Issue 8

12TH MAN

the

THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL FANZINE

ISSUE #8 OCTOBER 2009 £1/£2 Online/Print

E FANS

BY TH S N A F E H T R O F

Keeping the Faith

Burley keeps his job - for now....

RAPID VIENNA v CELTIC: 1984 to 2009

OLD FIRM SHOWDOWN PART ONE

Denis Law | Kevin Neilson | European Blues | Video Evidence

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The Dugout The irate ramblings of our editor and dictator....

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elcome to another issue of The 12th Man Scottish football fanzine.

After a pretty dire transfer window and Scotland once again failing to qualify for a major tournament, we can just sit back and relax watching club football from now till the summer.

Referees are once again hitting the headlines for being card-happy, the Old Firm continue to battle it out in Europe with mixed fortunes and we have the first Old Firm derby of the season on Sunday, with Rangers already four points behind rivals Celtic.

Acknowledgements Editor: Andy M. Design & Layout: Andy M. Proof Reading: Lyndon N. CONTRIBUTORS

Alan Temple, Mike Smith, Derek Harvie, Glen McMahon, Dotmund, Two Hundred Percent, Andrew Harrow, Craig Stephen, James Atkinson, Peter Joyce, Iain Robertson, Grant Milne and Wolfgang Berger.

All material unless otherwise stated is copyrighted so if you would like to re-produce any content please contact us first for written permission.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of the editorial staff and you have the write to reply.

The 12th Man is a 100% Independent publication for Scottish Football Fans by Scottish Football Fans.

The 12th Man accepts no responsibility for services offered by Advertisers. We welcome contributors in the form of emails, articles, cartoons, photos and snippets.

And so to Issue 8. This month, we The12th Man is in no way connected to any club or interview Annan Athletic captain Kevin organisation in Scottish Football. Scotzine.com publishes Neilson from his time in the Army in The12th Man and has done so since June 2007.

Iraq to captaining the Galabankies. In our second interview we talk to former ENQUIRIES Buddies defender & Alloa defender Scott Email: mail@scotzine.com Instant Messaging: scotzine@hotmail.co.uk Walker.

Derek Harvie reviews Willie Miller’s book, ‘The Don: The Willie Miller story.’ While we take a glance towards Scotland’s failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and how George Burley should be given time by the Tartan Army.

Mike Smith takes a look at Scottish clubs in Europe this season and in another of the series Legends of Scotland, we profile former Manchester United & City striker Denis Law. We will also preview the first Old Firm derby of the season, and Tony Mowbray’s first as Celtic manager. And we will take a look at Celtic’s grudge match against Rapid Vienna on Thursday night in the Europa League, as 25 years of hatred finally boils to the top.

Until the next issue, Andy M, Editor

Website: www.scotzine.com Letters: letters@scotzine.com SMS/Text: 07977194982

Any correspondence sent to ‘The 12th Man’ may be printed in full within our ‘letters’ section and responded to by the relevant writer in question or by the Editor.

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All articles are correct at the time of writing and going to print and all views are those of the writer who expressed them.

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Contents 25 Years of Hatred Celtic v Rapid Vienna

36

Keeping the Faith

5

7

18

Another Glorious Failure

21

Kevin Neilson

21

Another Glorious Failure

From Basra to Annan Athletic

We look at Scotland’s 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign

24

For & Against:

Video Evidence

28

Interview:

Scott Walker of Alloa Athletic

31

Review:

Legends of Scotland: Denis Law

For & Against Video Evidence

24

10

Those European Blues

A look at Scottish clubs fortunes in Europe this season

13

The Exiles

New Zealand football feature

15

It’s Time to Change our Game

34

Shit Shot Mungo

A look at how we can change the game for the better

35

Old Firm Showdown Part One

We take a look ahead to Sunday’s SPL clash between Celtic and Rangers

37

25 Years of Hatred:

Celtic v Rapid Vienna

18

Keeping the Faith

Why the Tartan army should get behind Burley and support him

The Don - The Willie Miller Story

Sellers wanted - top commission paid. Tel/Text: 07977194982. Email: mail@scotzine.com

4 www.scotzine.com

Text | Andrew Harrow

Kevin Neilson o Annan Athletic S

t From Basra

ports writing is littered with military metaphors.

From debating the ‘strategy’ of a game, to its ‘battle scarred’ players, and their ‘never-saydie’ attitudes, the suggestion is that 90 minutes of football is akin to war. Which all seems faintly ridiculous after speaking to Annan Athletic’s captain, Kevin Neilson.

walk. Hopefully we can get into the play offs though.”

Neilson enjoyed a highly successful debut season with Annan as they embarked on their first in the Scottish Football League.

Signed last summer from East of Scotland side Dalbeattie Star, he quickly became a regular in the centre of defence and even weighed in with eight goals during the campaign. Halfway through the season, Neilson was also awarded the captaincy.

The original captain, Chris Jardine, had been dropped in the wake of a midseason slump, and so manager Harry Cairney plumped for Neilson to skipper the team.

Already listed in the Royal Signals as an Engineer – but before his time in Iraq – Neilson found himself embroiled a fight whilst on leave. Having originally jumped in to defend a friend, he was then caught on CCTV breaking someone’s jaw. He appeared in court and, in what he describes as a “horrible, horrible” moment, Neilson was sent to prison for 12 months.

Certainly, any pressure Neilson may be facing as captain of a struggling side does not show. His relaxed attitude can be attributed to the fact that, in reality, the tribulations of Annan Athletic are nothing compared to other - more eventful Having spent four years in the Army moments in his life.

– including a seven-month spell in Iraq – football’s battles seem entirely The moment, for example, he was insignificant in comparison. ordered to serve a year in jail for assault.

“Harry just explained he made me captain because I was good with the guys and I’m really loud on the pitch,” he says. At only 24 years of age, it was a statement of Neilson’s rapid rise to prominence in the team and he enjoyed a solid season runin; Annan finishing just outside the play offs.

“Going by the letter of the law, I got what I deserved”, he admits. “I find it hard to think that I was such a fool. I got fuelled up with drink and didn’t deal with things the right way.” Fortunately for Neilson, his sentence was commuted to just 20 days on appeal, and he served the rest of his punishment - 200 hours community service - in a charity shop in Dumfries. “I actually had a great time,” he says. “The lady and gentlemen that run that shop are absolutely amazing. I was working in the shop with other offenders and it was interesting hearing their stories. The whole experience opened my eyes.”

He attributes his experience as life changing and has done his best to steer away from trouble since. Admittedly, when he finally reached Iraq, trouble had a way of finding him.

This season has, so far, been altogether more testing with three straight league defeats at the beginning of the season, as well as a thumping defeat to Inverness Caley in the League Cup. Neilson remains unperturbed however, and he believes that, for a new team in the league, expectations of success havebeen too high. “I’d be happy with mid-table again His main task in Iraq was to maintain – you’ve got to crawl before you can the electric generators to ensure that www.scotzine.com 5

the forces had power in both the field and war zones. But, as he explains, his enthusiasm for work led him to take on one of the most dangerous jobs possible.

“Being an electrician, I was under the impression that I would always be based at the airport in Basra, which is the safest possible place to be. When I got there though we discovered there was a lack of manpower and that volunteers were needed for some extra jobs,” he says.

“They needed a few people to go out on the road to escort interpreters from the airport to different parts of Basra.”

Interpreters – locals assisting the Allied forces – are seen as traitors to the country and, as such, are often prime targets for terrorists.

Fortunately, Neilson completed this role without serious incident and admits that, despite the dangers involved, he relished it. In fact, it was his day-to-day task that nearly killed him.

He explains: “We were based in the heart of Basra with the infantry. I had the simple job of starting the generators at the four posts of our little base.”

“I did it fine for a few weeks but one night, while I was playing the X-Box, my sergeant came in and told me I’d forgotten to put the lights on. Although he had a bad ankle – and should really have been sent home – he came with me.”

“We got the first couple of lights up when the alarm [signalling an incoming attack] went off. This mortar flew in, only 20 yards away. It came in at an angle and, luckily, hit a pile of sandbags a metre high and wide which took the impact, but the blast blew us both off out feet.”

As the attack continued, Neilson, driven by fear and adrenaline, decided to ignore conventional wisdom and ran to the nearest safe location.

“The drill [during a mortar attack] is just to lie there because when the mortars hit, 6 www.scotzine.com

they spray upwards, but I wanted to run to a nearby building. I managed to convince the sergeant to make a run for it but when we got to the building, I thought he was going to hit me. He was so, so angry.”

Neilson says that he has never experienced anything like that moment ever since: “The fear of dying was absolutely horrible and I’ve never been as scared – or ever will be as scared – as I was then.”

However Nielson feels that the army was a “great experience” and acknowledges that his time in the Forces, “made me a better person. It taught me so much and it gave me so much.”

While Neilson himself survived his time in Iraq, he had friends who were not so lucky. As a result, his outlook on life has changed: “It makes me appreciate life so much more. I try and pause sometimes and think how fortunate I am.”

Which is exactly why Neilson refuses to become despondent at Annan’s start to the season. In reality, little separates the sides in Division Three and as Neilson himself says “[winning] usually comes down to who wants it most.”

Personally, Neilson is also aware there is room for improvement, both as a player and a captain. He is confident that he can reach a higher level in the game – “although I know my limitations,” he admits – and that he owes it to Annan to develop as a team leader. “I think there’s more I could do as captain on the pitch and in training, but I’m going to work on it. Obviously, the manager has put faith in me and I’d like to repay him by being a good captain.”

Continuing to work as an electrician in civilian life, all is going well for Neilson and, given his history, this is one footballer that won’t be bemoaning his luck come the end of the season, regardless of what happens.

Text | Andrew Harrow

Legends of Scotland

The Law Man

D

enis Law, when will we see your like again? The sad truth is probably never. A Scotland international who formed part of the greatest forward lines there will ever be. A Scottish footballer that won the Ballon D’or as many times as Eusébio, as many times as George Best, as many times as Gerd Müller, as many times as Zinedine Zidane. There will never be another Denis Law.

Bobby Charlton and George Best. He is one of their all-time top goal scorers with an impressive 237 goals during his time there, including a record-setting 46 goals in one season. Not even Cristiano Ronaldo could better that.

He was born in Aberdeen in 1940. The youngest of seven children in a poor family, he was given his first pair of football boots by a neighbour. An avid football fan all his life, when he could afford it Denis would watch Aberdeen play, and when he couldn’t he would watch local amateur sides. His love for the game was such that he turned down a place at an Aberdeen grammar school to avoid having to play rugby. His dedication to the sport would be rewarded soon after.

Rightly regarded as one of the greatest ever Scottish players, Law was blessed with an almost supernatural goal-scoring ability. He could make the spectacular look effortless, as if all he needed to do to score was kick the ball. This talent served him well throughout his career: he scored 30 times for Scotland, equal with the great Kenny Dalglish - but Law managed it in half as many games.

As a young teenager Law showed great potential and played for the He spent the bulk of his career at Scotland Schoolboy’s team. He was Manchester United, forming a partnership soon spotted by Archie Beattie, a scout with other United legends such as from Huddersfield Town. Despite not

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impressing on his trial, having a small build and very poor eyesight, Law was signed by Huddersfield and would later have an operation to correct his squint.

This helped his confidence greatly and improved his skill on the ball. Law made his debut for Huddersfield in a 2-0 victory over Notts County on Christmas Eve 1956, aged 16.

Scotland manager Matt Busby gave him his first international cap in 1958, and the 18-year-old Law hit the ground running with a debut goal in a 3-0 win over Wales.

The promising young striker was highly sought after by many clubs in England and Huddersfield couldn’t afford to hold on to him. He eventually signed for Manchester City for a then-British record sum of £55,000 in 1960. His spell at Manchester City coincided with a poor run of results for the Scotland team, including a 9-3 defeat to England. He still played well at City but spent only one season there.

He wanted to play for a better team and moved to Italy to play for FC Torino.

