Issue 3-2

The ONLY Monthly Scottish Football Magazine - SPL & Beyond....

SCOTZINE www.scotzine.com

October 2011

ALL ABOUT

FOOTBALL !

E M I T E R O F E B T O N INSIDE: Memories FC • Legends XI • John MacDonald • Alan McInally

Contents 18 The Glasgow Derby 5 Memories FC

Sean Graham takes a look at the Football clubs who are teaming up together to help people with dementia.

Andy Muirhead reports from Ibrox as Rangers and Celtic do battle for the first time this season.

10 Scotland’s Perfect Storm

Paul Larkin looks at the state of Scottish Football.

12 Alan McInally

Allan Edgar profiles our latest Legend of Scottish Football Celtic and Bayern Munich striker Alan McInally.

14 Junior Football

Stephen Kennedy talks about his Junior Football website TheJuniors.info.

6 John MacDonald 15 Match of Month Sean Graham interviews Rangers legend John MacDonald.

Stephen Kennedy reports on the Lesmahagow 3-2 Blantyre Victoria game.

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17 It’s not all Bad is it?

The Third Man asks if Scottish Football really is as bad as some perceive it to be?

20 Celtic’s failings are clear!

Andy Muirhead looks at why the Tax issues and money worries of rivals Rangers have overshadowed Celtic’s own problems.

22 My Legends XI

Allan Rennie picks his World Legends XI and gives us the reasons behind his selection.

Editorial W

elcome to the second issue of SCOTZINE this season. After our bumper Season Preview edition, we get back to our regular magazine features.

Chief Features writer Sean Graham interviews Rangers legend John MacDonald, and takes a look at the football clubs who are teaming up to help people with dementia.

Paul Larkin in his article Scotland’s Perfect Storm, looks at the state of Scottish Football and looks at the defining moments of our game as it becomes apparent that it is failing and fans like him are losing interest.

Allan Edgar profiles Scottish Football legend Alan McInally and Junior Football expert Stephen Kennedy reports on our Match of the Month which saw Lesmahagow beat Blantyre Victoria 3-2.

Despite Paul Larkin’s article, The Third Man asks if Scottish Football is as bad as some perceive it to be.

And Allan Rennie gives us his Legends XI side and why he chose the players he did.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Editor: Andy M. CONTRIBUTORS Sean Graham, Allan Rennie, Vagelis Geogariou, Paul Larkin, Allan Edgar, Stephen Kennedy, TheJuniors.info, The Third Man.

If that wasn’t enough I report from Ibrox on the Glasgow Derby which saw Rangers beat Celtic 4-2 and I also highlight the failures of Celtic.

If you don’t know yet Scotzine is running a monthly competition in conjunction with Subside Sports.

Every month readers of Scotzine have the chance to win a £60 gift voucher which will pay for your choice of replica football shirt and postage costs also.

Check out www.scotzine.com each month to enter our competitions by answering one simple question.

Also Scotzine this season have kicked off a brand new Scottish Football Show in conjunction with PULSE 98.4FM. Every Tuesday we record the show and then publish it online via Scotzine.com as well as it being aired later that not on PULSE98.4FM. Myself and the team talk about all the weekly goings-on in Scottish Football. You can listen to the show via Scotzine. com or subscribe to us on itunes. You can also listen every Tuesday night at 11pm on PULSE 98.4FM or online at www.pulseonair.co.uk.

Until the next issue Andy Muirhead

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Memories FC Sean Graham takes a look at the Football clubs who are teaming up together to help people with dementia.

unique because even those who were not passionate followers of the game have memories associated with it.

“If people are left without cognitive stimulant, the pace of decline accelerates.

We are trying to build knowledge through creative ways for young and old to see how they can make a difference to the lives of those with dementia, particularly to offset loneliness. That would be a tangible legacy for the project and a hugely important life benefit to people with Alzheimers and those who love and care for them.”

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ith everything else that is going on in the world of football, we sometimes forget that there are others with problems such as dementia who also love the beautiful game and would appreciate the company of fellow football fans to chat about the good old days when football was a sport on the back pages and not splattered over the front pages for all the wrong reasons. But now that is all about to change thanks to the wonderful work of the people at the Glasgow Caledonian University as they have teamed up with some of the biggest clubs in Scotland to help people with dementia.

Clubs including Celtic, Falkirk, Hearts, Motherwell, Aberdeen and Hibs are inviting people with dementia and their helpers to visit their grounds for a coffee and a chat about the beautiful game, as part of a project designed by the university and partner organisations to assist memories and stimulate conversations Professor Debbie Tolson, of Glasgow Caledonian University, said: “Recalling memories and doing this in a sociable friendly context provides important stimulation for the brain that helps to slow down the rate of decline. Football is

“Reminiscence work is about stimulating the person with dementia and encouraging them to chat about their memories. It can be done by family members, even grandchildren, if they understand the principles of how to go about it and some photographs and other items to trigger thinking.”

People who do or did not follow any particular team are invited to Hampden, home of the national side on Thursday 17th November between 2-4 pm and the project are looking for people with dementia and with a family member or carer to attend the event.

The seminar will comprise two sessions: (1) an accessible mini lecture (talk) exploring aspects of football based reminiscence, and (2) a personal account of experience in football related reminiscence activities.

A small panel comprising members of the Memories F.C. team will be happy to take your questions. Each seminar will include a brief description of the Memories F.C. Project, promotional demonstration of the Facebook site and how you can get involved, and Scottish Club representatives in the Scottish Football Heritage Network will be invited to utilize the exhibition space. There will be an opportunity to visit the Scottish National Football Museum.

Research by Reminiscence

the Scottish Football Partnership (Glasgow

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Caledonian University, Scotland Football Museum, European Former Players, Alzheimers Scotland, St Louis University USA) has already established that showing football memorabilia to men with dementia stimulates their memories with amazing results.

Now the project has been awarded a Knowledge Exchange Grant of £75,000 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to continue their work.

As well as the coffee mornings, researchers will be gathering oral histories from people with dementia. Some of these will be made into memory cube exhibits, which will feature the voice of the person with dementia, photos and text, and put on display in the National Football Museum and taken around the country.

The project will also be setting up a Facebook site (Memories FC) featuring stories from players and people with dementia and updates on project findings.

And well-known writer Padraig Coyle will be writing a play based on the reminiscences of those who take part in the project. It will be staged during a Community Conference at Hampden Park to mark the end of the project. Members of the public are welcome to attend the event, and public seminars which will include tours around the Scottish Football Museum. Charlie Bennett, Head of Adult Learning and Motherwell FC in the Community, said: “Motherwell FC has made a commitment to engage with the community at all levels and to bring benefit wherever we can.

