SRU and players saddened by death of bus driver Dennis Wells

LEADING Scotland rugby players have paid tribute to their former coach driver, Dennis Wells, who died on Monday at the age of 75.

Wells , described by the SRU as “one of the unsung backroom men for many years with the national team”, died on a family holiday in Tenerife.

For around 15 years from the mid-1990s, Dennis drove the Scotland team bus, when he worked with Hunter’s of Loanhead, both to Murrayfield Stadium for internationals and often on away trips. Scotland’s record cap holder and points scorer Chris Paterson said: “This is such sad news.

“For me Dennis was part of the team. Whether it was Monday when the squad were coming together or match day when we were loading the bus to go to the ground, Dennis was very much a part of the whole experience.”

Mike Blair, Scotland’s most-capped scrum-half, tweeted: “Really sad to hear about the passing of Dennis Wells – the Scotland team bus driver at the start of my career. Lovely man and real character.”

Saracens loose forward Kelly Brown was another current internationalist who added his comments to a number of tweeted tributes, stating: “Sad news that Dennis Wells, bus driver for the Scotland team has passed away. An absolute legend of a man. RIP.”

Wells made the headlines himself on one occasion when the Scotland team bus was slapped with a ticket by one of the capital’s notoriously ruthless parking wardens outside the team’s hotel in Edinburgh while he waited to take the squad to Murrayfield for the Test match with Romania in 2002.

It was reported at the tme that the bus, emblazoned with the team’s logo, was targeted as it sat outside the MacDonald Holyrood Hotel, near the Scottish Parliament and opposite The Scotsman office. The news report stated: “Backed up by a supervisor who arrived on a moped, the enforcer told bus driver Dennis Wells the rugby stars would have no difficulty in paying the £30 fine.

“Dennis, 65, from Penicuik, Midlothian, said: ‘I had parked up for literally 20 minutes and was talking to some of the lads when a porter came over and said, ‘You’re about to get a ticket.’ I came out and sure enough, the guy was there writing it out. I said, ‘Do you realise that this is the Scotland rugby team?’ And he replied, ‘In which case they won’t have any trouble paying the fine then.’ The players were all standing inside the hotel laughing.”

Wells, who hailed from Dumfries, had served in the Army and undertook many driving jobs during his working life. The SRU extended its condolences to his wife Martha, daughters Lesley and Lorraine and grand-children Fraser and Lucy.

Details for the funeral service are still to be confirmed.