A FORMER Scottish professional footballer died after being struck by a car on Sunday in what his family are calling a “tragic accident”.
Paul Hampshire, 40, played for Raith Rovers, Berwick Rangers, and East Fife.
His brother Steven played for both Chelsea and Dunfermline under Jimmy Calderwood.
The crash on the A1 near his home town of Dunbar took place around 1am on Sunday morning and involved a black Ford Fiesta.
A Police Scotland statement read: “Road Policing officers in East Lothian can confirm that the man who died following a fatal collision on the A1 near Dunbar at the weekend, has been identified as 40-year-old Paul Hampshire.
A statement from the family read: “It is with a saddened heart that Paul Hampshire, our beloved husband, dad, son, brother and uncle, has lost his life in a tragic accident.
“Paul was a devoted family man who was a larger than life character, an absolute legend and was loved by all who knew him.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with messages of condolence and support. It has meant so much to the whole family. We would now like time to grieve and would ask to be given privacy in which to do so.”
Inspector Brenda Sinclair, from Dalkeith Road Policing Unit, said: “Our thoughts are very much with Paul’s family and friends at this terrible time.
“Enquiries into the crash remain ongoing and we continue to urge anyone with information, or possible dashcam footage from the area, to call 101, quoting incident number 0269 of Sunday, 13 March, 2022.”
A Raith Rovers statement read: “The club were saddened to learn of the passing of former player Paul Hampshire, who died after being struck by a car on Sunday.
“Paul signed for the Rovers on the same day as Laurie Ellis in July 1998 from Hutchison Vale, and went on to make 69 appearances scoring 2 goals.
“A native of Dunbar, he was the younger brother of Steven, a striker who played for Chelsea and the Pars.
“Paul is remembered as being blessed with a wonderful left foot, and he left the Rovers to sign for Berwick Rangers in May 2003.
“He also played for East Fife before playing out the remainder of his career in junior football.
“Our thoughts are with the Hampshire family – a full obituary will be published in due course.”
An East Fife statement read: “The club are saddened to learn of the passing of former player Paul Hampshire.
“Paul made 53 appearances during his time at Bayview, scoring 5 goals. Our thoughts go out to Paul’s family and friends at this sad time.”
A Berwick Rangers statement read: “All at Berwick Rangers Football Club were devastated to hear about the passing of ex-player Paul Hampshire over the weekend.
“Paul, who was 40, started his senior career with Raith Rovers in 1999, making more than 50 appearances in four seasons before joining Berwick Rangers in the summer of 2003.
“In two seasons at Shielfield Park, both while the club was in the Scottish Second Division, Paul racked up 65 appearances in all competitions and was a popular player among fans, who admired his skill, work rate and excellent left foot.
“In the summer of 2005, Paul joined East Fife and play at Bayview for a further two seasons before a spell at Dunbar United, while he also played down in Cornwall for Newquay AFC.
“Learning of the news, Newquay AFC described Paul as ‘a class act’ and ‘instrumental in the Peppermints season when they finished champions of Division One West 2011-12’.”
Vice-Chairman Craig Forsyth, who was also on the Board of Directors during Paul’s stint at the club from 2003 to 2005, said: “We were incredibly saddened to learn about Paul’s passing.
“Paul was a fantastic, technically gifted footballer – the sort fans would pay their admission money alone to watch – and was a great asset to the club in his two seasons, particularly in the 2003/04 season when he only missed one league match.
“He was also a top professional and a great person to be around, and all at the club would like to send our condolences to Paul’s family at this sad time.”
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