“We have former players with Alzheimer’s so we know the dramatic effect it has on them and their families. We hope that by providing the facilities at Fir Park, we are creating a good environment. Maybe being around the great trophies and memorabilia in the lounges will stimulate their short term memory, bringing relief to those who care for them.”

The outstanding work done so far on this project deserves all the support that it gets and that is why here at Scotzine we are delighted to highlight a worthwhile cause but to help out with future publicity in any way we can.

Visit us at Facebook: www.facebook.com/ memoriesfc

John MacDonald Sean Graham interviews Rangers legend John MacDonald.

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nce described as the most exciting prospect to burst onto the Scottish football scene, John MacDonald has lived every young Rangers fan’s dream.

Playing for the club he supported as a kid, John went on to hit the heights with Rangers winning the Scottish Cup, League Cup, Drybrough Cup and Glasgow Cup with the Ibrox side, but it could have been all so different!

John has many a tale to tell of his Ibrox days and now he is putting something back into the game as he helps coach the Drumchapel United under 21 side to help them achieve their dreams.

The boy from Drumchapel who made the grade has never forgotten his roots or his glory days at Ibrox.

Starting Out

but I think they changed their name to Leeds United and I stayed with him till I was 15.

play with Rangers wouldn’t you?”

So I was playing with the school, the BB and the boys club and the schools played during the week when it was Primary school, Saturday morning I would play for the school team and Saturday afternoon I would play for the BB and then Sunday was the boys club, so we where quite busy in those days!

Okay I will come back up with the forms to sign.

It was none stop by the time you had finished school, you went straight up the park and played with all your pals just constantly playing football, it was fantastic but I don’t think you can do that nowadays as there are not many pitches that you can go and play, the school I went to and the pitches that I played on as a kid, have been pulled down and houses have been built on it now but that was the good old days.

John, when did you first think that you wanted to be a footballer?

Rangers

Been brought up in Drumchapel, it was all the bigger boys that stayed round about me so it was the bigger boys that I started playing football with.

John Greig was a legend as a Rangers player but his tenure as Rangers manager was not as successful, how did you feel coming into the Rangers side at such a young age?

Guys who were two years and four years above me, so I just used to play with them after school until my Mum came and picked me up because it was that bloody dark!

That was the way it was then, you could play at school or in the street because there were no cars there either.

The first game I played in was for the 187 Cubs because the boys I went to school with played with them and that was when I was seven I joined them and that was when I started playing the game.

Who discovered you as a kid?

I started in the Cubs and then it was the life boys after that and the guy that took the lifebuoys team, also ran a boys club team so I joined his team who were called Arsenal at the time

Well I was actually down at Ipswich before that playing for the school team and we were playing in a cup tie at Nether Pollok semi-final and we won 7-5 and I scored 6 of them and the Ipswich scout was up for the school boy international in the afternoon at Hampden and he watched the game and after that he got in contact with me.

I went down to Ipswich every school holiday I had, summer, springtime what ever I was going down with Alan Brazil at the time and John Wark was down there too, but they couldn’t sign me and I loved it down there.

Sir Bobby Robson sent me a letter when I told him I was going to sign an S Form for Rangers and even that wasn’t straight forward…. The scout came up to the school and asked me in front of the headmaster, “You would love to

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Yeah of course I would!

When I got home I said to my Mum and Dad I don’t want to sign for Rangers, I want to go to Ipswich! and they said ok we’ll come up with you tomorrow and I said No I am not going to Rangers, I want to stay with Ipswich and then the scout hit me with: You said in front of your headmaster that you want to sign for Rangers and then after that they started offering me big expenses, well it was for a 14 year old school boy, they gave me a fiver a week plus my expenses and that was me I signed on for Rangers at 14 as an S form.

They didn’t have the teams that they have got now, so I tried to stay at my boys club that they had on a Tuesday night and then every summer they would go to play in a tournament in Croix that was a bloody journey, trains, boats and automobiles it took us to get there!

We must have went every year and I went right up until I was too old to play in it, the last year we won it that was me professional at Rangers, I was top goal scorer, player of the tournament and Sepp Blatter said that I was the best prospect that he had ever seen.

It’s your luck really! It started off brilliant and then just change of manager, different formations, different players that you are playing with, everything changes.

I don’t regret anything I done it was great at the time.

Where you a Rangers fan as a boy?

“Yeah! I stayed in Maryhill before I moved to Drumchapel and that was just up the road from Firhill so my Dad used to take me there and I still went to Firhill a few times when I moved to Drumchapel and then the boys (my pals) were Rangers supporters and they used to say to me, we are going

to watch the Rangers and so I changed and went with them to watch the Rangers.

John Greig how was he as a man and a manager?

Greigy probably never ever knew me as he had just become manager. I was signed that summer anyway, big Jock was signing me to go professional but he left and Greigy took over and in my first pre-season, I must have done that well because he took me up to Inverness, we went up there for a wee pre-season game and I was on the bench there, it was my first introduction to the big time, I roomed with big Derek Johnstone who just got made captain.

I was never a party animal when I was younger, I had a steady girl friend and that was it. The rest of the boys would always want to go out partying and going to the pub and that was something that I would never have done maybe till a lot later on in my life but times change.

What happened there was the match was in between the Caledonian Cup, Rangers had the Tenants’ Caledonian cup every year so we had a game on the Friday, that game was the Saturday and Rangers had the final on the Sunday and Greigy had actually said to me on the Friday, you are playing tomorrow and I thought, aye right that is his excuse for not playing me! I didn’t even think about it till the Saturday when he named the team and I was in it and I thought oh God, but I am glad he done that as I never had much time to think about it then.

Did you ever get nervous before the Old Firm games?

Being around special players such as the following, Sandy Jardine, Derek Johnstone, Bobby Russell, Derek Parlane, Gordon Smith and of course the magician Davie Cooper, did this faze you in any way?

Did any of those players take you under their wing or give you advice?

I was terrible! I used to be sick before every game, sick on the park…in fact after I scored the goal against Celtic, I sat down just beside the goals and I spewed my ringer! And all I could hear was wee Alex McDonald saying, Go on, get it up son, get it up! It was just all the emotion taking over.

I am still very friendly with Bobby Russell we still play with Dukla Pumpherston the charity team but all the guys were fantastic!

