Douglas “Herschel” McGougan 1972-2020

August 14th, 2020

Everyone at the club was saddened to hear of the recent sudden passing of former Pirates’ Running Back, Douglas McGougan.

Douglas, who also played for the Glasgow University Tigers, was given the nickname Herschel after the former Dallas Cowboys RB Herschel Walker. That name immediately stuck and followed him him beyond his playing career, even to the point that it was adopted by his own family. Many who knew him would struggle to tell you his “real” name, but as soon as you said “Herschel” or just “Hersch”, a smile of recognition would appear on their faces.

The likeable Highlander played for the Pirates in the early 1990’s, with his last campaign being the 1994 season. As mentioned, he played for the GU Tigers both before and after that time. He was also a regular competitor on the Highland Games circuit, more often than not picking up prizes in the running events.

Following University, Douglas found himself emigrating to Barbados where he worked as a Quantity Surveyor.

Our thoughts go out to his wife and two children as well as to his family and friends.

Share this article