Sports fans and the wider public united in mourning when news of the death of Doddie Weir was announced recently, bringing to an an end the 52-year-old's long and courageous battle with motor neurone disease.
A giant of a man in every sense, the six foot seven Scotsman was the rock at the heart of his nation's Rugby Union team in the second row of the scrum between 1990 and 2000, winning 61 international caps. Weir, of course, also played with distinction for Newcastle Falcons between 1995 and 2002, joining the club when it was Newcastle Gosforth and still part of the amateur code, and being an integral factor in the Falcons winning the Premiership title in 1998. He was later appointed captain.
Our photograph from happier times, shared with ChronicleLive by Metro operator Nexus, shows a triumphant Newcastle Falcons team letting the train take the strain when they paraded their silverware on the Metro in the summer of 1998. Tyneside’s rugby heroes caught a special Metro train into town so their trophy could be showcased in Fenwick’s window.