You would come in early morning and they would be playing heady tennis and just watching these guys really took your breathe away, you were in awe of them. Not like the young ones now some of them have no respect for the guys they are playing with! You never even wanted to speak to these guys unless they spoke to you at that time but it has all changed now.

You have been described as the most exciting prospect to burst into the Scottish football scene in recent years, you set such high standards that your performances won you Young Player of the Year, you must have been proud of this achievement and the players must have shown you respect also after this?

playing against Celtic but scoring against them too-what where Old Firm matches like to play in?

I was in and out of the team but the first league game Greigy put me in the team against Celtic at Ibrox and I scored the first goal in that game as well and he must have thought, he is going to do well against Celtic, which I seemed to do at that time but we ended up drawing 2-2 that game.

The Old Firm You played as an 18 year old winger and scored in the Drybrough Cup Final 3-1 win over Celtic and in a 3-0 league win over Rangers Old Firm rivals a few weeks later you seemed to be a boy who not only enjoyed

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The Old Firm matches were great, the atmosphere and everything else… talking about tackling now- but you want to have seen the tackling then…if that was now you would be down to seven a side if these guys were playing today with the emotions and will to win in these games.

Do you think the Bigotry will ever go away?

You will always get a part of it but they are trying their hardest to get

away from it. In my time when I was brought into the team, Rangers were still predominately all Protestant and Celtic were the Catholic team, that is the way that I remember it and that was the way it was then.

Fans were all brought up with that in their mind as well and that was the way it was meant to stay, they have got to change but you will always get a minority that will keep it going.

You do get caught up with it yourself in an Old Firm game because you just want to win the game, even as a supporter you just want Rangers to get in and beat them.

You hope it changes but you don’t want to take the edge out of the game, the game will always be Rangers against Celtic, the two top teams in Scotland and I don’t think that is ever going to change now other than Rangers and Celtic being top in Scotland , so if you beat your closest rival then you have a chance to win the league.

Look at Coisty and Lennon, they only have each other to beat this year and one of them will be champion for the first time but we’ll see and hopefully Coisty comes out on top.

At a club like Rangers you are always going to get to Hampden, how did you feel when you got to the 1981 Scottish Cup final v Dundee United and after a 0-0 draw at Hampden Rangers totally dominated the replay winning 4-1.

Davie Cooper produced a master class at Hampden that night and was outstanding but you scored two goals to make sure the Scottish Cup was heading back to Ibrox, you must have been overjoyed with your goals and performance?

Myself and Coop were on the bench and Greigy fell out with Derek Johnstone at training on the Monday, I don’t know why he fell out with big DJ but he was left out on the Saturday also, big Derek said he had an argument in training with him and he just left him out, but he brought Derek back in as well, so three of us came back in for the replay and it was brilliant, it was a brilliant game winning 4-1 and scoring two goals as well was great, my only Scottish Cup winners medal, the other three were runners up!

It was fantastic! Coop scored the first one, Bobby Russell put us two up, they pulled one back and then I made a great run and Coop found me with

a great pass and I just guided it past McAlpine into the net and the second one I didn’t know much about, Redford had played a long ball, I got to it before Narey and I have just toe poked it passed the keeper through his legs and it went in….I had a couple of shandies that night!

The New Firm especially Aberdeen Hampden visits didn’t always end up with the Gers coming out on top. The following season you met an Aberdeen side that was just about to take Europe by storm. You had opened the scoring on that day but the Dons hit back and took the game into extra-time winning 4-1.

Was this hard to take for you and the older players at the club who maybe felt that this was their last chance of a trophy at Ibrox?

Every Cup Final I lost was in extratime! I never got beat in 90 minutes, every one was in extra-time.

The first one was against Celtic (the Hampden riot in 1980), then the Aberdeen one, McLeish had fluked an equaliser in that game, how many times would he have tried that and never scored? Aberdeen went on to beat us 4-1 after extra-time and the following year they went on to beat us 1-0 after extra-time, they were close games that could have gone either way but it just wasn’t our luck at the time.

Aberdeen in particular always seemed to be a grudge match for Rangers, the games at Pittodrie always seemed to be torrid affairs and you ended up being sent off for a head butt on Dougie Bell, what do you remember about this match?

He’s my mate too! (Another one who plays for Dukla Pumpherston) we still have a laugh about that! I really carried the can for the riot that went after it but they weren’t really too bad games as people make them out to be now but I think that maybe after the Durrant injury that’s when it all started which was a wee bit after I had left Rangers there wasn’t many sending offs up to that point.

It was just Dougie doing his usual, grabs you round the neck and I just turned to eyeball him and he pulled his head away and as he pulled his head away everybody started jumping in! Big Derek Johnstone must have jumped over five players to stick the head on Willie Miller! I got sent off and then I got an extra four game ban for the goings on after it. The Union wanted to fight that and Greigy said

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no, you are out for four games. I had scored two goals against Forfar in the cup before it started, so we got into the next round of the Cup. It had to be asked!

John, is it true that you were called the Magistrate because of your time on the bench and Polaris because of the amount of times you dived in the box (allegedly…sorry for asking!)?

They called me Polaris but that was all down to one game against Hibs when their chairman came out in the paper and lambasted me on the Monday morning saying that I dived and you know what its like as soon as it hits the paper, you are scarred for life and that’s the way it was!

During my Rangers career I got 6 penalties in my whole time at Rangers!

People say, aye Right cause they think you where getting a penalty every other week.....I remember getting one against Aberdeen and I actually missed it, Jim Leighton saved it but it was a crap penalty anyway! I was better just getting them rather than taking them!

That was McCoist that called me the Magistrate, he had a bloody cheek he was called the Judge when Souness came and they must have thought we can’t have two Magistrates so you can be the Judge as you are always on the bench!

Striking Ambitions You also played alongside many great players in your time at Rangers including Ally McCoist,how highly did you rate him as a player and how do you think he will do as manager of a club such as Rangers?

Coisty is brilliant! He came into the team when I was playing he played mostly in mid-field at that point, can you imagine what he would have done if he would have started his career up front with Rangers the goals he would have scored? Coisty was fantastic, great guy and I just hope that he carries it on into management because his passion is unbelievable and he just wants to do so well, he got slaughtered as well with the Rangers fans when Dundee knocked us out the Cup “Coisty,Coisty get to.......” you know where! and we were all trying to console him after the game but look what happened after that, the rest as they say is history but I would like to see him doing well, especially him and wee Durranty

because he (Durrant) used to polish my boots ...but then when he became that famous he wouldn’t give me his boots!

