Dec
06
It is with sadness and deep regret that we announce the sudden death of Boroughmuir Honorary Vice President, Bill Noble.
Bill was one of life’s big characters and a fabulous man to know and to be with.
A fantastic player and athlete in his day, Bill made his debut for our first XV straight whilst still at school in 1961/62 and played for our first team for twenty consecutive seasons - a remarkable feat that will probably never be repeated. Bill was a key member of our side when we won the last unofficial Scottish league title in 1972/73 and Bill was talented enough to be picked for Edinburgh, making his debut in 1973/74.
When Bill stopped playing, he supported our lower teams, and many a young prop benefitted from his technical know-how. When Bill moved to Peebles, he continued with his rugby supporting the Peebles Rugby club – he took great pleasure seeing young players develop.
On his return to Edinburgh, he rejoined the club he loved, Boroughmuir. Becoming President in 2012 for five years. He worked tirelessly, bringing his own je ne sais quoi and Tweed to the role; he gave our club a real rugby shot in the arm which has accelerated us to where we are now.
Bill was a very popular man. I loved his sense of humour, his entertaining stories and the level of fun he brought into rugby life. Bill had high standards and expectation of others – he was a winner, he just hated average as the players found out to their chagrin after a particularly lamentable loss. And he loved to get that guitar out for a sing song – in Manchester he played until his fingers bled, and my voice went hoarse - he gave so much fun to so many. I have so many happy memories of being with Bill.
Bill was a big family man and our love and sympathy go out to his wife, Maureen, his sons Chris and Adam, his well-loved grandchildren Luke, Leo, Ben, Evie, Ellis and Alex who sadly died in 2012. We also thank them for lending us such an extraordinarily talented individual.
The picture shows Bill and Maureen enjoying hospitality at Boroughmuir.
Bill’s funeral will be at Mortonhall Crematorium, 11am on Tuesday 14th December and then afterwards to the Boroughmuir Rugby club at Megggetland.
Stevie Douglas
Boroughmuir President and Bill’s Vice President season 2016-17 and mentored every year since.
