A GREENOCK dad and devoted football fan who tragically lost his son to cancer earlier this year has been given a lovely boost thanks to the Telegraph.
Ronnie Whyte, who has been following the Ton for 61 years, has won a season ticket to Cappielow.
His niece Margaret submitted an entry to the Telegraph competition which told us about the struggles Ronnie and his family have faced over the last few years.
Ronnie and his wife Jackie, both 79, have both had to deal with their own cancer diagnoses, and were left heartbroken when their son Brian passed away in March at the age of just 47.
Brian was initially being treated for diabetes but when he was operated on, medics discovered he had pancreatic cancer which had spread to his liver, his intestines and into a main artery.
After undergoing chemotherapy, Brian sadly passed away just five weeks on from his diagnosis, with his devoted parents and his wee dog by his side.
Ronnie said Brian, who was an IT specialist, wasn’t into football at all and preferred rugby – but knows that he would have been delighted to see him win the prize.
He said: “I’m very happy to win.
"It is a good boost."
Ronnie himself was sadly diagnosed with prostate cancer around eight years ago and endured radiotherapy every day for six weeks.
His cancer is now thankfully indetectable and he goes for check-ups every six months.
Jackie was diagnosed with bladder cancer two years ago and after a successful operation, she is now clear of the illness.
Ronnie goes to Cappielow with his nephew Lewis, 18, and a couple of his friends.
He was delighted to receive his prize from Morton manager Ian Murray and told the Telegraph he was still just as passionate as ever about following the Ton.
Ronnie said Morton's 1970s era has been his favourite as a fan and picked out King of Cappielow Andy Ritchie as one of his favourite players, alongside Ton legend Allan McGraw.
Ronnie said: “You have to support your local team. That’s what has kept me coming along for so many years.
“I think we need to start passing the ball a bit better. There’s too much of this passing long balls up the park.
“At the end of games they seem to panic and the other teams can sense that.
“The 1970s was the best era. We won every game.”
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Ronnie was born and brought up in Manchester and moved to Greenock with his family when he was 11.
He worked for Buchanan’s for 31 years as chief engineer and also had a job with Ben Line Steamers.
Ronnie and Jackie have been married for 51 years, and for the last 40 years they’ve put some of their free time into doing something they love – going to the allotments.
They are both looking great for their age and agree that getting outside in all weathers is helping them to stay young.
Despite Jackie being a rocker and Ronnie being a mod back in the day, the couple have always been very happy.
Asked about the secret to a happy marriage, Ronnie said: “We’ve never had a disagreement. We’re very compatible.”