Kenny McDowell is another one, I went to school with Kenny and I would like to see him doing well too, you want your pals to do well.

Colin McAdam was very complimentary about you as a striking partner, saying you were something special, composed and afraid of nobody because of your youth, who was the best striking partner you played with at Ibrox?

When I came into the team it was Derek but Derek was wanting to play centre half, and that suited me because he could flick balls on and I just kept running behind him every time the ball came towards him because he was always going to flick it on, going to win it or if it was coming up to his feet, you knew that he would hold it in so that you could get across the front of him to take the ball, he touch was unbelievable, he was a great player to play with Derek Johnstone but big Colin was just the same, his touch wasn’t as good, he was just a big physical kind of guy that through himself about, maybe not the most skilful player in the world but he done his target man’s job and scored a lot of goals as well and he was another one that could play centre half too so he could move back there as well if needed.

European Adventures You also played in Europe for the club what are your memories of your European adventures with Rangers?

I never played in many European matches, I think I played in one I think against Valetta and that was because I had a better touch than Davie Mitchell on the park as the park wasn’t the greatest. That was the only one I played in and we won 8-0 and I scored and then we won at Ibrox and I scored a hat trick, I must be the only player that scored for Rangers in European matches and then the next game I was sub!

Heroes Who was your hero as a boy?

At Rangers it was Derek Johnstone!

All I wanted to do was score goals and with him coming in as a 16 year old boy, I was only a young boy at the time

so that was an easy one for me.

The foreign player I watched most was Johan Cruyff who was a magician but big Derek was the one I wanted to be like when I was growing up.

When you grow up you just want to play with Rangers and then you play with these guys that you have watched on the box who have played in the Cup Winners Cup final it was brilliant and then the likes of Coop, Gordon Smith, Bobby Russell etc come into the team it was just fantastic at the time and I had just joined them when they had just won the treble again so it was good stuff.

Life after Gers How did you cope with life after Rangers and playing down south and up in Scotland with various clubs?

I went in to ask to get away, I wouldn’t sign a new contract, Souness had just arrived and he was bringing everybody in and then Walter came in and said the gaffer is wanting to see you and I went up and Souness said, we are going to let you go...and I thought “oh shit,it was September at this time, how am I going to get a club now?

You didn’t have the transfer window at that point. Just walking across the road to the car that day, the eyes were welling up, it just showed you what kind of pool that Rangers had, you want to leave them but you don’t want to leave them.

People say why would you go back to Rangers? nobody ever does it second time around, you get offered a Rangers job again, of course you are going to go back and take it because its your first love, you love the place, you left for a reason but if you had the chance to go back, of course you go back, you would be mad not to!

Drumchapel United You are now involved with amateur club Drumchapel United, how did that come about?

My son is the manager, he used to play with Drumchapel and then they started their own team up called Drumchapel United and we have got two amateur teams, I am involved with the under 21 team and then we have got right down to under eights but it is hard to get coaches in as it costs a fortune in

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pay, it is difficult for boys but we try our best.

We won the league last year and we have a good squad this year so hopefully we can have a good season again.

My son is really committed to it he loves it and he is also a school teacher but he is right into the coaching, he does a bit of coaching for Rangers as he is right into the coaching side of it now.

It is fantastic the amount of work that the guys put in, we are after all an amateur team as well and we have been to the Scottish Cup final in the last two years and lost it so hopefully we can get to the Scottish Cup final again and maybe win the thing!

If you get to the Scottish Cup final will you pull you boots on again?

No! I am quite happy with Dukla!

Speaking of which there will be a dinner coming up on the 6th of November if anyone is interested in booking a table?

Looking Back What are your most memorable moments as a Rangers player and also your worst?

Your worst moments are losing your Cup Finals, after you have given your all and you get beaten, there is nothing more deflating than losing and not being able to go up and lift that cup!

The greatest moment for me was the Drybrough Cup final and that was probably my best goal as well and that will probably stick in my mind for ever as I scored the first goal and you ask people who scored the first goal in the Drybrough Cup and all they remember is that Sandy Jardine has taken a throw out from the goalkeeper, ran the full length of the park and cut in and scored and then you have Coop, flicking the ball over three Celtic player’s heads chesting the ball down and sticking it away, nobody remembers that I scored the first goal in that game! Its like you have been forgotten about but I’ll never forget it!

Scotland’s Perfect Storm 10

Paul Larkin looks at the state of Scottish Football and looks at the defining moments of our game as it becomes apparent that it is failing and fans like him are losing interest

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cotland faced two massive games in early September and I have to say that I had to check with a Tartan Army friend who they were against and when exactly they would be played.

I used to be a fairly regular attender to Scotland games in the 1980s and early 90s. A combination of things stopped me going, mainly the fans bias towards players from a certain team and a little exploration of the SFA history. Despite that I remain a supporter but fear that the Scotland we knew is already gone and lost forever. I’ve heard and read numerous theories about why we are so God awful now and I don’t think you can put it down to one single thing, more a perfect storm that started just before the Morocco game in France 1998.

I doubt many realised that this game v Morocco would be our last game at a major tournament for a generation but there was a tiny indication. As the teams came out for the game everyone noticed it right away, Craig Burley had dyed his hair blonde. This may be a small thing, and it was done because of boredom, but at what point do any of you think Alex Ferguson or Jock Stein would not have just killed Burley on the spot when they saw it. A day before a massive game and his focus was one his hair colour. There is a good look into the Scottish psyche there, “It’s only Morocco” is pretty much what the nation thought then. Not now. After the end of the Brown era, Bertie Vogts came, tore the team apart, blooded what felt like the entire cast of Braveheart and got Scotland nowhere near Japan/ South Korea 2002 or France 2004.

The slide to total mediocrity was in full flow now. After Vogts was sacked The SFA issued the rallying call “Send for Watty”, and despite abject failure at Everton, Walter Smith got the gig and was doing well when he jumped ship for Ibrox in January 2007 and let Big Eck takeover for about 10 minutes. To be fair, between them, it started an

upsurge in fortunes that culminated in the home and away defeats of France but still neither Germany 2006 or Austria/Switzerland 2008 would have The Tartan Army anywhere near it. The fact was Scotland had put in a herculean effort to to get to The European Championships in 2008 and still fell short. Always a worrying thing.

Somewhere between Norway in the second game in France 98 and now, the Scottish national team and support have got lost. In around 1995 there was an upsurge of nationalism in Scotland, spurred

by Mel Gibson it has to be said, and this changed the face of the Scotland support. Previous to this, around 70% of it had been made up with Rangers supporters but they began to feel like Celtic fans did in the 60s and 70s, outcasts.

