EuroMillions winner Colin Weir’s final journey includes football ground stop
EuroMillions winner Colin Weir will make a final visit to his favourite football team later when his funeral cortege stops outside Partick Thistle’s ground.
The procession will pause at Firhill Stadium in Glasgow before continuing on to the funeral service.
Mr Weir and his then-wife Chris, from Largs in North Ayrshire, claimed the £161 million EuroMillions jackpot in July 2011, the highest amount handed out in the UK at the time.
A lifelong Partick Thistle fan, he invested part of his winnings in the club, leading to the youth set-up being rebranded the Thistle Weir Youth Academy and a section of the stadium being named the Colin Weir Stand.
The former TV cameraman secured a majority shareholding at the club in November and promised to give the 55% shareholding directly to a fans group by March 2020.
The club dedicated a recent win to him following his death, with players wearing black armbands and fans holding a minute’s applause.
Please note that we will be holding a minute’s applause at the start of the game to celebrate the life of our friend Colin Weir
— Partick Thistle FC (@PartickThistle) January 11, 2020
A statement on the club website paying tribute stated: “A Scottish patriot, philanthropist and Jags man to the end. Rest In Peace, sadly missed.”
After stopping at Firhill at 10.30am on Tuesday, the cortege will continue to the funeral service in Partick Burgh Hall, followed by a private cremation.
Senior SNP figures are expected to attend the funeral.
The Weirs donated £1 million to the Yes campaign ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and continued donating to the SNP afterwards.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her predecessor Alex Salmond both paid tribute when Mr Weir’s death was announced on December 27.
Earlier this year, the Weirs confirmed they would divorce after 38 years of marriage.
