A former football manager has been identified as the Aberdeen pensioner who was viciously attacked by his grandson’s XL bully dog last week.
Ex-Cove Rangers, Peterhead and Buckie Thistle boss Dave Watson, 73, was mauled by the now-destroyed animal named Gunna at his relative’s home in Dyce on Wednesday last week.
He had turned up to visit his family’s dogs at the property on Corrennie Circle but the kind gesture quickly turned into a nightmare.
Gunna “jumped out the cage” and went for Mr Watson, who suffered “quite serious” injuries to his hands and face, his grandsons told The Press and Journal last Friday.
The terrifying ordeal left the grandfather in need of surgery at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he was rushed for treatment and is now recovering.
The north-east footballing world has been sending Mr Watson get well soon messages, as news of his ordeal spread.
Ian Wilson – Peterhead boss on either side of Dave Watson’s tenure in 1994/95 – said that the “absolutely shocking” dog attack was “devastating” news that he learned from a WhatsApp group chat on Friday.
“It must have been very frightening for both Dave and his wife,” Mr Wilson said, adding: “If anyone could recover fully from this, Big Dave will.
“He’s a big, strong, fit guy, and hopefully he’ll make a full recovery. Dave is such a pleasant and very sociable guy so the news came as a shock to the football community.
“All the guys in the football community who I’ve spoken to from teams Dave’s either managed or played with are shocked and concerned but wish him a speedy recovery.”
Police probe dog attack on ex-football manager Dave Watson
On Monday night, Buckie Thistle posted on social media platform X – formerly known as Twitter – telling their former manager to “Get well soon”.
The post read: “Everyone at @BuckieThistle send good wishes to former manager Dave Watson after he was attacked by an XLBully dog in Dyce.
“Get well soon Dave.”
Mr Watson’s former team Huntly also posted their best wishes.
In a message on their website, the club wrote: “Everyone at Huntly FC sends our best wishes for a quick recovery to former player Dave Watson.
“We learnt that Dave was unfortunately involved in a dog attack in Aberdeen on Wednesday 17th January and is currently in ARI recovering.”
Police Scotland, who received a report of the incident around 3pm last Wednesday, have confirmed that “enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances”.
Mr Watson’s 70-year-old wife was also taken to the hospital at the time, a police spokeswoman said.
Gunna’s owner Jack Watson, 23, has since voluntarily attended a veterinary practice to put down the disgraced male dog.
In an exclusive interview last week, he told this newspaper: “It’s my choice to do that,” adding: “It’s a nightmare that I thought would never happen.
“I feel upset but it’s for the safety of my own family.”
Jack told The Press and Journal that he had owned Gunna for two-and-a-half years, during which time there had been no previous behavioural issues.
Speaking about Gunna’s attack on his grandad while he and his wife visited him, Jack added: “He just got really excited. He’s a reactive dog – he got attacked when he was younger.
“But he’s never been bad or anything. They’ve just came in and he’s not expected it and he’s just jumped out the cage and just started attacking.”
The Scottish Government is currently considering its response to widespread concerns about the safety of the controversial American XL bully breed.
Gunna’s attack came just days after First Minister Humza Yousaf announced that features of a crackdown in England and Wales would be replicated in Scotland.
But the SNP leader insisted that it would not be exactly like the ban south of the border, which forbids breeding XL bullies, compels owners to muzzle them in public and make sure the animals are neutered, and makes it a criminal offence to own one without a certificate of exemption.
READ MORE: Aberdeen man seriously injured in XL bully dog attack – suffering serious wounds to his hands, arms and face
Exclusive: Aberdeen man seriously injured in XL bully dog attack
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