Law found life in Italy difficult. Like many players who moved there from England, he couldn’t adapt to the style of play and found it difficult to get along with manager Beniamino Santos. Furthermore the manner in which players were paid was less than generous so Law made less money in Italy than he’d expected. After falling out with the Torino management, Law looked set to be forced to move to Juventus but he refused and flew home to Aberdeen. Instead he signed for Manchester United in 1962, for a new British record of £115,000.

clinical finishers in Europe. He finished the season as top scorer and became famous for his simple celebration: one arm raised in the air, finger pointed at the sky, hand clutching his sleeve.

His time at United was also marked by the occasional dispute about pay. United manager Matt Busby would make sure to publicly stand up to Law’s demands to set an example, despite acceding to them privately, with the press and the rest of the squad none the wiser. These minor altercations aside, Law continued to perform well for United.

His goals helped the team to their first post-Munich league win in 1965. This season was doubly successful for Law as he was named European Footballer of the Year ahead of Spanish legend Luis Suarez, becoming the only Scottish player to ever win the award, and it’s probably a safe assumption that will not change. However this was to be the peak of his career, and in the following season he aggravated a knee injury in a game for Scotland. This injury was to create problems for him for the rest of his career.

There were still high points, with Law’s help Manchester United were developing into a successful side. They won another league title in the 1967-68 season. Law also scored a goal in Scotland’s famous 3-2 victory over England at Wembley in the 1967 Home Championships, the match which made Scotland the unofficial champions of the world and won them the tournament. But the knee injury cost him his place in the squad for the 1968 European Cup final, which saw United Law’s time at Manchester United marked win 4-1 against Benfica. the start of his prime. In his first season the club fought relegation and played Matt Busby resigned the following season poorly and inconsistently in the league. and United’s performances started to They faired much better in the FA Cup slip, Law had more trouble with his however, and Law scored the first goal in injury and the painkilling injections he the 1963 final, won 3-1 by United, the first was being given were causing serious trophy Law would win in his career. permanent damage to his knee. His own performances suffered and he would By his second season he was scoring never again find the form of a few years prolifically; his skill, his agility and his previously. The new United manager, Will pace helping him become one of the most McGuiness transfer-listed him but his 8 www.scotzine.com

injury problems deterred potential buyers. like him again.

He eventually left Manchester United in 1973 and rejoined Manchester City. He would play one more season of football with City before retiring. On the last day of the 1973-1974 season he scored with a back-heeled shot in the Manchester derby, a goal that would ultimately relegate his former team. Law chose not to celebrate this goal. He was immediately substituted and left the pitch with his head down. With no desire to be confined to reserve team football, this was Law’s last league match.

This is probably the most disappointment thing about Law’s career, that he would play so well for Manchester United, be such an acclaimed striker with a devastating finishing ability and never really get an opportunity to play at a major tournament. By 1974 he was a shadow of the player he had been at his peak and was competing with Kenny Dalglish and Joe Jordan for a starting place in the team. We can only ponder what might have been, something that Scotland supporters will be well used to doing. Still, Scotland qualified for the World Cup that we’ll always have Wembley, 1967. summer for the first time since Law made his international debut back in 1958. Better for us to concentrate on his Despite having not played many first tremendous achievements, his recordteam games that year, Law was picked setting goal tallies, his international for the squad and played in Scotland’s recognition, his skill, his status as an icon 2-0 victory over Zaire. It was his last to one of the most iconic football clubs in appearance for Scotland and he retired the world and not the agonising realisation from the game that summer. that Scotland will never have another

player like Denis Law.

His status as a Manchester United legend is assured. There is a statue of Legends Profile him outside Old Trafford’s Stretford End and is fondly remembered by United fans as The King. He was also an inaugural inductee of the English football Hall of Fame, as recognition for his contribution to the game. His efforts for the Scottish national team have been rewarded too.

He was named Scotland’s Golden Player by the SFA as part of UEFA’s Jubilee celebrations in 2003, awarded by national associations to the most outstanding player of the past 50 years.

Law was fiercely patriotric and famously couldn’t bear to watch the 1966 World Cup Final, choosing instead to play golf.

When he was told about the result he described it as one of his blackest days. It is unfortunate that the peak of his career coincided with a time when the Scotland team were poor and did not qualify for any major international tournaments.

For that reason Law’s Scotland career never reached its potential but he still scored many goals for the national side, including seven in two games against Norway. We could certainly use someone

Name: Denis Law Born: 24 February 1940 Place: Aberdeen, Scotland Position: Forward (Inside Left) Clubs: Huddersfield Town [81 games & 16 goals], Manchester City [68 games & 30 goals], Torino [21 games - 10 goals], Manchester United [404 games & 237 goals].

Internationals: Scotland - 55 caps and 30 goals. www.scotzine.com 9

Text | Mike Smith

Those European Blues

he early warning signs were there.

As early as the second day in July, T in fact. That was when Motherwell

lost 1-0 at home in the first leg of their opening Europa League qualifying tie against Welsh side Llanelli. The Steelmen cited the reason for this shock defeat was the fact it was still the close season in Scotland and, for that matter, most of the rest of Europe.

and indeed won both the European Cup Winners Cup and Super Cup in 1983 - embarrassed themselves and did Scotland’s UEFA coefficient no favours by losing 5-1 to Czech Republic side Sigma Olomouc - at Pittodrie, once a fortress for those in red and white. A 3-0 defeat in the second leg was not unexpected.

To complete Scotland’s embarrassment, a Hearts side that couldn’t locate a barn door far less hit it with anything were crushed 4-0 in Zagreb by a team who showed some mercy in the second half and ceased scoring with still half an hour to go.

Dinamo scored more goals in an hour than notorious Hearts striker Christian Nade has done in three years for the hapless maroons. Hearts recovered Motherwell turned the tie round in some self-respect by winning the the second leg and then thrashed return leg 2-0 at Tynecastle but it was Albanian side Flamurtari 8-2 on a case of too little too late. aggregate in the next round - but only In the UEFA Champions League after losing the first leg 1-0. qualifiers, Celtic at least earned Reality struck when Jim Gannon’s some plaudits for turning around side lost heavily to former European a 1-0 reversal against Dinamo Champions Steaua Bucharest in the Moscow by winning the second leg next round, thus falling two rounds 2-0 in the Russian capital. However, short of reaching the group stages of their demise in the final qualifying round was expected as soon as the new Europa League. their name came out of the bowl in With Scotland having four UEFA headquarters alongside that of representatives in the competition Arsenal. formerly known as the UEFA Cup, hopes were high that at least one of A 2-0 defeat in the first leg at Celtic Park those sides would reach the group signalled the end of Tony Mowbray’s stages. Sadly, this proved to be false side’s interest in that competition - in truth it had ended before Eduardo’s hope. controversial penalty award in the Falkirk’s first ever participation in return leg in London - and they had European competition ended before to make do with a place in the group the end of the Glasgow Fair with defeat stages of the Europa League while to FC Vaduz from that footballing giant Motherwell, Falkirk, Aberdeen and Hearts peered through the window of a nation, Liechtenstein. longingly.

Then, Aberdeen - a club that once competed with the very best in Europe Add to this run of misery the debacle Motherwell had only just appointed a new manager following the inevitable departure of Mark McGhee to Aberdeen and Jim Gannon barely had time to introduce himself before his players were playing their first competitive game of the new season, barely six weeks after the final game of last season.

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that was Scotland’s performance in Oslo - as I write this piece the nation’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s World Cup in South Africa hang by the thinnest of threads and may well be all over by the time you read this - then it has been a summer of major discontent for Scottish football. The question on most football fans lips is -why have things come to this?

It’s my view that it isn’t just one reason why Scottish football is at such a low ebb.

However, one of the main reasons is money - both the lack of and, paradoxically, the surplus. The collapse of the television station Setanta and the subsequent loss of the huge sums of money the Irish broadcaster was prepared to pay out to cover the dubious pleasures of the SPL has had a huge impact on Scottish football.

When the champions of our small nation are unable to add any new permanent players to their squad while at the same time letting a couple of hugely influential players go it sets alarm bells not so much ringing as deafening. Celtic, too, have seen players go but they have at least brought in replacements - not that this helped in their quest for Champions League football.

The rest of the SPL have also been moving players on and being most reluctant to replace them. Hearts have plucked a couple of players from obscurity but early evidence is that the new arrivals are vastly inferior to the likes of Christophe Berra, Robbie Neilson and Bruno Aguiar.

Of the rest of Scotland’s European contingent, Motherwell have taken on a couple of players from the lower leagues in England as have Aberdeen. Fans of both clubs have had to spend hours on Google to find out more about the new arrivals at their clubs - not something that fills

one with hope that progress can be made in European competition.

The truth is the game south of the border is awash with cash thanks to the television deals with SKY and ESPN. They have at least replaced Setanta in covering SPL games this season - but with a deal that is barely half the price the Irish broadcaster had promised and for a longer period to boot. It came as no surprise, therefore, to hear that clubs in League One in England - the Third Division in old money - were offering far higher wages to players than the SPL clubs could afford and, indeed, were able to entice existing SPL players down south. Hibernian’s Rob Jones headed to Scunthorpe United, Aberdeen’s Scott Severin signed for Watford while Hearts lost captain Robbie Neilson to Leicester City. Both Aberdeen and Hearts tried to sign Motherwell’s Stephen Hughes but the former Rangers player opted for a much better weekly wage at Norwich City - who lost their opening League One game 7-1 at home to local rivals Colchester United.

Those players who have arrived in the SPL have, so far, proved nonentities. For example, much was made of Hearts’ Spanish signing Suso Sentana, who arrived from the Spanish Third Division. He looks the part until he takes to the field when it soon becomes apparent his left leg is used only for standing. Aberdeen’s Ifal arrived with a reputation that had some fans nicknaming him ‘The Beast’. What kind of ‘beast’ is given a free transfer from English third tier side Swindon Town, I’m not exactly sure…

Financial woes are affecting Scots clubs like never before. The likes of Hearts and Livingston have been late in paying players wages. Rumours abound that Rangers had to sell captain Barry Ferguson in order to keep the financial wolves from the www.scotzine.com 11

Ibrox door. Kilmarnock are so strapped for cash they can’t even afford to pay Gary Locke to coach their players.

The result is that those players who are arriving in Scotland this season are hardly likely to be world-beaterselse they wouldn’t be playing in this country.

I couldn’t bear to watch events unfold on television as Scotland were put to the World Cup sword. I switched off at half-time. A week later, it was a case of déjà vu as I watched Hearts’ humbling experience in Croatia - the first half anyway. Again, I switched off at half-time. And there’s the danger.

What about young talent that clubs are always telling us they are nurturing through their academies?

The really talented ones - such as Hamilton Accies’ James McCarthy have legged it to English football for the reasons stated above. Others - such as Hearts Gary Glen - can’t even get a regular starting place in the first team. The knock-on effect is that the national side suffers too as was all too evident in Oslo in August.

Manager George Burley felt he had to play a far from fit Scott Brown while 37-year-old Graeme Alexander lined up in defence. And with a goalkeeper who had lost four goals in each of his two previous Scotland appearances it was small wonder Scotland lost another four against Norway.

Unless Scottish football gets its collective act together quickly, I suspect I may not be the only supporter unable to watch increasingly shambolic performances. The game in this country has always had its peaks and troughs, but recently the lows far outnumber the highs. It’s high time the SFA stopped sitting on their hands and addressed the crisis instead of blaming the media and everyone else.

While George Burley gets all the flak for such embarrassing defeats, the finger also needs to be pointed towards the suits who run the game in this country.

SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith obviously thought it would be a good idea to start Scotland’s World Cup qualifying campaign in the searing heat of Macedonia last September.

And to have what was always going to be the crucial game in Norway three days before the SPL started for season 2009-10.

