Jambo who died happy listening to derby win

A LIFELONG Hearts fan suffered a heart attack and died while listening to his team beating Hibs - and then won £40 on the National Lottery.

The family of 86-year-old Tommy Trotter, from Mayfield, today said they were sure he would have died happy after the 4-1 win for the Jambos.

Daughter Margaret Ross, 57, said today: "That's probably what gave him a heart attack, the shock of Hearts beating Hibs 4-1. I wonder which goal he passed away at - did he get to 4-0?"

Mr Trotter's son, Bremner, arrived at his sheltered housing home towards the end of last Saturday's derby at Tynecastle and found the former Newtongrange newsagent, who was born in Gorgie and brought up in the Hutchison area of the city, had passed away.

Bremner, 54, said: "I suppose it was the perfect way for him to go. He would have been enjoying himself.

"He was sitting next to the radio and had passed away during the game on his own. We do not know if he heard the final result.

"He always had a bad heart but had generally been in good health. It's a comfort, though, knowing that he would have been happy at the time."

Margaret added: "He loved the Jambos. He used to take me when I was wee and put me over the turnstyle and he had many happy times at Tynecastle, though it was difficult for him to get there latterly."

A resident at the Salisbury View sheltered housing complex in Mayfield, where Mr Trotter lived for the last 14 years of his life, contacted Bremner a short time later to say his father had won £40 on the National Lottery.

He added: "The lady came into the house saying he had won, not realising he had died. We have given it back to the sheltered housing for their social funds."

Mr Trotter's wife Rina, who he married in 1944, passed away eight years ago. The couple were well known in Mayfield and Newtongrange.

After leaving school, Mr Trotter, one of nine children, served as an ammunitions truck driver in the Royal Scots, before working for British Telecom and serving his time as a plumber. He learned to play the violin and was a keen bowler, playing regularly at Colinton Bowling Club.

Margaret said: "In 1952, they decided to open up a small newsagents in a hut in Newtongrange. It was basically a paper shop in a garden hut.

"The council started building shops across the road and he applied for one of them and he opened a new newsagents, which became a post office in 1956."

Margaret said her dad became a pillar of the Newtongrange community.

She added: "He would help anybody. He had a great sense of humour. I used to say to him which one of the Seven Dwarfs are you going to be today? Mind you, he was never Grumpy."

Bremner said: "He was a quieter man than my mum and was a non-drinker. He played in a badminton club at Newtongrange and he had about 50 bowling trophies. He also ran a boys' club in Newtongrange."

Mr Trotter is also survived by his sister Babs, grand-children Lisa, 33, Kai, 32, Bremner, 14 and great grandchild Jamie, six. His funeral service is to be held at Mortonhall Crematorium on Monday.

Taken from the Scotsman