The culmination of this came at Hampden in November 1999 when, before a match v England, their national anthem was booed with as much gusto as anyone could care to remember. This kind of identity was growing arms and legs within the Scotland support, whilst the SNP were on there way to governing Scotland, the problem was the team, now under Bertie Vogts, was absolutely dreadful. The crowds were plummeting and the team was fragmenting. What was the Scottish national team now? A joke.

When pride began to be restored under Smith and McLeish, a lot of fans came back and what they witnessed was a new type of Scotland fan. Lots more wore kilts and full highland dress, new songs had been adapted and there was an official club now for fans regarding tickets, home and away, whilst the North Stand at Hampden became the home of the hardcore. Gone were the days where you could just roll up to a Scotland game with your only worry being how much drink you still had left. A kind of mix and match of The SNP and The SFL made up the support now. A support which still has people in it

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who look at the five home fixtures in the latest World Cup draw and will say, with a straight face, “Well that’s 15 points right away”. The high point for these supporters came when Scotland faced Italy at Hampden, for a place at the European Championships in 2008, full house, top class opposition, this is how it should be. Despite that loss in November 2007, hopes were high for the future and then..... nothing.

What has happened since? Crowds seem like they are tumbling again, yet another embarrassing campaign, this time under George Burley, has been replaced with Craig Levein’s attempt to bore a nation to tears and right now no one really knows what the future holds.

Scotland needs to ask itself “Who are we and what do we want?” An often ridiculed and exposed SFA has been reformed and that has to be a step in the right direction.

If Scotland is to have any chance of a proper revival, that has to be done now because there is more catching up to do than most of us can possibly imagine.

The reality is though that a perfect storm hit Scotland, Craig Brown’s reluctance to blood young players, Bertie Vogts need to blood young players, fans not knowing if they were William Wallace or Jim Wallace, decent managers being allowed to jump ship at a moments notice without a fight and some the most inept and boring football that has ever been witnessed have all culminated in Scotland fans not really knowing what happens next.

This has also created an apathy amongst guys like me who nod towards Scotland but see it, and a lot of the current fans it has to be said, as a wee bit nonsensical. When I was growing up, Scotland was something you watched, supported and cheered on but the idea was to never take it too seriously as fans, and hope the powers that be would take it very seriously. Sadly, it seems the roles have been reversed.

Alan McInally

Allan Edgar profiles our latest Legend of Scottish Football Celtic and Bayern Munich striker Alan McInally.

Although his Father - Jackie McInally was a legend of the Kilmarnock 1965 league winning side, Alan McInally started his career with local rivals Ayr United. He made his debut in the 1980/81 season, a year which saw Ayr reach the Scottish League Cup semifinal. McInally spent almost 8 years with Ayr, 4 of which in the first team.

Appearing in just under a century of matches, the striker netted 32 times with a goals to game ratio of just over 1 in 3. His direct style was sufficient enough to impress Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic who offered a sum of £90,000 for the player in 1984 - a handsome return for the club from Somerset Park.

Although they had dropped out of the top tier of Scottish football and struggled to stay in the 2nd division, Ayr produced a number of players in this era who went on to bigger things including Stevie Nicol - who made over 300 appearances in a starstudded Liverpool side.

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lan McInally is one of only a small proportion of Scottish international footballers who have had the honour of plying their trade beyond the confines of the British Isles - the physical forward won trophies in Scotland and England before making the move into Central Europe with German giants Bayern Munich. McInally is now a regular fixture on Sky Sports ‘Soccer Saturday’ show from which he is able to pontificate on the game using his continental experience - a rarity among British players turned pundits.

McInally’s career spanned around 14 years although he only made less than 300 competitive appearances, despite this the striker was popular amongst fans of clubs throughout his career including Celtic and Aston Villa.

McInally completed his transfer to Glasgow Celtic in 1984 as they looked to win the title following success for Dundee United and Aberdeen in 1982-83 and 1983-84 respectively.

The forward gained his famous nickname, ‘Rambo’, in the years spent wearing the green and white hoops. He struggled in his first two campaigns with the club, managing only sparse appearances as and when required although he was still held in high regard by manager Davie Hay. He scored his first goal as Celtic narrowly avoided League Cup exit at East End Park against Dunfermline with a 3-2 win. McInally was sent off in the infamous first-leg fixture (of three) against Austrian side Rapid Vienna as Celtic were beaten 3-1, his brash style would set the tone for a messy trio of fixtures which would see Celtic fined by UEFA following the playoff decider at Old Trafford. ‘Rambos’ stock at Celtic remained high despite a back injury which sidelined him for large spells. He also had to compete with Celtic luminaries such as Bobby

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Lennox, Tommy Burns and the preferred partnership of Mo Johnston and Brian McClair for a starting slot.

McInally managed only a solitary league goal in the league winning Celtic side of 1985-86 but was used to add some muscle to the side when required.

McInally’s best season at Celtic was to be his, and Davie Hay’s final at the club as they lost out in the League and League Cup final to rivals Rangers.

McInally scored a total of 22 goals over 85 appearances for Celtic.

As his contract at Celtic came to an end, Aston Villa bid (pre-Bosman era) £250,000 for the striker and he began his career at the Midlands club in July 1987. His first season in the claret and blue of Villa saw them promoted to the top tier of English football with the new No. 9 grabbing 4 league goals in 18 appearances. McInally is seen as a hero of the Holte End during a difficult period for the club, the faith shown in him by the fans was repaid in the 1988/89 season when the club were able to fend off relegation and keep their top division status. McInally had cut his teeth in the English game and developed into a traditional British forward player, his determined approach seen him net 23 times in the 1988/89 season. McInally had shown the form which had enticed both Celtic and Aston Villa to buy the striker and his skills had not gone unnoticed, his bustling play in Europe with Celtic and in the top tier of English football with Villa caught the eye of German powerhouses Bayern Munich who bid a record £1.2 million for him in the summer of 1989.

Strangely, current Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes was manager of the Bundesliga giants at the time of McInally’s transfer. Heynckes formed a whole new strike force at Bayern despite winning the ‘Salad Bowl’ (League Trophy) in 1988/89. McInally, dubbed Big Mac by the fans, was paired with Yugoslavian (at the time) forward Radmilo Mihajlović and the

two lead the Bavarian side to a second successive title. McInally managed 10 league goals in 31 games for Bayern and gave them hope in the European Cup semi-final against AC Milan with a late goal to draw the tie in extra-time only to be eliminated by away goals.