The game in Scotland needs a radical overhaul. Playing each other four times in a season - sometimes more with cup-ties - has created a familiarity that has bred contempt. A 16-team SPL with teams playing each other just twice a season with two clubs automatically relegated and a third involved in a play-off against the thirdplaced side in the second division would stimulate interest and revive the likes of Dundee, Dunfermline Athletic and Raith Rovers. The resurrection of the SPL reserve league - scrapped, as I understand it, due to lack of cash - with teams having to play a minimum of five players under the age of 21 would also help encourage local talent and, in time, the national team.

Perhaps the Scottish government could assist financially with this.

Hearts’ already slim chances of securing a creditable result in Croatia probably disappeared altogether in the unlikely setting of Dundee 72 hours before where they had to play United in their opening SPL game, switched to suit the needs of television.

Some may pour scorn over this suggestion. But Scottish football desperately needs help before it sinks to the level of the Welsh and Albanian leagues. Alarmingly, given the results of the summer, it isn’t far off the depths of despair already…

I can’t remember such a depressing start to a football season in Scotland.

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Text | Craig Stephen

The Exiles

threatening in the pre-Confederations Cup friendly against a couldn’t-care-less Italian side, scoring two excellent goals, but you won’t find many Celtic fans shouting about his talents.

I

n 1982, Scotland’s World Cup challenge began against New Zealand, the final team to qualify for Spain following a marathon 15 game campaign. This was a true test of Scotland’s game plan at that time: go hell for leather and forget about all that boring defensive malarkey.

Old, on the other hand, will have some work to do if he’s going to persuade coach Ricki Herbert of his worth in a central defensive role against Bahrain.

His African adventure involved an appearance against Tanzania in a warmup game and plenty of bench time in the three Confederations Cup games, and he’s made an inauspicious start at Kilmarnock this season.

While Killen and Old are New Zealand born and bred, McGlinchey is there through the route the likes of Iwelumo, Commons and Morrison have trod to get into a Scotland top.

The midfielder qualifies for the All Whites by being born in Godzone, though he lived there for less than a year as his Five goals for, two against in a topsy-turvy father, Norman, returned home following match in which the Scots were caught a spell playing in Wellington. McGlinchey only came into the team this summer, napping after the break. after FIFA relaxed its eligibility rules.

Approaching 30 years on, the Scots won’t be on the plane to South Africa, but the He wouldn’t have chosen New Zealand if All Whites could again be the final side his career at Celtic had taken off - in fact, to qualify, with, ironically, two Scots-based the Scottish Under-19 star turned down Kiwis and a Glaswegian having helped the opportunity of playing in the Olympic Games in Beijing. them get there.

Steven Old and Chris Killen lining up against Brazil or Spain? You’re having a laugh. Michael McGlinchey: he couldn’t get a game with Celtic.

In December 2005, he came on as a substitute against Livingston to become the youngest player to debut for the Hoops in a Scottish Premier League game at the age of 17.

Killen, however, has put his lack of action in a hoops top behind him to hit top form in recent Confederations Cup and warm-up matches ahead of New Zealand’s play-off matches against Bahrain in October and November.

Martin O’Neill had convinced him to choose Celtic over Manchester United.

Parkhead over Old Trafford: It all seemed rosy in the green garden.

The

big

lumbering

striker

But Gordon Strachan didn’t favour him, looked and so let him go. McGlinchey was clubless for some time until he signed for www.scotzine.com 13

Central Coast Mariners in the Australian At club level, the Wellington Phoenix A-League, making trips to training camps have raised the standard, making good far easier. progress in the A-League and making amends from the dismal showings from If this reliable but hardly world class trio perennial bottom-dwellers the New fails to inspire confidence in a side hoping Zealand Knights, who could barely hold to overcome Bahrain, a team on a high the interest of about 3,000 people for after defeating Saudi Arabia to make home games in a city with a population of this play-off, it’s worth noting that the ‘82 1.3 million. But Herbert still has to rely on squad comprised the likes of John Hill players from the national championship and Steve Wooddin, veterans of lower and that is, according to former Montrose level football in Britain and most of whom striker, Greig Henslee, who played in the played in the Kiwi national league. league for two seasons with Hawke’s Bay United, on the same level as the third There were three Scottish-born players division the Links Parkers compete in. too: moustache-lovers Adrian Elrick and Sam Malcolmson and the clean-shaven If you remember the name Graham Little Allan Boath, all of whom were pivotal you would have been at one of the handful during the qualifying campaign and in of games he had at Berwick Rangers Spain but had limited impact in their and Stenhousemuir more than a decade homeland before moving Down Under. ago. But the 36-year-old was top scorer in the NZFC last year, suggesting either that third-rate Scottish players can make their mark here, or just that the striker was enjoying a second wind.

Nowadays, the All Whites are led by Blackburn Rovers captain Ryan Nelsen, and have several European and USbased players while at least half a dozen lads are with Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand’s representatives in the improving A-League. Shane Smeltz couldn’t hack it in England but is the highest scoring player in the A-League this season and equally adept in his role in white.

Despite his ability to choose a more worldy-wise player, coach Herbert has a tough task. His team are untested in Oceania qualifiers. With Australia now in the Asian section, the All Whites had only New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu to overcome in the regional play-off group.

14 www.scotzine.com

Every World Cup – under-20 and under 17 for both men and women – has seen the Kiwis failing to qualify for the next stage and usually getting a good beating in the process. That will continue in South Africa next year if qualification is achieved.

The sad fact is, in a country where both rugby codes are king, football hasn’t got much hope of making an impact.

A 5-0 thrashing by Spain in the Confederations Cup and defeat by a moderate South Africa in the same competition may have exposed those limitations. They’ve also looked ordinary against Thailand, Botswana and Tanzania this year.

But a draw with Iraq in South Africa and a 3-1 win against Jordan in September is providing the optimistic few in the former Dominion with hope that, at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, on November 14, the All Whites will be holding their arms aloft in victory. That’s something the illustrious All Blacks haven’t done much of recently.

Text | James Atkinson | We Love Fitba

It’s time to change our game

cottish football did not enjoy a good summer in 2009. With the S collapse of Setanta TV, Livingston’s

game accept the need for change. To be honest, the signs are not great.

The chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, Gordon Smith, has spent the summer getting embroiled in a war of words with Barry Ferguson and wading into the “diving row” regarding Eduardo – headlinegrabbing stuff, but is this really where What is depressing and tedious, he should be focusing his attention? though, is that many of these problems are long-standing issues. Regardless The Scottish Premier League, of George Burley’s strengths and meanwhile, repeated the mantra that weaknesses, the Scotland football they have an attractive product – so team hasn’t qualified for either of the good, in fact, that they’d like to rebrand major tournaments in over a decade, Division One as “SPL2”, if given the and we have moaned about the lack go-ahead. If this were true, why are of quality young players coming the two biggest members of the SPL so desperate to leave, despite the fact through the ranks for years. that the prize money for the league is And while many clubs have worked rigged in favour of the top two? hard to reduce their debt, many are still on very shaky financial ground. With The Scottish Football League, SPL clubs now struggling to compete meanwhile, spend most of their even with English League One and energies on trying to stop SPL2 Two clubs on wages, assembling happening, and trying to prove they a squad to compete in European are an effective outfit, before creating a crisis of their own making by competition seems a tall order. demoting Livingston to Division Three Walter Smith, furious at the collapse and causing early-season fixture of Setanta and the detrimental effect it chaos. has had on his budget, piped up once again with the opinion that Rangers In short, the administrators of our should leave Scottish football and go senior game don’t show any great play somewhere else, just adding to inclination for reform. If change is going to come, it’s going to need the general feeling of gloom. fresh ideas from outside the current To their credit, the Scottish Football corridors of power.

Association do seem to have finally twigged that all is not well with the Let’s start with that issue of the lack of game, and in May Henry McLeish good young Scottish players coming announced his full review of the game, through, because at least here there with his initial report on grassroots is consensus. Everyone recognises football and youth development due there’s an issue - and successive to report early in 2010, followed by a Scotland managers have bemoaned the lack of quality in depth when trying report into the professional game. to assemble winning football teams.

Let’s hope that the review is wideranging, radical, and that the disparate It’s obviously a huge detriment to the organisations that currently run our clubs, too, compounded by a relative long stumble into administration, the Scotland team’s humiliation in Norway, and the various muggings handed out to our clubs in European competition, it’s pretty clear that our game is not in the best of health.

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lack of wealth – if they can’t buy success, the only way to get good players into the team is to get lucky and unearth an undiscovered gem (not easy in today’s globalised game) or bring through prospects from their own youth set up.

over the cracks, and does nothing to address more fundamental issues.

Every aspect should be looked at, and awkward questions asked, if Scottish football is going to improve.

Why are there four national divisions in Scotland, when travelling long distances to fulfil fixtures increases costs and dampens attendance? Do we really need four Old Firm league derbies a year? And why is there no proper pyramid system in place?

This is the rationale behind Hibs’ training facilities at East Mains, just outside Edinburgh, and other clubs are following suit. Mark McGhee has recognised that developing youth players is Aberdeen’s only hope of with youth development, improvement, while Craig Levein As spent the summer ripping up Dundee the chances are that someone, Utd’s youth set up and starting again. somewhere, knows the answer to the questions, and has a solution that Across the game, there are people would improve our game. Maybe that who have recognised a problem with person is you. The SFA have said that youth development and, crucially, are the review will welcome submissions doing something about it. We live in and proposals, and Henry McLeish a different world now from a couple says that if you have an idea, he of generations ago, where young kids wants to hear from you. You can email would kick a ball between tenements him at this address: footballreview@ from dawn to dusk, and acquire good scottishfa.co.uk skills almost by accident. Nowadays, teenagers have a raft of distractions, Now, there are no guarantees that this and our more enlightened clubs are review will come up with any answers. recognising this by investing in their Maybe McLeish isn’t the right person coaching set ups and improving to undertake such a review, and even if he is, its recommendations might well facilities. get buried under procedural wrangling All this costs money, of course, but in myriad Hampden committees. to compete in today’s game, there really isn’t any alternative. In France But maybe it’s worth taking a little - renowned for its youth football time to get involved this time. After all, programmes - clubs routinely spend it’s us fans who are the passionate up to 30% of their turnover or more supporters of Scottish football, and on their academies. And as Hibs have the ones who get most infuriated shown, there is profit to be made when it fails to live up to its potential. if you do it well - the sale of Steven Fletcher to Burnley for £3m was the Our game needs to change for the biggest transfer from a Scottish club better. This time, it might just happen. this summer.

Surely, the people who run Scottish football should support these endeavours and ask these clubs: how can we help you do even better?

Then there is the structure of the professional game.

Rebranding Division One as SPL2 is papering 16 www.scotzine.com

Scotzine

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Giving everyone the fInger www.scotzine.com/forum

Text | Mike Smith

Keeping the Faith

as manager of Heart of Midlothian four years ago.

In fact, as you read this, it’s almost four years to the day since Vladimir Romanov dropped the first of what was to become many bombshells over the streets of Gorgie. There are certain traumatic events in your life that remain etched in your memory.

You remember where you were when such a moment occurs. Leaving aside personal family-orientated traumas and looking at purely sporting ones, being a battle-scarred Hearts fan such traumas for me have include seeing a certain team winning 7-0 at Tynecastle in 1973 and the indignity of relegation for the first time in 1977 - and several others which space prevents me from listing.

o many observers, George Burley was on a hiding to nothing when T he took on the Scotland job 22 months ago. The two previous incumbents of the Hampden hot seat were darlings of the Fourth Estate due, in no small part, to their previous occupation of being manager of Rangers.

Walter Smith and Alex McLeish could do no wrong in the eyes of many of the nation’s press although it’s worth remembering that while progress was made under the tutelage of those two fellas, Scotland still failed to qualify for a World Cup or European Championship.

Saturday October 22nd 2005 saw one more trauma added to the painfully long list of being a Hearts supporter.

