Ramsay Kessler: Sunday League football legend passes away

Ramsay Kessler, who was well-known in the city, was one of the originals who set up the Sunday League.

His daughter, Linda Whyte, told the Press: "I think it was a group of them, they weren’t allowed to compete in the Saturday League, so him and his cronies decided they would go alone and start the Sunday league.”

Linda has fond memories of her dad lifting her up over the turnstiles as a child when she would go along to the football with him.

Ramsay was a grandfather and a great-grandfather. (Image: Linda Whyte) READ MORE: Dunfermline: Pars fan Ramsay Kessler celebrates 90th birthday

“Every Saturday I went along with him, I must have been about five or six years old right up to ten to eleven.

“The last we took him [to football] was maybe about three months ago.

“He used to always go with Gary Dunlop, he used to work beside him, and they became really good friends and Gary, he’s a Pars fan as well.” Linda told the Press.

Ramsay was recognised quite a few times for his work in football and received a Scottish Welfare Football Association Life Membership Award in recognition of his services to Scottish Welfare Football.

Ramsay's funeral will be held on September 26. (Image: Linda Whyte) Outside of football, Ramsay had a varied and exciting career. He did his national service in the Black Watch for two years and worked in the silk factory and Erskine & Beveridge as a tentor for 32 years.

He also worked at Dunlop’s for about 15 years.

Always one to keep busy, Ramsay would also kindly offer to tend to his neighbours’ gardens.

Linda commented: “He did everybody else’s garden, my mum used to book in an appointment to have her grass cut!”

He married his wife, Anna, in 1961 and they were together until Anna passed away in 2015.

Ramsay had a varied and exciting career. (Image: Linda Whyte)READ MORE: Wooers’ Alley signs damaged just days after going up

Sadly, Ramsay was battling Alzheimer’s before his death. Linda said: “That was the hard part towards the end, he was wanting to get up and go do things.”

When describing her dad, she commented: “There was just nothing stopping him”.

Ramsay also has two grandchildren, Deborah and Stephen, and two great grandsons, and another great-grandchild is on the way.

Ramsay had been a lifelong Pars fan. (Image: Linda Whyte) Linda has received a lot of condolences since her dad’s death. She told the Press: “It’s amazing the amount of people that did know dad, my house is like a florist's at the moment.

“I am a bit overwhelmed with the amount we have had.”

Ramsay’s funeral is on September 26 at St Margaret’s Catholic Church at East Port at 10am.

This will be followed by a committal at Dunfermline Crematorium before a cup of tea at East End.