The physical style for which McInally was renowned however may have contributed to further injuries which would hamper his career at Bayern.

Heynckes’ first reign as Bayern boss ended and he was replaced by Soren Lerby who did not favour McInally as a first team player. McInally made only rare appearances in his second season at Bayern and his final year was spent mainly on the treatment table with a serious knee injury. Despite only having one full season as a regular starter for Die Bayern, McInally has always spoken with great fondness of his time in Bavaria.

As his contract at Bayern ended, ‘Big Mac’ bid farewell to Munich and returned to Ayrshire, this time to local rivals Kilmarnock - where his Father, Jackie, was a local legend. It would be Ayr United who would remain the local club for the forward though as he turned out only 8 times for Kilmarnock without scoring. The short spell at Kilmarnock would prove to be his final year in professional football, he retired at the age of 31.

McInally was a member of the Scotland squad which participated in the 1990 World Cup although the disappointing 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica would prove to be his final appearance in a Scotland shirt. Nevertheless, McInally managed 3 goals for Scotland in 8 caps; a goal on his full debut against Chile and a brace against Malta in the preparation for Italia ‘90.

Alan McInally enjoyed a successful career which took him full circle. He left Ayrshire at the age of 20 to make the short trip to Glasgow, he would return to Ayrshire around a decade later having played with European powerhouses Bayern Munich and being fondly remembered by their passionate fans. His two years at Aston Villa were sufficient to make him a £1.2 million striker, a figure which seems trivial in the modern game but was certainly not in the late 1980’s. It is easy to see why he is fondly remembered in Scotland, the Midlands and in Germany given his likeable demeanour as a pundit.

The geniality afforded to ‘Rambo’ by fans is perhaps a gesture for the hardworking manner in which he played the game.

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Alan McInally during his days at Bayern Munich.

Junior Football

Stephen Kennedy talks about his Junior Football website TheJuniors.info and promotes the game itself.

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his season is expected to be a massive one for “The Juniors” web site. We have grown at an alarming rate since our inauguration, but the last few months we have tripled our followers on Twitter and dramatically increased hits to the website.

So why has this happened? Well we have recruited some excellent Tweeters, along with match reporters and photographers, who excel in their field of expertise.

There is an awful lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes, which often goes unnoticed. There is a team coming together, which is bonding well and producing the goods for the site and junior supporter. Add to this our frequent radio appearances on Pulse Community Radio, with the show’s host, Robert Burns, inviting us along on a monthly basis, along with the SJFA’s Tom Johnston, who kindly provided press access to Rugby Park for the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup Final. And still to come is my visit to Hampden Park on the 30th of August for live coverage of the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup First Round draw. Once again my sincere gratitude to Tom and the SJFA for permitting us access.

By the end of August, we fully expect to have provided over 30 match reports for the month, hundreds of quality images from games around the country and thousands of live match updates from our registered clubs. Our east and north regions haven’t fully

commenced their seasons but we expected an increase of articles in September.

Our standing amongst junior clubs and supporters has grown enormously. The welcome I received at Thorniewood this month was unbelievable, and similarly recent visits to Beith and St Anthonys have been exceptional due to committees and fans showing their appreciation for the service we provide.

Looking forward, we have Ryan Kelly over in the east working tirelessly to attract additional clubs into the world of Twitter and of course “The Juniors” and we hope Paul Laing will be adding more teams from the north too.

The west is covered very well but there are still a few clubs within the central belt that we need to visit to encourage their participation.

There is plenty of hard work ahead.

On the football side, we have witnessed some brilliant matches in the west so far, with Irvine Meadow being involved in a number of these. The Premier League Champions are leaking goals big time but have this uncanny knack of turning on the style and recovering from death’s door to win the game. Four – one down to rivals Irvine Victoria at half-time, yet they ran out 6 – 4 victors. 3 – 1 down against Ardrossan Winton Rovers and yet managed to pull the game back to 4 – 4 and win the SLC tie on penalties - exhilarating football for the spectators.

For me my interest lies so far in the revival of clubs, which last season, were in serious trouble on the park, fighting relegation or in some instances, going months without a point being recorded on league duties. Take for instance Blantyre Vics, they couldn’t buy a point last season but now they are, at the time of writing, top of Central Division Two. Another club who are performing well are Petershill, who had to resort to a play-off against First Division Glenafton to retain their Premier League status.

So far this season, they have been impressive with three league wins from their opening three matches.

Also the continued good form of the aforementioned Ardrossan side, who are taking no prisoners after promotion to the Stagecoach Super First Division. Can they go all the way to the top flight? I hope so, for I do like to see the underdogs doing well. Can Ashfield and Clydebank survive in the Premier League? Both are certainly capable of living with the big boys in one off matches but only time will tell if they can maintain a run of form to obtain a safe distance from the drop zone.

The season has already provided the supporters with some brilliant and exciting football and remember – A tenner will gain you entry to a junior ground, including a match day programme, pie and drink and even a ticket for the halftime draw. Real value for money.

To keep up to date with all the news and updates from Scottish Junior Football then go to www.thejuniors.info

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Stephen Kennedy reports on the Lesmahagow 3-2 Blantyre Victoria game at Craighead Park.

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was about to leave for Blantyre to cover this match when I heard from one of our tweeters; the match had been moved to Craighead Park in Lesmahagow.

When I arrived, there was a persistent drizzle, which by the time I had collated the team lines, had dispersed as the day began to brighten up. This was another excellent day out for me, which will be covered in another article.

Blantyre started the match with a little more zest than their hosts and almost took a shock lead from an innocuous cross from McKee, which had too much distance on it but just as the keeper was thinking of coming for the ball, it took a wicked bounce, forcing him into a dive, pushing the ball to safety. Minutes later the Vics played a long diagonal ball from the right of their own penalty area, into the left of the ‘Gow’s box where Boylan lay in wait. He twisted and turned on numerous occasions, trying to lose his marker or possibly entice him into an illegal tackle, but he finally got his cross in which was too deep for those who had advanced into the box to

offer assistance.

The home side’s day took a turn for the worse, with just 16 minutes on the clock when keeper Stewart Thomson was helped off the park after damaging his calf whilst kicking the ball from the ground. He was replaced by left back Darren Jaffrey as the game restarted after the five minute delay. Jordan Dow was sandwiched between two Lesmahagow defenders and awarded a free-kick 19 yards out, in a central position. Up stepped Lee Pettigrew who delivered a effortless shot, up and over the wall and beyond the dive of the stand-in keeper. I had visions of the Vics shooting from everywhere and anywhere to test the understudy but they seemed reluctant to do so.