All was well in the Station Tavern just before one o’clock. We supped our pre-match pint optimistic, as one can ever be as a Jambo, that Hearts would complete the first round of games in the SPL undefeated and remain top of the league. The television in the corner was showing the Sky Sports News channel. The sound was low but as I glanced up, I saw Tynecastle Park on the screen. At that time, Sky Sports paid Scottish football scant attention, particularly on a Saturday lunchtime so I immediately knew something was wrong. Then the news broke and the yellow ticker tape at the foot of the screen displayed the news, which stunned us all - George Burley had left Hearts. As bombshells go, this was one of nuclear proportions.

George Burley was a highly respected coach who had achieved much with a limited budget at Ipswich. People in Scotland perhaps remember him more as an outstanding full back Just when you think you had seen it in dark blue in the 1970s - and, of all something else happened to make course, for three astonishing months you reach for the Prozac. Whatever 18 www.scotzine.com

the rights and wrongs surrounding the departure of George Burley, I found myself asking - not the first time - how many masochistic tendencies did I possess that made me follow the fortunes of Heart of Midlothian Football Club?

Cup-winning side of 1998 and many people felt they could mount a genuine challenge to the Old Firm. They did by finishing second in the league that season - but one couldn’t help but feel there was a lost opportunity when Burley departed.

George Burley had brought in some top quality players - was there a better midfield player in the country than Rudi Skacel? - and there’s no doubt in my mind that the Old Firm were running scared of the revitalised boys in maroon. Hearts fans gloated to all who would listen that their team was at the top to stay, a Champions League place beckoned for the following season and the Romanov Revolution would transform Hearts from also-rans to a real power in the land. However, when the news of George Burley’s departure broke, the feel-good factor drifted away….

After a less than productive spell at Southampton, Burley was the choice of the SFA to replace the Birmingham City-bound Alex McLeish. After the Berti Vogts years, McLeish and Walter Smith before him had stabilised Scotland and from struggling to draw with the Faroe Islands under the German, the Scots were defeating France in Paris. Three decades on from the debacle that was the World Cup in Argentina, the Tartan Army were allowing themselves a smidgeon of optimism. A feeling which intensified when Scotland were drawn in a World Cup qualifying group along with the Netherlands, Norway, Macedonia and Iceland. Few expected the Scots to win the group but hopes were high that second place would be attainable and, therefore, a play-off against one of the other group runners-up for a place in the finals in South Africa in the summer of 2010.

The reasons for Burley’s departure from Hearts have never fully been explained. The former Motherwell player signed a confidentiality clause at the time but this didn’t prevent rumour after rumour circulating supporters message boards on the internet. One rumour suggested Romanov believed his manager had an alcohol problem and wanted him to go to Lithuania for treatment, a scurrilous claim that has never been given substance. Like the rest of us, Burley enjoyed a quiet pint.

I remember walking into The Athletic Arms - known locally as The Diggers and a free kick away from Tynecastle - in early July 2005 and seeing Burley enjoying a pint with Phil Anderton, then Hearts Chief Executive. But much in the way Sir Alex Ferguson invites opposition managers for a glass of wine after a game, there’s nothing wrong in that.

Hearts were unbeaten and top of the SPL when Burley left so abruptly in October 2005. They had been playing some of the most attractive football seen at Tynecastle since the Scottish

However, the early signs weren’t particularly promising. Early friendly games didn’t inspire. A draw with Croatia at Hampden was followed by a 3-1 defeat against Czech Republic at the tail end of season 2007-08 and a far from inspiring goalless draw with Northern Ireland at Hampden at the beginning of the following season.

The game against the Ulstermen was on a midweek evening - hardly the ideal preparation for the searing heat of Macedonia a fortnight later where Scotland’s World Cup hopes got off to the worst possible start with a 1-0 defeat. Although the Scots secured a narrow win in Iceland four days later, they were chasing their collective tails from thereon in.

Burley’s decision not to play Kris Boyd www.scotzine.com 19

in the home game with Norway the following month was seen by many as the beginning of the end, particularly as Chris Iwelumo conjured up one of the most astonishing misses ever seen at Hampden as the game ended goalless. Five points dropped from the opening three fixtures, the knives were being sharpened. Boyd went off in a huff and refused to play for Scotland whilst Burley was in charge; the following March, Barry Ferguson and Alan McGregor were involved in ‘Boozegate’ and, after making illthought gestures during the return fixture with Iceland at Hampden, were banished from the Scotland set-up.

A hapless performance in Norway at the start of this season saw Gary Caldwell sent off and the team collapsed to a humiliating 4-0 defeat.

Burley needed those players who still wanted to play for him to beat not only Macedonia - which they did - but also the Netherlands at Hampden, which was never going to happen. In the end, Scotland failed to clinch second place and the World Cup wilderness would continue for at least another four years.

For a few days following the defeat to the Netherlands George Burley’s tenure as Scotland manager remained uncertain. The SFA were said to be ‘considering Burley’s future’ which didn’t sound promising for the former Hearts boss. In the end, the Hampden suits stuck with Burley amid rumours that their intended target as a replacement didn’t want to know. The SFA must carry some of the blame for Scotland’s failure. Chief Executive Gordon Smith, for example, arranged Scotland’s fixtures for the qualifying group. Starting with an away tie in the unbearable heat of Macedonia on a Saturday afternoon followed by a trip to Iceland on a Wednesday evening didn’t make a lot of sense to me. Moreover, having the Dutch visit Hampden for a do-or-die final fixture may have made box office sense but 20 www.scotzine.com

it did little, in my view, to enhance Scotland’s chances of making it to the World Cup Finals for the first time since 1998.

During the second half against Macedonia and the first half against the Dutch in those final two games, Scotland showed what they are capable of. Despite what many people think, George Burley has done a good job with Scotland. Yes, he let players enjoy a couple of drinks after the loss in Amsterdam. However, Barry Ferguson and Alan McGregor should have been responsible enough not to abuse that privilege. Rather than spit his dummy out the pram, Kris Boyd should have been big enough to prove to the manager that he deserved a place in the Scotland team. Perhaps Burley’s downfall is that he appears to lack a presence, that he’s too much of a nice guy to be a successful national coach. But I get the impression the current Scotland squad - without its cliques and ego warriors - respect George Burley to the hilt and will be determined to make Scotland respected again.

Personally, I’m glad the SFA didn’t make the same mistake Vladimir Romanov did four years ago and have kept George Burley as Scotland manager. In my admittedly biased opinion, he’s every bit as good a coach as Alex McLeish and Walter Smith. With the dissenting voices in the Scotland camp now removed, Burley and his team can make plans for the next big challenge - qualifying for the European Championships in 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. If Scotland qualify, retaining the services of Burley will look like a masterstroke.

If we don’t, we will need - for the umpteenth time in nearly 15 years - to think again.

But, for now, let’s keep the faith, eh?

Text | Peter Joyce

Another Glorious Failure!

I

n 1982 we had a dream. In 1986 we were on a big trip to Mexico. In 1998 we were told not to come home too soon. In 2010 however, we’ll be staying home for the summer, but where did it all go so very wrong for Burley’s boys?

On the 24th of January, Scottish football welcomed a new leader for its National team. Following in the footsteps of greats such as Willie Ormand, Jock Stein and Walter Smith, the quiet man from Cumnock was charged with presenting Scottish football with the one thing that had evaded it for 10 years: Qualification for a major tournament.

say, at home to Iceland, the Scotland fans were excited at the prospect of the forthcoming revenge mission against the “clockwork orange”, and regaining some pride amongst our national game, after the humiliating 6-0 demolition the last time we visited Amsterdam.

Then when the fixture list was printed, Scotland was left scratching its head.

Awaiting first was Macedonia away, 3pm kick off. Unfortunately, nobody at the SFA realised that temperatures would soar to an unplayable 100 degrees. So on that sweltering day in Skopje, the Scots did well to muster a 1-0 defeat, and leave with their sweat soaked heads held high. Hoping for Prospects for the new man in charge better things in Reykjavik, the Tartan were good. A second pot seeding Army faithfully followed on. after the positive previous campaign.

As everyone looked towards Durban So, from the blaze of the eastern for the group draw, positivity rallied European sun, to low Nordic through the home camp. Then it temperatures, the Scots were back happened. If anyone had asked in their comfort zone. With the Burley beforehand the one thing he most unlikely of goalscorers in Kirk would have wanted to avoid, it would Broadfoot leading the way, the plucky have been the five-team group. Horror Scots fought to a hard earned 2-1 win, group 9. Fitting then, for a nation in a country more famed for Igloos famous for its bad luck regarding than football. With his first win in hand, sport, that when Scotland’s name the new gaffer had over a month to was read out, it was followed by the contemplate the campaign so far, and dreaded announcement that every create the master plan to defeat John Scot wished not to hear: “Scotland Carew and his Norway side. will enter into group 9.” To add salt to the already critical wounds, previous As the days passed, George destroyers of the Scots, Holland, were Burley was spotted here, there and also present in group 9. As every Scot everywhere searching for the perfect watched on, the rallying positivity firmly player to help him break through hit an immense, orange-coloured wall. the strong Norwegian defence.

Then, when sitting one day at So, as we got to grips with the horrific Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux draw, the fixture list was announced. stadium, he had an epiphany, and it Expecting the top men at the SFA came in the form of Chris Iwelumo. to have negotiated a fair first game, The unknown lad from Glasgow was to www.scotzine.com 21

make an unlikely debut at Hampden, Kris Boyd, the day after being left to in front of 50,000 rampaging Scots. sweat it out on the bench in place of Iwelumo, relinquished his Scotland As the match kicked off, everyone in place, and left the national set up for the nation held its breath, knowing that as long as George Burley remained this game was pivotal in our hopes for manager. This, I feel, was possibly qualification. A tense opening to the the pivotal event in Scotland’s failure game culminated in a 0-0 half time to qualify, as we had now lost our only score line. As George Burley sat in out-and-out goalscorer. Burley now the changing room with his squad at knew that a result in at least one of half-time, he must have looked at the his next two matches was crucial for two main strikers in his squad. The the qualifying campaign. prolific, highly talented, goal-scoring, machine that is Kris Boyd and the Unfortunately, next for Scotland was a unknown, untested Chris Iwelumo. return to Amsterdam, the scene of the Only Burley himself will know why crime for many of the Scotland squad, with this knowledge, he picked the who travelled with Berti Vogts when latter to help win him the game. Little a mix of calamitous defending and did he know that the decision would sheer lack of ability, resulted in a 6-0 lead to the moment that would define annihilation. So when the team lined both his, and the striker’s career. up next to some of the best players in the world, in one of the best teams As 56 minutes came around, the to grace the field in the competition, number 14 was shown, and Chris little was expected. Despite a strong Iwelumo was thrown into the lions’ performance in the Netherlands, the den. As Scotland continued to push loss of first choice goalkeeper Craig for the vital goal, the most unthinkable Gordon was just one of many factors of horrors for Iwelumo was waiting. in Scotland’s 3-0 defeat. Scotland As he stood on the six-yard box, his now effectively needed six points heart pulsating, he must have seen from the games against Iceland and the net bulging in his mind. As the Norway to seal qualification. ball passed the only defender in front of him, he must have seen the heroic The following match was at home to status awaiting him. All he had to do Iceland, a team we had overcome was place it into the empty net. Then relatively easily (unfortunately, so had somehow, inexcusably, he managed most of the teams in the group). With to squirm the ball pass the left-hand the introduction to the squad of Ross post, and wide of the open goal. McCormack and Steven Fletcher, Mid-celebration, one by one, every Scotland managed a 2-1 victory, Scotland fan began to realise that the both new squad members on the Wolves man had managed to miss score sheet. Full of restored hope, we an absolute sitter. So Burley’s big eagerly awaited the match in Norway experiment had failed, and finishing two months later, where a win would all with a 0-0 draw, our qualification but seal a place in the play-off round. hopes had taken a critical hit.

