Family of Tartan Army fan who died in his sleep in Germany call for Euro match tribute

The family of a Tartan Army fan who died in his sleep in Germany two days after Scotland’s opening Euro match have called for an official tribute to be held during tonight’s game.

Colin King, 57, died on Sunday night in Dusseldorf, where he was visiting to watch Scotland play in the Euros.

His family, including wife Karen and daughters Stephanie and Caitlin, have called for UEFA to sanction an official cheer in memory of Mr King, from Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, in the fourth minute of Wednesday’s match between Scotland and Switzerland.

Mr King’s nephew, Paul Barrett, described his uncle as “a huge loss” to the family. Mr Barrett said: “He was a real wind-up merchant, he was the man making everyone laugh and coming up with crazy ideas.” Mr Barrett said the former Royal Mail worker was a regular at away matches following the Scotland team - and raised money for local causes in regions he travelled to.

“On Monday, the day after he died, he was due to visit a local children’s hospice in Dusseldorf and give them €1,000 (£844) he’d raised,” Mr Barrett said. “Some of the boys went anyway on his behalf.”

He added: “He loved walking, he did the Kiltwalk in Scotland every year and when he was away travelling, he would always take time to walk around the city and take in the local sights, he didn’t just spend the day in the pub.

“He had a good innings and he did more in his time than some people do in 100 years. It’s just a shame he was taken from us too soon.”

Mr Barrett said if an official tribute was not sanctioned, he hoped enough fans would be aware of the plan to “make some noise”.

He said: “It’s amazing how many people he has met over his time in the Tartan Army, how many people have come to us with stories of how they met him.”

Another nephew, Christopher O’Rourke, was with him in Germany, where Mr King had attended the match between the home nation and Scotland in Munich on Friday before travelling to Dusseldorf to meet friends and family.

An estimated 200,000 fans were in Munich for the opening game of the championships.

Mr O’Rourke said: “It's with a broken heart and tears streaming down my face I am reporting the loss of our fellow Tartan Army foot soldier, Colin King. He was many thing to different people, a father, a husband, a brother, a friend, a colleague, a boss to many but to me he was my uncle Colin, always on the wind up.

“He loved his trips away with Scotland and luckily I got to share a few with him. Just sadly this was his last.”