20.02.2025 15:00
The unpleasant incidents that occurred during the funeral of football coach Jimmy Calderwood were recounted by his son, Scott Calderwood. It was noted that Calderwood left the church during the ceremony due to a disagreement with his partner, Yvonne Buchanan.
The son of the late football manager Jimmy Calderwood recounted the events that unfolded after leaving his father's funeral.
Family and friends gathered on Tuesday at the Shiedhall and Drumoyne United Free Church of Scotland in Cardonald for the funeral of the former Aberdeen and Dunfermline manager. However, his son Scott stood up and left during the cremation ceremony due to a disagreement with his father's partner, Yvonne Buchanan. Shortly after, several people sitting around him followed suit.
Scott Calderwood, 46, stated that his mother did not attend the ceremony and that the family was disrespected during the service. He claimed that security personnel were even hired to keep the families apart, highlighting the extent of the tension between the two sides.
In a statement to the Daily Record, Scott Calderwood said, "There was almost no mention of our family during the service. What happened yesterday was the result of years of tension between Yvonne and my father as his illness worsened. We couldn't stand there and be disrespected like that. My father would never have allowed such a thing, and neither could I."
"It was disrespectful not just to my mother, but to my entire family. It felt like we were being erased from my father's life. I couldn't stand there like a stranger at my own father's funeral and act like I didn't know him. There were security personnel to keep the families apart. I know my father would never have wanted such a thing; it was a complete disrespect to his wishes," he added.
Scott had four children named Kay, Donna, and Nikki with his first wife Sue. The couple had separated in 2015. Yvonne Buchanan, his partner, had said of the former Aberdeen manager, who passed away at the age of 69 on January 19 due to complications from dementia, "I lost the love of my life to a cruel disease."
Calderwood's funeral procession passed in front of the Ibrox stadium, home of the team he supported, on Tuesday before the service. Calderwood, who also managed Kilmarnock and Ross County in addition to Aberdeen and Dunfermline during his successful career, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's in 2015. Two years later, he shared his illness with the public to raise awareness and spoke about his determination to continue enjoying life as much as possible.
The former Birmingham City player was one of the most colorful and popular characters in Scottish football at the peak of his career. He led Dunfermline to promotion to the top league in 2000 and took the team to fourth place four years later. During his time at Aberdeen, he achieved a notable draw against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup in the 2007-08 season.