Losing would mean near impossibility for Burley’s boys, in their attempt to As the nation attempted to move on reach South Africa. from the Norway disaster and Iwelumogate, one man was determined that So, as the month counted down, Burley would not get off so lightly. the majority of Scottish football fans 22 www.scotzine.com

forgot about their national team, and focused on the club sides. During this period, Burley simply had to pray that none of his star players picked up an injury, and simply waited for the 12th of August, when his and the nation’s fate would be decided.

Unfortunately, injuries were picked up, and Scotland were forced to start with goalkeeper David Marshall and defender Callum Davidson, the duo both untested at international level.

Still, after the heroics this squad had shown in the previous campaign, the nation still believed. Such faith was kept until the 34th minute, when Celtic centre half Gary Caldwell was shown a red card, in what was a hash decision by the utterly useless referee from Luxembourg. From then on, it was always set to be an uphill battle, and the Tartan Army were made to suffer the same kind of defeat for which Berti Vogts made his name as Scotland boss. 4-0, and our standing in the international set up was left in tatters.

With two games left, the task was simple. Beat Macedonia, then Holland. No ifs, no buts. Maximum points was all that could secure our passage to South Africa. With David Weir restored to centre half, the Scots powered to a 2-0 win. Goals from Scott Brown and James McFadden kept the dream alive. In a heated encounter, the scoreline flattered the home side in a game where the visitors regretted missing some gilt-edged chances.

Nevertheless, the three points were put on the board, and the whole nation eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Dutch to Hampden.

from David Weir, resulted in a 1-0 defeat. A goal from Eljero Elia confirmed what seemed obvious from the beginning of the campaign: Scotland were not going to South Africa.

So where did it all go wrong? Many will look towards ‘Boozegate’ and its repercussions but I personally feel it played little part in the eventual failure as its casualties weren’t exactly vital to the cause. Many will look towards the strange tactics used in Norway, but one defeat cannot be held responsible for this. The pivotal moment in the campaign has to be the loss of Kris Boyd after the shocking decision to choose Chris Iwelumo ahead of him against Norway at home. Although many will say that with hindsight it is easy to say the decision was wrong, most of the Tartan Army knew it was blatantly wrong at the time of its making. Why was an untested, inexperienced Championship striker chosen ahead of the SPL’s most clinical finisher? A bizarre decision made by a bizarre manager.

Despite a horrific campaign in which Scotland failed to qualify from a simple group, it was near impossible for Burley to be replaced. This shows the depleted state of the nation’s game as within our 5 million population, we cannot find anyone who could do a better job than the current gaffer.

Although many will bring up the names of Strachan and Souness, it seems pointless to bring in someone who will most likely do very little to improve the national team’s results.

We need changes at the top, rather than in the middle.

However, when they did arrive, the So, as we await the draw for the next dreams of a nation were crushed. campaign, we can do nothing, but Unbelievable misses from Rangers’ Keep the faith.

Kenny Miller, and a horrific mistake

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Text | Glen McMahon & Alan Temple

For & Against

e c n e d i v e Video

Glen McMahon

‘Watford goal that never was’ is never repeated. Once that is settled in and becomes part of the game, it would be time to begin to use the technology to assist officials in penalty decisions and possibly even offsides.

millions of pounds are won and lost on the pitch over 90 minutes. So why is it that key decisions which can have a major impact on these results are left to the inconsistencies of human error, when there is perfectly acceptable and reliable technology available?

I for one, have had enough of post match debates centred on referees and their competency. We should be talking about the quality of the players and the football, not the officiating.

With video technology, the number of mistakes made by referees would be reduced drastically, leaving Ewan and Roughie to find something else to talk about!

For

ootball is the one truly global sport.

Its growth in popularity over the F years has been astronomical. Literally

We have seen the benefits that technology has provided to other sports, such as tennis, rugby, and cricket, yet the greatest sport of them all is lagging behind, like a stubborn old dinosaur, stuck in its ways.

This season UEFA decided to trial an additional two referee’s assistants positioned behind either goal line in the Europa League. Does anybody really know why? We now have six match officials, but the same problem remains: people make mistakes. Would it not have been far more beneficial to trial the use of video technology in this season’s competition, giving everyone involved a chance to get to grips with it and see whether or not it can be integrated smoothly into the game we love.

One question that would need to be addressed would be what exactly we would use the technology for and what would be left solely to the match officials. I think the best option would be to start with the straight-forward goal line video, settling all those ‘was it over the line or not’ situations, and ensuring that the now infamous 24 www.scotzine.com

The recent decision to trial two additional match officials in the Europa League has been roundly criticised by club managers, including both Tony Mowbray and David Moyes. However, many high profile managers have spoken out on the need to introduce video technology to top flight football, as a matter of urgency. I believe that if there was a poll conducted amongst every top flight manager in Europe, the results would be overwhelmingly in favour of the technology being used.

Another reason for video technology to be used is that it could possibly ease the pressures of the current referee recruitment crisis in this country. There simply aren’t enough young referees coming through to replace the older ones that are forced to retire. When you see the criticism and immense pressure that today’s refs are under, it is hardly surprising.

If young refs knew that if they made it to the top tier of British football then they would be supported by video technology on all the major decisions, then it would obviously reduce the

pressure associated with refereeing and there could well be an increase in young guys picking up the whistle.

Against

Those that are against video evidence Alan Temple generally have three primary reasons for believing that it would have an adverse effect on our game. The first one is: “It would take too long, and would disrupt the flow of the game”. No it wouldn’t. Think about the stoppages already present in a game of football for injuries, goal celebrations and the like. Consulting a video referee through an earpiece would take only a matter of seconds, as we have seen in rugby. Surely it is worth waiting a few seconds to get the right decision, rather than quickly continuing the game with the completely wrong one?

Another argument used against video evidence is the old cliché – “Football has lasted this long the way it is, so why change it now?” Well, football is constantly changing and always has been. Although it comes pretty close at times, football is not perfect and so we must always look for ways to improve it, otherwise it may well stagnate.

The video evidence naysayers also point to the considerable cost of introducing the technology into the game. It would clearly cost a fair sum to successfully implement the new technology, but I think the cost of not doing it far outweighs the initial financial outlay. As I mentioned earlier, football clubs stand to lose millions of pounds on the bounce of a ball, the swing of a player’s foot, or the blow of a referee’s whistle (or the lack of a blow, as the case may be). Now it is easy to accept the bounce of a ball, or a piece of inspiration from a star striker in deciding a match, because this is what football is all about, but its not that easy to accept when your team loses out due to a dodgy decision, and that’s why video evidence NEEDS to come in. The sooner the better.

he little green ball looks to have crossed the line. But let’s T check with hawk-eye. Yes? It’s out.

Advantage Federer. How very clever.

How very correct. There’s a scramble after the scrum, number 11 dives for the line. Did he get the ball down?

Let’s wait 30 seconds. Try. How very clever. How very correct.

More to the point: how absolutely devoid of any passion, controversy or potential human error - just three of the things that make football the greatest sport in the world.

There has been an ever increasing band of advocates for technology to be used in football in the last 10 years or so. This emanates from a few high profile incidences where (especially goal line) technology would have cleared up any controversy. Pedro Mendes’ ‘goal’ at Old Trafford is of course the one everybody harps on about, which is ridiculous as there was no need for goal line technology there, it was simply one of those incredible acts of incompetence from an official. As with most controversies like that in our game, it that can be prevented by a better standard of officiating: a human solution rather than a robotic one. www.scotzine.com 25

Another famous case was of course Luis Garcia’s ‘goal’ against Chelsea which saw the Anfield club on the way to the Champions League final. This is another equally ridiculous scenario for technology as there are still those who cannot agree whether or not it was a goal. So in that game we would have seen the game stopped for however long and still people would not find a unanimous answer. No, much better to have a human make the decision.

I am delighted a ‘football man’ like UEFA President Michel Platini has seen fit to find solutions to issues such as the ball crossing the goal line, but it is even more pleasing that he has ordained that these solutions should remain in the spirit of the game. A game where human beings make the decisions and the flow of the game should not be ceased unless there is an injury or another unavoidable delay.

scored are a worthwhile delay, but in stopping the game to check the replay who knows what may have been ruined. A swift counter attack?

The attacking team might swing the ball in again and score a goal of which there is no doubt. No, it is much better to allow an additional official behind the goal to make the decision, and then allow the game to carry on.

If the game isn’t stopped, as some have suggested, but continues until the ball goes out of play, then a replay is checked, what happens if the other team scores on the break before the ball goes out of play? Is their goal chalked off when it turns out the other team actually scored a minute earlier?

Do you see the plethora of issues video technology could cause? And that scenario is merely goal line technology. A whole other can of worms could be opened.

Let’s say goal line technology is People will argue those 30 seconds introduced and completely eradicates to ascertain whether a goal has been erroneous decisions with regards 26 www.scotzine.com

to the ball crossing the line. It is a wonderful success and is hailed as the saviour modern football. How long before every manager and pundit starts saying: “Well, we haven’t lost any points this season to wrong goal line decisions, but I’ve lost 12 to players diving to win penalties or free kicks!” or “We haven’t lost any points this season to wrong goal line decisions, but they scored from a corner that was actually a goal kick!”

Before long there will be an inevitable clamour for more technology to ensure the pesky fallibility of human beings doesn’t get in the way of a football match, and then we will see a real stop-start sport where every decision made is scrutinised from above. It may seem far fetched, but anyone who believes goal line technology would be the end of the revolution is living in cloud-cuckoo-land.

Michel Platini has done the right thing by introducing the extra official behind each goal. It allows an extra pair of eyes in the area where most game-breaking incidents occur and still retains the instantaneous nature of decision-making. Most of all it means the game will stay the same throughout the different levels of football.

all the way down to the Highland League. Another reason why video technology is unworkable in football is because it would make top-level football effectively a different sport from the lower leagues. It would basically be football’s governing bodies saying: “It’s okay to have dreadful decisions in lower league games. Who really cares about them? Just make sure the Champions League is okay.” That is a disgraceful attitude.

If implemented all over, this new system will ensure smaller leagues in smaller countries will also see (bar a couple of natural human errors I’m sure) the eradication of poor officiating, rather than the one rule for the rich, another for the poor attitude which has blighted football for too long.

To come full circle: it is the potential for the odd human error and the subjective analysis of decisions made by the man in black that helps make football the game it is.

Do we really want to lose what that brings to the sport? How many times have you mulled over your pints in the pub talking about the referee’s performance? How many times have you found the atmosphere suddenly becomes fantastic because your lot feel aggrieved?

These are things that make football what it is, and apart from the odd extra official we shouldn’t change a damn thing.

Do you agree with Glen’s comments backing up the introduction of Video evidence into the game or do you support Alan’s comments on why Video evidence should not be introduced? Send us your views to letters@scotzine.com and we shall publish the best ones.

When we have extra officials trained, this new system can be implemented www.scotzine.com 27

Text | Iain Robertson

Scott Walker

c i t e l h t A a Allo

exciting time since the Scottish Cup in 1987.

What I also found exciting were the memories of standing on the balcony in Paisley Town Hall with the cup aloft. The open top bus we got along to the town hall is a memory I’ll never forget.”

“Another memorable moment was scoring for St. Mirren against local rivals Morton, which was described as the best goal in season 1999/2000. It involved me heading the ball out the box then running the full length of the pitch to score a diving header from a cross.”

Scott also has fond memories of his time playing in Asia, where he played for a top flight team in Singapore. Unlike Caledonia’s shores the far east was awash with sunshine so hot that Scott and his team mates could only train at certain times of the day. “It was a fantastic experience, though, and communication with other players was never a problem. Most of them spoke better English than the native he 12th Man catches up with Alloa players in Scottish dressing rooms! defender Scott Walker and talks to him about his career that has taken him from The supporters on the terraces are important sunny Singapore to soggy St. Mirren and all to Scott, and he believes they really can be the 12th man. points on the compass in between.

T

Currently plying his trade with Second Division promotion hopefuls Alloa, the veteran stopper has experienced playing in every league in Scotland, with a brief spell spent south of the border at Hartlepool.

