Portadown FC is sad to hear of the passing of former player Bobby Wishart, at the age of 87. In the summer of 1953 Portadown manager Willie Ross set about rebuilding his squad and he signed a number of players from Scotland including 20 year old Aberdeen forward Bobby Wishart, who at the time was stationed at RAF Castle Archdale in Co. Fermanagh
Bobby made a scoring debut for the Ports at Centre-Forward in an Ulster Cup tie at Ards on Saturday 15th August and followed it up on Monday 17th August with a double to sink Linfield 2-1 at Shamrock Park.
His 18 month period of National Service ended in October 1953 and he returned to Scotland to continue his career with Aberdeen. Bobby made a huge impression in Irish League football in his all too short two month stint at Portadown. In his 18 appearances he scored 11 times and was considered unlucky not to have been selected for the Irish League team against the English League.
In 1955 he was a member of the first Aberdeen team to lift the Scottish League Cup and he fondly recalled how Fred Walker and several other members of the Ports committee travelled over for the final at Hampden Park to watch him lift the trophy.
We send our sincere condolences to the Wishart family circle at this sad time.
Written by Trevor Clydesdale.