The ‘Gow were back in the game in no time, from a long ball to Whyte, who took the ball a walk to the byline on the far side before casually passing the ball across the six yard line for Coffey to tap in for the equaliser with 31 minutes played. They almost took the lead when a cross come shot from Sullivan hit the top of the bar.

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Blantyre broke swiftly from another long ball, which found Pettigrew whose low powerful cross was cut out for a corner.

Blantyre had their share of the possession but never tested the deputy keeper, which is what one would have expected at every opportunity. The hosts, also had their fair share of the ball without ever looking likely to score as the first period came to an end.

Lesmahagow began the match with a 100% record in the league and they started the second half, like they wanted to defend that superlative more that they had in the first 45 minutes. It took only two minutes after the restart for them to make their mark. Clark took the ball a run down the left and put in an inch perfect cross to the back of the box where Coffey rose to head the ball back across the goal and into the net, giving the keeper no hope of preventing the goal.

Coffey almost had a hat-trick as a corner came in, which had the Vics’

defence at sixes and sevens as they tried to clear the ball. After some head tennis, four attempted shots, the ball fell at the feet of Coffey, who smacked it with some venom, sending keeper Robertson the wrong way from six yards out. It was the keepers moment though as his outstretch leg was long enough to get his foot in the air and send the ball out to safety. A great shot and a fabulous save.

Blantyre looked stunned by their hosts fervency to win every ball and striking with some haste. The visitors first second half chance came from a free-kick on the right, placed high into to the back of the box by McKee, where McGarry climbed above the defence to head back across the goal but there were no takers lying in wait.

The Craighead side pushed forward on at least three occasions sending in crosses high and close to keeper Robertson, who demonstrated a strong desire for punching the ball clear, similar to German keepers of old. Very effective but a catch would often be easier it at times.

Blantyre’s McKee hit a long range effort which was bang on target but lacked the power to trouble Jaffrey but this is what Vics’ fans would have been seeking from their players. With a temporary keeper in between the sticks and the wind swirling, it would seem their best chance of scoring the equaliser. McKee again was on the ball, this time as the creator, driving down the left, making a simple low cross to Boylan, who tapped the ball to his left to Pettigrew. His shot was blocked by the defenders in front of him but it was a lovely move.

With 65 minutes played Murdoch hit a low powerful shot from midway into the Vics’ half, which was returned unwittingly by a defender in black but only as far as Davies, who proceeded to barge his way through the wall of players, and whilst under extreme scrutiny of his adversaries managed to let rip his shot, which looked goal bound all the way, shaving the keeper’s left hand post.

A few minutes later, a long ball over the top of the visitors’ defence allowed Whyte to breakaway from his marker. As he entered the box Coffey was screaming for him to square the ball to him for a simple tap in. Whyte looked up and opted to round the keeper, taking him further away from goal and Coffey, eventually losing the

ball to the arms of Robertson. At the time I gave the lad the benefit of the doubt in that I thought Coffey had run too deep and was offside. However – studying the photos, there was a Vics’ player standing near the post, playing Coffey onside, having matched the striker’s run.

The longer the game progressed the more the ‘Gow looked to be the dominant side. Sub Steven Meek rifled a shot in on the penalty spot which was blocked before the ball left his boot by a brave defender. Such was the force of Meek’s shot, he travelled over the ball and leg of the opposition player.

Against the run of play, Blantyre equalised with a quality goal from their perspective but a poor one from a Lesmahagow view. Dow was allowed to travel through the centre of midfield unopposed, given the time

ball away to his right.

With 80 minutes gone, Brown and Fagen broke down the right for Lesmahagow, with Coffey doing some excellent off the ball running to drag the defence away from the advancing pair. The space created by the striker, permitted Fagen a shot at goal, which was dragged just wide.

Blantyre had a wonderful chance to level the match in the dying seconds when the ball broke out left of the box for McCarroll. He looked off balance as he lined up the shot for his left foot, firing it straight at the keeper, whose dive, permitted him to push it away. One couldn’t help wondering if a naturally right sided player, would have scored from such an opportunity.

A decent game of football and if I am honest, I found the standard to be higher than expected, with some skilful footwork from both sides. If I was the Blantyre boss, I would be unhappy that my team hadn’t tested stand-in keeper Darren Jaffrey with a bit more urgency. It would be fair to say the home defence was exemplary in protecting their man between the sticks.

One thing is certain, this pair will be up their challenging for promotion come the end of the season.

to send the ball diagonally along the ground to his left, where sub James McCarroll was waiting. His sublime shot from twenty yards or so, whizzed passed Jaffrey and into the top left corner. Two all and game on with 72 minutes played.

Lesmahagow didn’t blink an eye as they attacked on the right earning a throw in, which Davies took. His shy was placed onto the head of Coffey, who cleverly flicked the ball back for another simple but intelligent goal.

Three goals for Coffey and three for the ‘Gow. Blantyre had a few chances to score but their desire to walk the ball in, cost them dearly. A header from Lafferty hit the bar as the home side tried desperately to protect their keeper.

Paul Mulholland had a low drive saved by the diving Jaffrey as he palmed the

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Man of the Match: I thought the Vics number three Max McKee had a faultless game acting as a wing back. Midfielder Colin Boylan, was also instrumental in midfield. I cannot look any further than the hat-trick man James Coffey, who could have had another two, had his luck been ever so slightly better.

Lesmahagow: Thomson, A. Brown, Jaffrey, Murdoch, McFarlane, L. Brown, Clark, Davies, Coffey, Whyte, Sullivan Subs: Fagen, Lawley, McFarlane, McGeachie, Meek, Brennan, Cooper Blantyre: C. Robertson, Mulholland, McKee, Batchelor, Bonham, A. Robertson, Pettigrew, Boylan, McGarry, Welsh, Dow Subs: Mallon, McPhee, Shanks, Shearer, McCarroll, Lafferty, Watson

It’s Not all Bad is it?

The Third Man asks if Scottish Football really is as bad as some perceive it to be?

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cottish Football may be suffering from a big depression in the way it is being viewed by both fans and pundits across Scotland and the UK, this has been heightened due to the demise of Rangers from the Champions League, and the struggles of Dundee United, Hearts, Celtic and Rangers in the Europa League.

However, there are some positives to look forward to within Scottish Football in the weeks and months ahead, and in this article five of these positives will be looked at.