His goal for Dunfermline against Hibs, which ended the Pars’ 40-year wait for a win over the Leith side at Easter Road will long be remembered by fans of the Fife club, and is one of Scott’s many career highlights. Another was winning the First Division with St. Mirren.

“Winning promotion at a number of clubs was fantastic, however, winning the First Division was the most memorable due to the fact we were going into the SPL and the town of Paisley hadn’t been involved in such an

28 www.scotzine.com

“Fans are all passionate no matter what level of football. They are committed and wish they could be playing on the pitch with you at times.

True supporters are excellent and always support the team through the goods times and the bad times.

“I would like to say that the St. Mirren fans are really passionate about their team. When we won the first division and travelled through the town on the open top bus it brought a tear to my eye that people could be so committed through good times and bad times but in the end honestly loved what you had accomplished. I’ve seen guys crying with excitement, people getting tattoos of the clubs crest on their bodies, unbelievable.”

Off the pitch Scott is a massive fan of all things football and has experienced the same massive highs and lows as every other supporter – Scotland’s failure to qualify for the World Cup play-offs being a recent low.

“The best managers that I’ve played under would be Allan Maitland and Hugh McCann.

Their managerial skills are excellent. They get the best out the players and gain respect with ease.”

“As a supporter, the best moment was watching St. Mirren lift the Scottish Cup and being there at the town hall to see them parade the cup. I stood on the grass verge of the town hall with my dad looking up at the players. It was an amazing experience. The greatest moment for me, though, was seeing Davie Cooper playing for Clydebank at their old ground. He was a magician with the ball and no player got near him the whole game.”

Returning to the sore subject of the Scottish national team, Scott says enough is enough and it is time for the country to change its losing habit.

“Glorious failure seems to be the country’s adopted slogan when it comes to football.

Last game defeats in qualifying campaigns allow the headline writers to repeat the same, sad, sorry mantra about our national team. But it’s not even as respectable as glorious failure.

Scott is a talker on the pitch and is as animated The failure is fundamental and reflects the on the field for current club Alloa as he has outlook of Scottish society.” ever been, with a desire that far outweighs the To get the best out of future generations of age barrier.

Scottish players, Scott believes there has to “When I was at Kilmarnock Bobby Williamson be a sea change in the nation’s thinking. always told the lads never to shut up on the pitch because it helps you focus on your own “Our obesity rates are some of the worst in the developed world and our general health game.” isn’t much better. Twin that – in a footballing And Scott looks up to those players who sense – with inadequate sporting facilities, maintain the same hunger for the game and all you get is failure, not glorious, just failure. Scotland is crying out for better throughout their careers. facilities, especially indoor arenas, which we “There are lots of professional players that I desperately need in this country where the look up to. Ryan Giggs and David Beckham rain is certainly no stranger. Look at countries are two that stand out. When you get older on the continent, where even the smaller clubs and can still perform at the highest level every have an academy. Here it’s just the Old Firm and a few others that have adequate setweek, that desire deserves a lot of credit.” ups and it’s not good enough. Coaches also Who, though, does Scott most like watching have a massive part to play. In Scotland, SPL and which manager has he the most respect managers tend not to change their training techniques when their side is winning. It’s for, as a fan as well as a player? naïve. As a player I just couldn’t believe it and “My favourite player of the past would be Japp the players in general would be thinking: can Stan. He had great strength, passing ability we not try something different?” and power for such a big man. Favourite player at present would have to be Ronaldo If Scott could give Scotland manager George and Rooney. What excellent examples of an Burley a time travelling DeLorean to pick the best players this country has produced, all round player. though, who would he tell the gaffer to pick?

“On the managerial front, as a supporter of football, it has to be Alex Ferguson. To have Craig Gordon, Alan Hutton, Alan Hanson, such great players at his disposal and still Christophe Berra, Davie Copper, James keep them all hungry to play and succeed McFadden, John Collins, Graeme Souness, over a long period of time is pure managerial Steven Archibald, Ally McCoist, Kenny Dalglish. genius. www.scotzine.com 29

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Text | Derek Harvie | www.scottishfootballarchive.co.uk

Book Review Story The Don r e l l lie Mi W

l The Wi

illie Miller is the most successful club captain outside of the Old Firm, has played more times for Aberdeen than anyone else and retired from Scotland as the third most capped player of all time (as of current writing he is seventh equal).

He played under Alex Ferguson for his club and Jock Stein for his country, so got some great grounding in the game but was loved by both managers, his teammates, his own fans - if not the opposition fans.

The book opens with a foreword from Ferguson, who talks about Miller’s loyalty and also his worth to the team, while still - which was when he was selected as having a small dig at Miller’s lack of pace in a squad of Glasgow primary school for good measure. players (as a goalkeeper) which travelled to America on tour - mentioning how Miller grew up in Bridgeton, stating unbelievable that so many years later, the obvious about it being a notorious Calderwood would be his choice for Rangers stronghold while being within manager at Aberdeen. close vicinity of Parkhead but has never had an affinity to either Old Firm team - The chapter is the interrupted by, what he mentions the fights and violence in his feels to me, an advert - it starts by Willie local streets after Old Firm games was a talking about growing up playing on red deciding factor in not supporting either blaes and how painful it was, which I side - perhaps this also drove him on to remember myself, but then it mentions his later performances against the same how great it is that the SFA and Scottish Old Firm teams he decided not to like!

Executive has invested £31 million in allweather pitches and better support for In his early days, Miller was not a real grass roots football. While this is very football fanatic and actually admits it was valid, it just feels a little out of place in an the World Cup in England in 1966 that autobiography, to me. peaked his passion for the game - indeed it was the World Cup Willie mascot that Back from the ad break and onto the story, caught his attention, but mainly the play in which a young Willie shifts from being of players like Eusebio who made him a goalkeeper to being a striker - perhaps want to play the game more. a little known fact and a long way from his final destiny as one of the Nation’s In his primary school team, Miller was greatest defenders! actually a goalkeeper and the opening chapter of the book also talks about his Unable to find a way into the first team first meeting with Jimmy Calderwood at an early age, Miller was loaned out www.scotzine.com 31

The next few chapters cover Miller’s early seasons at Aberdeen, being an almost ever-present since getting his first chance, due to injury, early in the 1973-74 season - these read well and are detailed enough to give you a flavour of a young Miller’s exploits with the Aberdeen team on various trips, including their ‘World Tour’ in the summer of 74.

Willie then paints Ally MacLeod as a bit of a fruitcake in his short spell in charge in the North East but also enjoys the League Cup success of the 1976-77 season beating Celtic in the final, as well as MacLeod making him Aberdeen captain as a wedding present - which obviously helps with the fruitcake depiction!

to Peterhead - still a Highland League team at the time - which was a common thing for Aberdeen to do in those days.

Miller had a great season there, scoring 23 goals and winning the Aberdeenshire Cup. Miller’s next manager at Aberdeen was also only there for little over a season as Upon to returning to Pittodrie, Miller found he talks about his relationship with Billy himself in the Reserves but found scoring McNeil, a new defensive partnership with harder to come by - he puts this down Alex McLeish, in a team that ran Rangers to his lack of pace, which wasn’t such close in the League and also lost out to an issue in the Highland League - and the same team in the Scottish Cup Final therefore found himself playing less for of the 1977-78 season - two managers, the Reserves, until his big break came, two finals in two seasons - and next up via a ‘flu bug!

Alex Ferguson...

With lack of defensive resources available to the team, Willie found himself called upon to stand-in central defence - the rest we know is pretty much history...

Through the next few chapters, the book takes you through the first few seasons with Ferguson in charge (another final defeat to Rangers in 1978-79, this time in the League Cup before the 197980 League Championship season - the first in 25 years for Aberdeen) and how, while it brought success, it was actually a tough time for Miller both personally and professionally - due to Ferguson’s strict/stubborn approach with the players, almost stripping Miller of the captaincy because he didn’t think he was up to it.

That side, with Miller playing the second half of the season in defence rather than up front, won the 1972-73 Reserve League title, the Reserve League Cup and only lost in the Scottish Second XI Cup in a semi-final replay - this led to Miller being called up for the last few games of the first team’s League campaign and finally got his first team debut in the last game of the season - as a winger!

These chapters also give an insight into the mentality of the Aberdeen dressing The book itself has been very well room during this period, explaining how written so far, except for the previously Ferguson used the Old Firm dominance mentioned advert obviously, with a few and an anti-Glasgow feeling amongst interludes that make for good reading - the team (and fans) to spur them on to for example, in chapter 3, where he rips success. Even nowadays Ferguson is into Zoltan Varga, disagreeing with the known for his mind tricks and it’s nice to fans for giving him cult status over the 13 see this from a player’s perspective, and months he was at the club.

Miller explains how these were used to 32 www.scotzine.com

instill a team mentality that drove them different if the book was written before he to beating the Old Firm in Glasgow, the was taken back as Director of Football in hurdle that Ferguson told them was 2004. preventing them from winning trophies.

A good, long chapter is devoted to his At this point we are still less than half way time with Scotland - Miller was capped 65 through the book, therefore it’s time for times and played in two World Cup finals the chapter dedicated to Aberdeen’s 1983 - so this was a big part of his life and is European Cup Winners’ Cup Final victory reflected. He continues with a chapter in Gothenburg is there in full glory (with on his Director of Football role and the some good quality pictures to accompany appointment of his old friend Jimmy it), detailing each game in each round, Calderwood as manager - then the book and when Miller is saying he’s doing it finishes with an epilogue where Miller straight from memory you can almost picks his dream teams of players he’s believe him, this chapter is written with an played with and against. obvious pride added to the passion that he also showed on the pitch throughout Overall, a very well his career. written book, one that actually flows with time The book continues with further and remembers his successes, including the 1982-83 relationships with many Scottish Cup Final, the 1983-84 European players and managers Super Cup, followed with further Scottish over the years he graced Cup success and then back-to-back Scottish football both on league titles. In a previous chapter, Miller and off the pitch. discussed turning down an offer to join Rangers and said he would have done I’d assume it was a similar with Celtic because he didn’t must for any Aberdeen fan, but it’s also believe the Old Firm to be dominant in a compelling read for anybody who can that period and that he fully believed in remember the era of Scottish football Alex Ferguson’s ability to deliver upon his when the Old Firm didn’t win everything! promises - I believe these chapters and the trophies won, are more than proof he made the right choice.

Subsequent chapters then deal with the final years of Ferguson’s reign - inevitably more trophies - and then how the club tried to deal with replacing Ferguson, first with Ian Porterfield and eventually Miller himself - who rightfully describes his time in charge as relatively successful - in his first full season Aberdeen finished second to Rangers in the League and lost both Cup Finals to Rangers too!

0 1 / 8

: ng

ti Ra

Miller is obviously saddened at leaving Aberdeen after 20 years of service but, according to the book, he takes it well. I wonder if this would have been www.scotzine.com 33

34 www.scotzine.com

Old Firm

Text | Andy Muirhead

SHOWDOWN

Part One

Old Firm derbies are always fiery encounters and this match will not be any different. Tony Mowbray will take charge of Celtic in his first Old Firm clash as manager, never having faced Walter Smith at management level. Smith meanwhile has seen it all and done it all domestically with Rangers and he will not be daunted by the occasion. Although saying that, Mowbray has had his experiences of the Old Firm as a player for Celtic, while Smith has not.

on this season’s showing is laughable.

Given that Caldwell publicly ostracised Peter Lawwell the morning of the Europa League game against Hapoel Tel Aviv, which Celtic lost due to dodgy defending, Caldwell is fast becoming a hate figure for elements of the Celtic support, and he could remain on the bench for this match.

Rangers face major problems on the field, that stretch from front to back. Last season’s top scorer Kris Boyd is not scoring and the goals are not coming from anywhere else within the Rangers side.

Rangers fans have had to suffer three successive draws in the league against teams that they believe they should have beaten at a canter.

