Reason for ex-Accies keeper’s death unclear

Jul 30 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

THERE were still question marks yesterday (Wednesday) over the shock death of former Hamilton goalkeeper Graham Potter.

Graham was last weekend found dead in a room at Collingwood College, Durham. The 30-year-old had travelled there for a training weekend with his team, Cumnock Juniors.

When he failed to appear for breakfast on Sunday morning, a teammate was sent to get him and made the grim discovery.

There was speculation that Graham’s death had been caused by heart attack, but that was ruled out following an autopsy ordered by the Durham Coroner’s office. Now family and friends want to know whether his death could have been caused by a bug he picked up during a recent holiday in Egypt.

An inquest into his death was due to be opened yesterday and was expected to record a verdict of natural causes. But the exact reasons for the death of the super-fit sportsman remain unclear.

Graham, who was with Accies from 1997 to 2003 and made 59 first-team appearances, had starred in a 2-0 win over Chester-le-Street Town on Friday, but is believed to have declined an invitation to join teammates on a night out on Saturday as he was feeling unwell.

Cumnock were due to travel back to Scotland shortly after breakfast on Sunday, when his body was found.

The Ayrshire club’s next two games, against Kello Rovers and Glenafton, have been cancelled as a mark of respect.

It’s believed that Graham, who lived in Cambuslang with his mum Susan, dad Joseph and brothers Derek and David, had recently returned from a holiday in Egypt and had been complaining about feeling unwell.

Graham was part of an Accies side that won the Reserve League in 1997, and was part of the Third Division championship-winning squad of 2001.

Hamilton secretary Scott Struthers, on a pre-season break in Dublin with the club, was stunned to hear the news.

He said: “(Former Accies player) Darren Henderson called me on Sunday morning. To say I was stunned and in shock all day would be putting it mildly.

“He was just a big, likeable lad and his family were always at his games.

“Graham was a very pleasant lad, never one for nights out and things like that, never let us down, and was always dedicated.”

Former Accies team-mate and boss Chris Hillcoat commented: “I’m shocked and stunned by the whole thing and I can hardly take it all in.

“It’s been a number of years since I last saw Graham, but you keep tabs on guys and see how they’re doing, and he had been doing really well at Cumnock.

“Graham was a gem of a guy to work with at Hamilton and it’s hard to put this into words. It’s a real shame. I hope his family are coping as best they can.”

Hamilton businessman Eddie McKenna also paid tribute to Graham.

Mr McKenna was manager of Ayrshire League side Darvel in the mid-1990s and managed to persuade the then Accies’ manager Sandy Clark to loan Graham to them.

“Graham was only 16 or 17 at the time,” added Mr McKenna, “I had watched him train with Accies and you could see he had potential. He was with us for six months and helped us finish well up the league. He was a great lad and this is a tragedy.”

A statement from Cumnock FC said: “Cumnock Juniors FC’s committee would like to intimate how devastated they are about the tragic death of pleasant, popular goalkeeper Graham Potter.

“Our sincere condolences go to Graham’s family and friends.”

Secretary George Morton added: “We’re all devastated as you can imagine.

“Graham had been in good spirits, but he didn’t show up for breakfast and we were leaving after that. We sent somebody up to get him, and he was found dead.

“Everybody is completely devastated and Graham’s death is a complete loss to the team and the community.”

lGraham’s funeral takes place on Saturday 12.30pm at South Lanarkshire Crematorium, Sydes Brae, Blantyre.