Disabled supporters at tonight’s Edinburgh derby will have the benefit of new seats thanks to a legacy donated by UNISON’s City of Edinburgh Branch in memory of activist John Ross who died in 2011.
The branch had been looking for a way to celebrate John’s lifelong commitment to the labour and trade union movement – and to his beloved Hearts football club. Monica Niven from UNISON and Keith Ferguson of the Heart of Midlothian Disabled Supporters Club came up with the idea of setting up a seated rest area for disabled Hearts fans at the back of the Gorgie Stand with a plaque in John's name.
John Ross, UNISON stalwart, a dedicated Labour politician, and a friend to so, so many, died aged 56 on 22 October 2011. He worked for Edinburgh District Council, then the City of Edinburgh Council for almost 38 years. He was a senior activist in the NALGO Edinburgh City Branch and then in the UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch until his death. He had been Scottish vice-chair of NALGO.