With Celtic looking to recover the title from their arch rivals, points make prizes and if they can manage to go seven points clear on Sunday, it will not only see them open a healthy lead at the top of the table, but it will also pile more pressure on messers Smith, McCoist and McDowall, At the heart of their midfield, Pedro as they oversee Rangers worst start to Mendes and Steven Davis are in poor the league for 15 years. form and when they are not playing well, neither are Rangers as a whole.

While Rangers problems lie both on and off the pitch, Celtic’s remain solely on Then there is David Weir. Despite having it. In games where Aiden McGeady has years of experience to call upon in not played, Celtic have struggled. While the heart of the Rangers defence, the Paddy McCourt has come good against problem lies squarely with his pace or the likes of Falkirk and St. Mirren in the lack of it. With Weir in the side, Rangers league cup and the league respectively, sit too deep to try and compensate for it is a different kettle of fish taking on Weir’s lack of pace. With Sasa Papac Rangers and I cannot see the Northern and Steven Smith doubtful due to injury, Irishman retaining his place in the side an already threadbare Rangers side will even if McGeady is still out injured. more than likely call on the services of Lee McCulloch and Danny Wilson for However Celtic’s main problem is their defensive duties. defence or lack of it.. Glenn Loovens, Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell are Finally there is Allan McGregor, Rangers’ not what would be called ‘Celtic-class’ by No.1 for the moment. Mr Inconsistent as the supporters and they have to endure we like to call him. One match he is in some dodgy defending week in week out. fine form and in the next he is woeful.

On top of that, Caldwell’s performances However he can be great and poor in this season have been poor and the same game, pulling off a wonderful despite this there is a cloud hanging fingertip save to deny an obvious goal, over Parkhead as he tries to negotiate but then a few minutes later dropping the a wage rise to £19,000 a week, which ball at the feet of an attacker to slot home. www.scotzine.com 35

One thing is definite in Old Firm matches, past encounters, previous form in the SPL and even the usual articles building up the derby by former players and pundits can all be thrown out of the window.

The only thing that is certain in this hate-filled encounter is the uncertainty about what will happen. After last year’s 4-2 demolition at the hands of Rangers at Parkhead, Celtic will want to exact revenge on their city neighbours with first blood, and going on recent form, you can’t bet against them - or can you?

McGeady v Rothen Under Tony Mowbray, Aiden McGeady has been used on the right wing this season, and could be set for another stint on the right in the derby. If so, he will more than likely face off against Rangers only summer signing, Jerome Rothen.

And this is where the problem lies for Rangers. Rothen’s play lacks pace, and with McGeady one of the fastest in the SPL, he will struggle to deal with the Irish internationalist.

Key Battles

McGeady will be key to Celtic’s ability to attack and if he is fit for the clash then he will be a recurring nightmare for the former PSG man for weeks to come after Sunday’s match. With Rangers struggling Whoever plays for Celtic in the heart of at left back also, Steven Smith and Papac defence, they will have to face the threat are both doubtful, the weak link is there of Kris Boyd at some point in the match. for McGeady to expose.

But I would be surprised if Walter Smith plays him from the start, as he favours Prediction: McGeady. He will cause former Celtic striker Kenny Miller ahead huge problems for Rothen, who will of Boyd as the lone striker in his favoured be playing in his first Old Firm derby.

4-1-4-1 formation. Despite not being a Despite his experience, Rothen may big-game scorer, Boyd is still a predator in be overwhelmed by the atmosphere of front of goal and he is certainly not Filipe hate generated in Ibrox, while McGeady Sebo or Peter van Vossen. relishes such occasions.

Boyd v Celtic

Prediction: The Celtic defence. Boyd McDonald v Rangers is posted missing in the big games and struggling with poor form at the moment, McDonald is Celtic’s primary goalscorer he will be shut out by Celtic’s defence. and he will have to one again deliver the goods if Celtic are to win at Ibrox.

Madjid Bougherra will be his main adversary, however he has been a tad temperamental this season and if Former team mates at Hibernian under McDonald can get under his skin then present Celtic manager Tony Mowbray, you could see some fireworks from the both players will play an important part big Algerian. However, the weak link is in proceedings and will not shirk out of David Weir and if McDonald can use his tackles. Both players could dictate the pace and diminutive stature against the play during the match, if fit, however both 39-year-old defender then he can come are struggling to recover from injuries out on top. and have not been on form this season.

Whoever wins this battle could ultimately Prediction: Draw. I cannot see McDonald decide where the three points will end up. getting the better of Madjid Bougherra on Sunday and the Algerian will be like a fly Prediction: Scott Brown. With Thomson to shite in regards to marking McDonald. struggling to regain full fitness, Brown’s extra game time should give him the Match Prediction: Celtic win 2-0 edge.

Brown v Thomson

36 www.scotzine.com

Text | Andy Muirhead

25 YEARS OF HATRED Celtic v Rapid Vienna at Parkhead.

Rapid Vienna, Rudi Weinhofer and 1984.

The names and date have lived long in the memories of Celtic, its players and the fans since their European Cup Winners cup clash at Celtic Park in 1984.

The match was marred with off the ball incidents, the late great Tommy Burns being viciously assaulted TWICE by keeper Karl Ehn - when he kicked Burns in the stomach - and the cowardly attack

by Reinhard Kienast who punched Burns in the head from behind, not to mention Weinhofer’s blatant dive to the ground, which gave UEFA cause to award a replay after appeals from Rapid, helped by statements from medical staff falsely testifying that Weinhofer was bloodied by the attack.

For 25 years every time the name Rudi Weinhofer or Rapid Vienna were heard, the blood of Celtic fans and players that night would boil. On Thursday night, the pent up anger and hatred towards a team that typified cheating will explode as soon as the fans enter the stadium and the The Times on Monday published whistle is blown. comments from Swedish linesman Christer Drottz, who was the linesman that Supporters groups have organised, night and on the side where Weinhofer banners painted, chants at the ready and was struck. Drottz has came out and boos waiting in the wings for a Rapid launched a subtle attack on Weinhofer player to touch the ball. This year, out with and Rapid for their behaviour that night. he Old Firm derby matches, the game against Rapid will be one of the most hate Rapid, as a club, from players to coaches filled atmospheres in Europe, let alone to medical staff to the Chairman and in Scotland. As Celtic fans show their Helga the tea lady all claimed that feelings towards the Austrians, UEFA Weinhofer was hit by a bottle and was and the Football world as a whole of how bleeding from the wound. The claims of European progression was stolen from being hit by a bottle changed when it was them by the fraudsters of Rapid Vienna proven that no bottle was seen to have hit of 1984.

Weinhofer on video evidence. The object was then changed from a bottle to a coin.

A weak referee in Kjel Johanssen - who never officiated another European/ But now retired, Drottz categorically international match - Weinhofer and his denies the claims. “We couldn’t see blood Lafferty-esque dive to the turf, UEFA and I told the referee, ‘We must look at his for awarding Rapid a replay, the Celtic head.’ I knew it would be important later. board for not having the guts to stand Weinhofer was keeping both hands on up to the European governing body, the his head, so we took his hands away and fans who threw objects onto the park in there wasn’t any blood. Rapid’s people the first place and a goal from present told us later in the changing rooms that Rapid manager Peter Pacult put paid their doctor had seen blood but there was to Celtic’s hopes of European glory that no blood.” year and ultimately signalled the decline of Celtic in europe for years to come until Weinhofer left the stadum that night Martin O’Neill walked through the doors looking like an extra out of the Jungle www.scotzine.com 37

Text | Grant Milne

Book, with a massive bandage around his head that looked more like a turban than a dressing to protect a wound. Certainly it was done for dramatic effect.

Drottz is still adamant 25 years on that Weinhofer was not injured, “He was pretending.”

However Drottzs’ comments are nothing compared to those of former Celtc player Frank McGarvey who put it so eloquently last week, “It wasn’t just one player who cheated. It was the manager who cheated, the chairman of the club who cheated and the medical staff.”

McGarvey continued to voice his hatred of the Austrian side stating, “Rapid have no class. Nothing will atone for what they did 25 years ago.”

And current Celtic coach Peter Grant gave his opinion on the match also last week, “We won it fair and square.”

Thursday’s game will see the two teams face one another for the first time since the Old Trafford replay, which was marred by fan violence and several attacks on Rapid players by fans, including current manager Pacult, who scored the winning goal that night, getting a swift kick in the goolies for his troubles. And probably gets a recurrence of the feeling every time he hears the name Celtic.

The fans will certainly be fired up for the game, but will the players be equally fired up? Rapid have shown that they are no slouches and that they pose a real threat.

Their wins over Aston Villa and group favourites Hamburger SV are proof of that.

Celtic must bring their A game to Parkhead on Thursday night, with the likes of McGeady, Brown, Boruc and more importantly the Celtic defence, giving their all. If there is even the slightest hint of a weakness, the likes of Steffen Hofmann - a dead ball expert - and Croat Nikica Jelavic will punish Celtic. One thing is clear though, it will be a battle.

38 www.scotzine.com

Celtic v Austrian Opposition

P

rior to that infamous night in November 1984, Celtic had only faced Austrian opponents once, in the shape of Wacker Innsbruck in a European Cup second round tie, played in the 1977-78 season, and saw the now-defunct club win 4-2 over the two legs. However, we look back on a memorable night at Celtic Park…..

Celtic 6-3 Tirol Innsbruck 26th August 1997 Celtic Park Attendance: 47,000 In what is considered by many to be one of the greatest games ever witnessed at Parkhead, Celtic saw their way through to the second round of the UEFA Cup with this dramatic win over Tirol Innsbruck, in a game which had as many swings as the Ryder Cup. Simon Donnelly got the opener for the Hoops with a cracking volley, but within minutes, Mayrleb drew the Austrians level on the night, with an acute finish past Gould, but there was more firsthalf drama to come. Andreas Thom netted with a free-kick inside the box, after Tirol’s reserve goalkeeper Weber had held on to the ball for longer than allocated, but less than a minute later, Mayrleb cut through the Celtic defence and his cutback was unfortunately turned in by Henrik Larsson.

Donnelly regained Celtic’s lead in the second half with a powerful spot kick, and Celtic went ahead for the first time in the tie soon after, Larsson did magnificently well to shrug off the challenges of three defenders, before setting up Burley who made it 4-2 on the night.

But then, it was almost heartbreak for Celtic as Krimmer headed in a Severeyns cross to put Tirol back in front on the away goals rule. At this point many feared it was the end of the road for Celtic, but Danish midfielder Morten Weighorst proved to be the home side’s saviour, controlling a knockdown from the impressive Donnelly and stabbing the ball past Weber, before Burley got his second to kill off the tie deep into stoppage time.

Larsson went on a mazy run skimming past the Austrian’s back line, and tapped the ball across the face of goal for Craig Burley who was left with an easy finish, to end an absolutely sensational night of football in Glasgow.

Text | Wolfgang Berger | rapidhammer.blogspot.com

A Guide to Rapid Vienna something else”.

Rapid Vienna is the most popular football club in Austria. Almost 160 fan clubs support the “Greens” all over the country, the “Block West” in “St. Hanappi” is known as the best and loudest stand in the country and a large crowd usually follows Rapid to away matches. 1,500 supported Rapid in Birmingham against Aston Villa, and I suppose there will be almost 2,500 in Glasgow and 5,000 in Hamburg. The “Ultras” (founded in 1988) and other fan clubs have developed a unique fan culture in Vienna and it is their t was back in 1968 when I, a life-long ambition to show a new fan choreography fan of Rapid Vienna and then a school in every game. boy, began to collect newspaper articles related to the “Green-Whites” from But there’s also something that has Huetteldorf, Vienna’s 14th district. The never changed over Rapid’s history: oldest article of my collection reports on the “Rapid Viertelstunde”. Almost since the impression which a then newly signed the club’s beginnings, the supporters of player had after watching his first home the “Greens” have announced the last game of Rapid: “That’s an atmosphere fifteen minutes of the game by rhythmic I’ve never experienced before,” an clapping at home or away no matter what astonished Tom Soendergaard, a Danish the score. And to date it’s a trademark international, told the reporter in June of Rapid to have often managed to turn 1968. around a seemingly hopeless situation by not giving up and, with the support from In this year Rapid Vienna celebrated their the stands, fighting their way to a win just 25th domestic league title which meant before the final whistle. that they had not only set an Austrian record but became the club that had Rapid Vienna was founded in 1898 as won most domestic league titles on the “First Workers’ Football Club of Vienna”, continent. However it took them 14 years but changed its name to Sport Club to bag their 26th league title in 1982. Until Rapid Vienna just one year later, exactly today Rapid has won the Austrian league 110 years from now. The anniversary 32 times, most recently in 2008. Last was celebrated this summer with games season they finished runners-up behind against Schalke 04, the team which Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg.

