Murray Dowey, a tragic Dunblane kid, left a grateful family after a charity football match at his beloved Stirling Albion’s home raised an amazing £18,000 for mental health initiatives over the weekend.
The ‘Murray’s Match’ charity event took place on Sunday at Forthbank Stadium and featured a number of Scotland rugby internationals and Binos players in addition to family and friends.
Murray tragically took his own life in December 2023 after he was targeted online in an sextortion scam. The 16-year-old was contacted on Instagram by someone claiming to be a young girl who asked him to send an explicit photo of himself before blackmailing him with it.
The match, held on Sunday, just days after what would have been Murray’s 17th birthday.
The event saw 1,000 supporters come together to raise vital funds for Back Onside, The Scott Martin Foundation, and Stirling Albion’s youth mental health programme.
The amount of support and attendance stunned Murray’s family and friends, and his proud mother Ros Dowey expressed her sincere gratitude. “It means the world to us that so many people have come together to celebrate Murray’s life and support such a worthwhile cause,” the statement reads.
We’re so grateful for the time and hard work that so many people have put in to make the day happen.
“I’m confident that Murray would be deeply moved by the kindness and affection displayed today.
“This event not only honours his memory but will help make a difference in the lives of young people struggling with their mental health, and that’s something he would be so proud of.”
Ross McGeachie, the captain of Stirling Albion, was one of the people supporting the occasion. “It was an honor to be involved in Murray’s Match,” he continued. It was very touching to watch the community join together for such a worthwhile cause. Murray would probably be pleased with what we managed to do here today.
Professional footballers and rugby players lined up with Murray’s family and friends, including his father Mark and younger brother Evan, in the soccer-aid-style contest.
Pro athletes Duncan Weir, a rugby international for Scotland, and Cameron McKinley and Ross McGeachie of Stirling Albion were among the notable participants. Lewis O’Donnell, a midfielder for Dundee United and a former student of Dunblane High, also thrilled the audience with his performance.
