MORTON saviour and renowned Inverclyde businessman Douglas Rae OBE has died following a successful life both on and off the pitch.

Mr Rae passed away on Saturday evening at the age of 87.

He is arguably best known for rescuing his boyhood heroes from administration in 2001 but also built the Greenock-based Golden Casket confectionery empire from scratch to a business with an annual turnover of more than £25m — and was also highly-regarded for his contributions to golf, charity and the local community.

Having left school at the age of sixteen, Mr Rae entered the service of the North of Scotland Bank at their Greenock office, quickly moving up the corporate ladder.

National Service soon beckoned and what he initially, jokingly perceived as ‘hard labour’, actually transpired to be one of the happiest periods of his life.

He was afforded every opportunity in the Royal Air Force to strenuously pursue his two great passions, golf and football.

Whilst in the RAF, Mr Rae continued to study for his final exams in banking and he sat them a month after being demobbed.

The outcome was successful and he became the youngest member of the Institute of Bankers.

Thanks to his examination success, the rising star came under the watchful eye of the bank’s general manager and a year or two later was moved to the Stock Exchange of the Bank.

At the time, young bankers were very poorly paid and Mr Rae, who was married and had two young sons, realised he could no longer afford to give the banking world the benefit of his considerable services for so little in return.

Tired of travelling between Greenock and Glasgow, he took the decision to plunge into business on his own, much to the initial surprise of his family and colleagues.

Mr Rae formed Golden Casket (Greenock) Limited in 1959, which he initially operated from the back of a van, selling confectionery to retailers.

He remained at the helm for 49 years before retiring.

The company has grown to become one of the largest confectionery manufacturers in Scotland, with the group employing over 200 people and having an annual turnover in excess of £25m.

Mr Rae’s sporting career was every bit as illustrious as his business exploits.

Having held highly successful golfing administration positions at both club and county level since the early seventies, Mr Rae was asked in 1984 to join the Scottish Golf Union as representative of the Renfrewshire Golf Union.

His dedication and direction were soon rewarded with numerous subsequent top appointments, including president of the Scottish Golf Union (1993-94), director of the Golf Foundation (‘97-2002) and course rating chairman for the European Golf Union, made up of 27 countries, from ‘95-’97.

On a purely voluntary basis, Mr Rae served for almost three decades in golf administration.

In ‘98, he was awarded the Torch Trophy for ‘services to golf’, which was presented to him by the Duke of Kent.

Mr Rae is arguably best known as the saviour of Greenock Morton FC after the club plunged into administration in 2001.

As a lifelong supporter and former Cappielow director, he was fully aware of the impact it was having to the morale of the Inverclyde community, a point raised in parliament by former MSP Duncan McNeil.

For some months, the administrators were unsuccessful in finding a buyer and the club was about to fold.

Having been a supporter for over 60 years, Mr Rae could not sit back and watch his beloved Morton become a statistic, especially when he witnessed the fight and passion from the local people who were desperately seeking their white knight.

He purchased the club from the administrators at the eleventh hour and promised the supporters that there would be further investment assuming that they were to continue with the same level of support that they had shown.

Speaking to the Telegraph in 2012, Mr Rae said: “I couldn’t sit back and allow this club to go into liquidation, that would have been the end of Morton.”

Never having done anything in half measures, Mr Rae promised, firstly, to transform the stadium from a dilapidated state, secondly, to invest in the playing and management staff to ensure ascendancy back up the leagues and, thirdly, he promised that further investment would be made available to introduce a substantial youth programme.

All three pledges have received a large financial backing and all are very much under way and on target.

Away from the boardrooms at Cappielow and Fort Matilda, Mr Rae was an active member and former treasurer of the Greenock Methodist Church.

He donated privately — and very substantially — to the church, plus numerous other local charities.

Mr Rae said it was his faith that motivated him in everything he did.

In 2016, Mr Rae was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, receiving his medal at Buckingham Palace from His Royal Highness, The Duke of Cambridge.

He was married to Adrienne for 61 years and together they had three children, Alastair, Crawford and Gillian.

The couple have 10 grandchildren, three of whom are already keen golfers and two future footballers.