Friday, August 13 – 1937
Pleading guilty at Kilmarnock Sherif Court yesterday to two charges of theft by housebreaking and one charge of attempted housebreaking, an Ayr United football player was fined £10, with the option of sixty days’ imprisonment.
He was Thomas Morrison, aged 33, a professional football player living at Sunnyside Cottage, Coylton, and the charges against him were (1) that he broke into a bungalow at Northbank, Portencross, West Kilbride, and stole a number of articles; (2) broke into the same bungalow and stole a wireless set; and (3) attempted to break into another bungalow at Northbank, Portencross, with intent to steal.
The prosecutor fiscal said it was ascertained that Morrison had lived in this bungalow, posing as a nephew of the proprietor, who was abroad on holiday.
While he was living there he made an excuse that he could get articles wholesale, and he sold bed-sheets and a box of cutlery for the sum of £1. He also sold the wireless set for £1, which was alleged to be the wholesale price. The other article in the first charge were found in his possession.
An agent for Morrison said he was a married man with two children. In the early summer he was signed as a professional football player with Ayr United, and should have reported for training at the end of July.
Afraid To Go Home.
A week or so before that time he had along with some friends, attended a sports meeting at Lugar, and unfortunately he got under the influence of liquor. Apparently he was afraid to go home, and he landed in West Kilbride district.
He knew this bungalow at Portencross, having visited it previously, and he entered it and lived there for some time. When his money went done he was tempted to dispose of articles of furniture.
He (the agent) had been in communication with the manager of Ayr United Football Club, and had been informed that, as Morrison had failed to turn up for training, he was automatically suspended by the board of directors.
While the manager made it clear that he had no authority to say what the directors would do, the manager had added that, personally, if his lordship saw fit to give Morrison the option of a fine, he was prepared to recommend to the directors that Morrison should be given a chance to redeem himself. He had never been in trouble before.
Morrison was allowed seven days to pay the fine.
(Dundee Courier, 14-08-1937)
"Play Up, Liverpool" 