Rottenrow in Glasgow where, in January 1946, he was credited with having carried out his duties with "outstanding success" and had "inspired confidence in his subordinates". At the end of the war he was awarded the 1939-45 Star and the Atlantic Star along with the 1939-45 King George VI War Medal.

His career was in the register office of Glasgow Corporation (later Strathclyde Regional Council) until his retiral in June 1977.

He only turned down the registration of birth names if they were deemed "inappropriate". One such case concerned a man who wished to name his son after 11 of the Celtic team that won the European Cup.

He suggested the proud father should take a wee walk round George Square and reflect on the impact this might have on the child in later life. A modified name was duly registered.

His connection with football resurfaced in the early 1950s when he was a member of the team of football writers for a Scottish Sunday paper. He wrote under the pen name of Bob Clelland and one of his fondest memories was the occasion when he was covering a match at Fir Park and was within earshot of "Sailor" Hunter who, although by then partially sighted, recognised his voice from years before, probably recalling long journeys on the team coach to Palmerston or Pittodrie.

Clelland had contributed to newspapers before this, penning many letters in the late 1920s and early 1930s, on a wide variety of topics, and earning him very valuable guineas or half-guineas for his efforts. He "put something back in" to the football game by helping run Maryhill Boys Club during the 1950s and, as with all aspects of his life, he had great many stories, anecdotes and gags concerning his time at the club.

Another sporting event which caught his attention was the magnificent achievement of Jim Laker, at Old Trafford in July 1956, where he had the amazing figures of 19 wickets for 90 runs over the Australians' two innings in the Ashes-winning test match that year. The Daily Express had asked for "Lakergrams" to celebrate the spinner's success and the punchline in Clelland's entry provided the banner headline: "Lang may your thumb tweak" (wins a Laker ball).

He was a keen mountaineer, returning many times to the Cairngorms and the Nevis and Torridonian ranges. He also enjoyed the friendship and camaraderie of Sandyhills Golf Club where he was captain from 1965-66. His golfing friends and colleagues paid him a very fine tribute by turning out in great numbers at his funeral to see him off on "five over fives".

His lifelong love was his wife, Anice McDonald, whom he married in January 1941. She died in 1992.

Bert is survived by two sons, Bob and Doug, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.