Rapid overcame in 1941 to win the German Championship (when Austria My view back to 1968 has shown that was annexed to the German Third Reich nothing has changed over the years: until 1945) and against Liverpool. The the atmosphere generated by the Rapid latter were beaten 1-0 in Vienna Ernst support in their home ground Gerhard Happel Stadium, the same ground where Hanappi Stadium, unofficially called “St. two weeks ago a strong and convincingly Hanappi”, is still something extraordinary playing Rapid won 3-0 against Hamburger throughout Europe. “The atmosphere was SV in the Europa League. terrific,” Aston Villa coach Martin O’Neill (whose team was defeated 1-0 in Vienna) The team’s original colours were red and had to concede, and an astonished Villa blue, but soon after renaming the club its supporter said: “Jesus, their fans are colours were changed to green and white www.scotzine.com 39

I

in 1904. In 1911 Rapid Vienna moved to its legendary old ground “Pfarrwiese” (parish meadow) in Huetteldorf where I attended their last league game in April 1978 when Rapid’s then top scorer Hans Krankl scored five goals in a 6-0 win against Admira/Wacker. Krankl who afterwards played for FC Barcelona won the “Golden Shoe” ’78 as Europe’s leading goalscorer with 41 goals in league matches.

Vienna. Having won the league in 2008 and progressed to the group stage of the Europa League now there is no doubt that Pacult is the most successful manager of Rapid since Otto Baric and Ernst Dokupil who both reached a European Cup Winner’s Final in 1985 and 1996 respectively. Unfortunately, Rapid lost both of them to Everton (1-3 in Rotterdam) and Paris St. Germain (0-1 in Brussels).

Nowadays the Green-Whites play in the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium in Huetteldorf which holds 17,500, but has already proved too small for top games forcing Rapid to play their Europa League matches in the Ernst Happel Stadium with a capacity of 50,000. But such is the enthusiasm surrounding Rapid in these days that there was no doubt that the Europa League was going to be sold out virtually within less than one week.

It’s only a matter of time until the club’s all-time attendance record which dates back to 1922/23 when an average 18,500 attended the home games as Rapid Vienna was a dominant side throughout the continent in the 1920s and ‘30s will be met.

Having not been able to progress from the group stage of the Champions League in 2005 now the pronounced goal is to succeed this time in the Europa League Group C against HSV, Celtic FC and Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Among the players that shall make this achievement possible are Austria’s international goalkeeper Helge Payer, international defender Ragnvald Soma from Norway who played with West Ham United in the Premier League some years ago, midfielders Markus Heikkinen, an international from Finland, and young Yasin Pehlivan who play the important roles in Rapid’s defensive midfield.

Pehlivan, along with forwards Veli Kavlak and wingers Christopher Drazan and Though Rapid Vienna is by far the most Christopher Trimmel are the hot young popular club in Austria other teams like prospects of the most popular Austrian Red Bull Salzburg are able to spend club. significantly more money as they are owned by billionaire Didi Mateschitz Speaking about Rapid’s midfield we whereas Rapid claims that they are a have to mention Branko Boskovic, from membership association which doesn’t Macedonia and the player the fans call belong to anybody else. The lack of “football god”, German skipper Steffen financial funds has been successfully Hofmann, the heart of Rapid Vienna. compensated for during the past years by Hofmann is one of the “assist kings” in supporting young and talented players. In Europe and a prolific scorer from free the team which defeated Aston Villa in the kicks!

Europa League play-off and Hamburger SV on Matchday 1 of the group stage Striker Nikica Jelavic from Croatia scored at least four players were brought up two goals against Aston Villa and grabbed through the Rapid youth system. the important second goal against HSV two weeks ago. He and new arrival Hamdi Rapid’s manager Peter Pacult, who is Salihi (the “Gerd Muller of Albania”) have going to celebrate his 50th birthday on made the supporters almost forget that October 28th, played for Rapid Vienna as this summer the club sold two strikers a striker from 1984 to 1986, but had to who had scored 50 league goals last win the supporters over at the beginning season. Erwin “Jimmy” Hoffer has joined of his spell (three years ago) as he had Napoli and Stefan Maierhofer left for also played for Rapid’s local rival Austria Premier League club Wolves.

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Text | Grant Milne

As to former players just let’s mention famous player and manager Ernst Happel, goalkeepers Walter Zeman and Michael Konsel, Gerhard Hanappi who later constructed Rapids “Gerhard Hanappi Stadion”, strikers Pepi Uridil, “Bimbo” Binder and Hans Krankl, and defender Peter Schoettel, who made 436 appearances for Rapid between 19862002.

Last but not least I think I have to meet my reader’s interest in the controversial episode in 1984 when Rapid Vienna and Celtic FC met in a European Cup Winner’s cup-tie. If George Orwell had imagined what was going to happen in Celtic Park and in Manchester’s Old Trafford in the aforementioned year he might have spared a chapter in his book “1984” where a “Ministry Of Truth” is rewriting historical records to match the Party’s official version of the past. Up to now there are two versions of what has happened in an ugly and viciously fought 2nd leg game between Celtic FC and Rapid Vienna which Celtic won 3-0 after 121 minutes (without extra-time!).

An UEFA appeal committee ruled that the tie had to be replayed due to objects thrown from the terracing in Glasgow of which one had hit and injured a Rapid player. The UEFA verdict also said that two bottles had been thrown onto the pitch but that the player had been hit and injured by another missile. Celtic fans and former players still claim that they were cheated. I think that we should let bygones be bygones and be glad that in our world – unlike in Orwells “1984” – there is not only “one truth”.

As many Rapid supporters have sympathies for foreign clubs wearing the same green and white colours we were a bit surprised about the hostility in some recent comments. I can understand the feelings of our Scottish fellow supporters but November 7th, 1984 and what happened afterwards now is a part of history. 25 years later every supporter of “Green and White” hopes for two unforgettable evenings of supporting,

hoping, shouting and singing – showing the world where football and its fans are at its best. And why not have some pints of beer together on match days? By the way, half a pint is called “Kruegel” in Vienna.

Celtic in Europe N

ew Celtic gaffer Tony Mowbray has experienced European football at Hibernian, but will get his first real taste of football on the continent this season, already having played five games in charge of Celtic, we take a look back at those matches……

Celtic 0-1 Dinamo Moskva, 29th July Tony Mowbray’s first competitive match in charge of Celtic ended in defeat after a narrow loss to a resilient Dinamo Moscow side. The Russian outfit got their noses in front after 7 minutes when Kerzakhov’s low cross found Kokorin who sneaked in front of Caldwell to tap past Boruc.

New £3.8 million striker Marc-Antoine Fortune missed two clear-cut chances in a stuffy first period, but McDonald’s header was cleared off the line by Fernandez and Samaras also saw his efforts kept out in the second half as Dinamo held on for an imperative win.

Dinamo Moskva 0-2 Celtic, 5th August Celtic edged through to the UCL Play-off stage after an injury-time strike from Georgios Samaras took them through. After a fairly uneventful first-half, it was Scott McDonald who made the breakthrough for Celtic.

Hinkel’s expertise cross found the Aussie at the back post who rose above his marker to nod into the net. Hinkel was at the rescue for the visitors early in the second half, clearing off the line from Kombarov’s headed effort, but it was the Greek who won the tie late on, he controlled Looven’s high ball before shimmying two defenders and side-footing into the bottom corner as Celtic recorded their first away European win since 2003, making it a journey to remember for the 300 or so Celtic fans stationed behind the goal.

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Celtic 0-2 Arsenal, 18th August Lady Luck shone down on the Gunners as they recorded an impressive victory at Parkhead – but with a large slice of fortune.

Celtic had matched Arsene Wenger’s side for 42 minutes before Cesc Fabregas’ free-kick was cruelly deflected into the net via the back of William Gallas. After the break, the home side had a penalty appeal turned down by the Italian whistler Massimo Bussaca after the ball looked to have made contact with the arm of Bendtner, Arsenal pressed for a second but the game wasn’t wrapped up until Diaby’s pinpoint pass reached Clichy, whose cutback was diverted in by Caldwell’s outstretched leg, meaning that Celtic needed at least two goals in London to stand any chance of going through.

Arsenal 3-1 Celtic, 25th August Arsenal booked their spot in the Group Stages at the expense of Celtic. Eduardo put them ahead on the half-hour mark, with a controversial penalty decision; Boruc had made no contact with the Croatian as he blatantly dived to the ground in the box, from the resulting penalty he sent the Pole the wrong way. The home side extended their advantage with a quick-fire double after the break, Diaby fed the ball into Eboue who fired low into the corner following Bendtner’s clever flick, minutes before Arshavin sealed the tie when he turned O’Dea and drilled low home, albeit Celtic restored some pride with Donati’s smashing injury-time volley.

Hapoel Tel-Aviv 2-1 Celtic, 17th September Hapoel came from behind to record a famous victory over Celtic on a scorching night in the Israeli city. Celtic dominated possession in the first half, and took the lead when Caldwell’s excellent pass picked out Samaras who had time to control the ball on his chest and strike into the opposite corner, although the second half proved to be a much different story, as the Celtic defence dissolved Hapoel stung back with two late goals, Samuel Yeboah’s ball was knocked back into the path of Vucecevic who finished easily from close-range, but there was still worse to come for the Bhoys.

Boruc made two impressive stops as Celtic tried to rescue a point, but it was not enough; Vermouth’s cutback was tapped in by Lala with two minutes remaining as Celtic got their Europa League campaign off to a bad start.

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A Proud Home Record The Glasgow giants have a home record in Europe over the last decade that is second to none, as well as an atmosphere at Celtic Park on European nights that rivals the best on the continent, world famous sides such as Barcelona, Man United, AC Milan, Juventus, Lyon and Benfica (twice) have all succumbed to Celtic at Parkhead, the record before since 2001 reads: (All home UEFA Cup/Champions League games since 2001/02 season) Played

37

Won

24

Drawn Lost

8

5

Scored Conceded

58

23

The only sides to have beaten Celtic away since Martin O’Neill’s second season are Barcelona (twice), Ajax, AC Milan and Arsenal, teams who arguably make up the ‘European Elite.’

But Celtic’s biggest scalp in the Champions League was possibly the 1-0 win over Manchester United in 2006. After a goalless first period, a moment of magic from free-kick maestro Shunsuke Nakamura put the Bhoys ahead, and credit must also go to Artur Boruc who kept out Saha’s dubiously awarded spotkick with just two minutes remaining to put the Hoops into the last 16 of Europe’s premier competition for the first time.

Our away record in European competition may be dismal, but home games at Celtic Park are always a special occasion and Thursday’s game looks to be no different. Some of the greatest ever matches in the club’s history have taken place in the Champions League/ European Cup, and for those who were lucky enough to be at these games, who can forget the epic encounter with Barcelona in 2004, McDonald’s last-minute goal against Milan, Sutton’s emphatic volley against Juventus, and of course Nakamura’s dead-ball expertise that put United to the sword.

And, going by the last time that we faced Rapid, the atmosphere in the east end of Glasgow on Thursday will be something special, if not filled with hatred towards the Austrians.

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