Heartache as Accies starlet Ross is forced to quit game

Dec 7 2006 By Andy McGilvray

ROSS McCabe last week was delivered the devastating news that he is being forced to retire from football, aged 18.

He has been told that Hamilton Accies will do everything they can to help the devastated defender.

Ross was involved in a horror collision with Clyde striker Dougie Imrie in September which caused his heart to stop. Thanks to frantic efforts by staff and medics, he was revived and the match, which was locked at 3-3, was abandoned.

The player later had an implantable cardiac defibrillator fitted at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and was told at the time that hopes of him resuming his career were slight.

Vice-chairman Les Gray said McCabe will be given a chance at another career thanks to Hamilton Accies’ “big family.”

He said: “I know the chairman, Ronnie MacDonald, had a meeting with the player and our medical team, and told him the situation.

“My understanding is that he can’t take part in contact sport, and it’s a shame. But the club, as we always do, will do everything we can. Accies are a big family so we’ll try to get him employed with one of our companies. Hopefully, we can do something to help him out.”

Manager Billy Reid said: “We guessed that was going to be the case, and it’s unfortunate, but the most important thing is that he gets on with the rest of his life.

“Ronnie MacDonald helped Lee Hardy when he was forced to retire at 26, when he needed it, and I’m sure the club will do so again for Ross.

“We’ve all been saddened by this because Ross is a young man. To be so close to making it and for this to happen, through nobody’s fault, is a real shame.”

Captain Marvyn Wilson said: “Everybody at the club is very disappointed. Ross is a very likeable big lad and he was doing very well at the time, when unfortunately events took over and sealed his fate a wee bit for him in a football sense.

“Ross has had a lot of support from the club and from his agent, and people like that.

“As far as his football career is concerned, everybody at the club is very disappointed about it.

“Ross had earned a chance in the first team, he’d made a few appearances and he would probably have gone on from strength to strength this season.

“With the amount of young boys who have been given a chance this year, I have no doubt in my mind that Ross would have been one of these lads.”

Ross’s advisor, George Gray of Braveheart Promotions, said: “It’s a shame that this has happened but it’s not entirely unexpected.

“Ross was ready for it, knew it could come to this and we had spoken at length about what his options are.

“That made it slightly easier for him and he’ll not be short of opportunities and jobs, I’m sure.”

And the agent added: “You get the highs and the lows in football and it’s sore for the boy, but Ross will bounce back from this and get a career outside of the game.”