The Quality Of The First Division The First Division is usually said to be the best league in Scotland in terms of competitiveness and excitement. At least eight of the teams in this years First Division are good enough to win the league, and whoever does win the league can hold their own in the SPL, as Dunfermline, St. Johnstone, Inverness and Hamilton have all proved over recent years. Dundee, Hamilton, Falkirk, Raith Rovers, Ross County and Partick Thistle could all hold their own in the SPL, while Livingston, Morton, Queen of the South and Ayr are very decent First Division teams.

Five Chances Of European Football National Team Next Season It may not be the best thing to be discussing at this point what with the lack of Scottish wins in Europe this season, however, next season Scotland will once again receive two slots for the Champions League and three in the Europa League. Primarily due to Rangers Europa League run last season, Scotland have recovered 15th place in the UEFA Coefficients table.

One more team playing in Europe and double the chance of a Scottish team in the Champions League must be a good thing.

More Competitive SPL The season may have just started, however, we are seeing a more even SPL this year, with any team outside of the Old Firm capable of beating another. It also appears that the teams outside of the Old Firm are getting closer to the ‘Big Two’, with St. Johnstone and Hearts already picking up points against both of the Glasgow giants. Surely a more competitive league will help to bring back some of the fans lost over the last few years.

The national team have came on a great amount under the guidance of Craig Levein, and while his tactics may be questioned sometimes, he has kept Scotland in the hunt for their first major championship in 14 years.

The crucial games against the Czech Republic and Lithuania are on the horizon and many Scots are going in with a sense of optimism. Moreover, the emergence of youth players such as Danny Wilson and Grant Hanley into the set-up will keep Scotland in good hands over the years to come. Alongside Wilson and Hanley, other Scottish youngsters already in the Scotland set-up are shining, these include: Barry Bannan, Graham Dorrans, James Forrest and David Goodwillie.

Johnny Russell, Nick Phinn plays for Dunfermline, David Templeton is a regular for Hearts, Hibs regular David Wotherspoon, Inverness have Nick Ross, Liam Kelly for Killie, Steven Saunders at Motherwell, Rangers have Gregg Wylde, Murray Davidson at St. Johnstone and St. Mirren feature Paul McGowan.

These are just some of the young stars playing regular football with SPL clubs, and this should hold our game in good stead for a while to come.

Scottish Football may be at one of its lowest points in its history just now, with the struggles in Europe and the lack of finance. However, there are some things that we have got going for us, and I hope that this article has brightened things up a touch for all those depressed Scottish Football Fans out there.

It isn’t all bad is it?

Emerging Youngsters Every team in the SPL seems to have an emerging Scottish talent in their ranks, which can only be good for the future of the game. Aberdeen have Fraser Fyvie, Celtic feature James Forrest, Dundee United have Barry Bannan in action for Scotland

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GLASGOW DERBY Despite all the pre-match talk Football was order of the day 18

Rangers 4-2 Celtic R

ANDY MUIRHEAD reports from Ibrox as Rangers and Celtic do battle for the first time this season.

angers came from a goal behind to win the first Glasgow derby at Ibrox 4-2, a win that sees them go four clear at the top of the SPL over rivals Celtic.

Steven Naismith gave Rangers the lead on 22 minutes after a poor clearance from Kelvin Wilson, but goals from Gary Hooper and Badr El Kaddouri – whose long range shot slipped through the hands of Allan McGregor – to give Celtic a Half Time lead.

Into the Second Half and goals from Nikica Jelavic, Kyle Lafferty and Naismith secured Rangers’ deserved comeback as Celtic saw Charlie Mulgrew sent off in the 75th minute for a second bookable offence.

Both sides made changes from their previous games. Nikica Jelavic and Sasa Papac returned from injury and illness respectively to start for Rangers.

Broadfoot and Ortiz dropped to the bench.

Celtic recalled skipper Scott Brown and left back Badr El Kaddouri to the first team, with James Forrest and Joe Ledley dropping to the bench.

The game kicked off at its usual derby pace, but neither side had any clear cut chances from the earlier exchanges.

The first chance on goal came from Celtic striker Georgios Samaras who collected a pass from Hooper, but he blasted his shot well over the bar.

Craig Thomson had kept his cards in his pocket for the first 16 minutes, but agter a late challenge from Charlie Mulgrew, the whistler flashed yellow at the Celtic player - a caution that would prove costly later on in the game.

Rangers opened the scoring on 22 minutes. A poor Kelvin Wilson clearance landed perfectly for Steven Naismith who placed it perfectly past

the helpless Forster in the Celtic goal.

Rangers then saw a second goal ruled wrongly offside, as Kyle Lafferty stroked the ball into the back of the net after running onto a pass from Steven Davis.

Despite the early pressure from Rangers, Celtic were back on level terms 11 minutes before half time as Brown set up Hooper to produce a lovely curling effort past Allan McGregor from ten yards out.

While the first two were all about the finished, the third goal of the game for Celtic was all about Allan McGregor, the Rangers goalkeeper.

A long-range shot from Badr El Kaddouri looked to be easily saved by Allan McGregor, however the Scotland number one allowed the effort to slip out of his grasp and into the back of the net.

The Second Half kicked off and Rangers emerged the more determined side out of the blocks. WIthin seconds of the restart, Rangers midfielder Steven Davis smashed a shot from 25 yards out off the cross bar.

Celtic went close at the other end when Glenn Loovens saw his header smack off the Rangers post. But Rangers immediately went up the other end and retook the lead on 67 minutes.

Lafferty picked up the ball inside the Celtic box and despite his first attempt being blocked, the Celtic defence were caught ball watching as Lafferty fired past Forster to make it 3-2.

After two poor tackles earlier on by Mulgrew - with either one worthy a yellow card - Mulgrew was sent off with 15 minutes remaining for a second bookable offence for a poor challenge on Steven Davis.

Rangers had dominated the game from start to finish, apart from a ten minute spell, and with the extra man they made Celtic pay further as man of the match Steven Naismith put the icing on the cake for Ally McCoist’s side with a left footed finished in njury time.

Lafferty was then denied by the offside flag for a second time. Jelavic was then bundled to the ground by Mark Wilson who earned a booking.

After the match Rangers manager Ally McCoist said that Rangers deserved the win. He said: “I thought the second half, I thought the Rangers were terrific, I really did. Came out of the traps, they did effectively exactly what we asked them to do second half and we had numerous chances and I felt ran out deserved winners.”

Despite the signs of Rangers increasing in threat, Celtic failed to heed the warning signs and they were punished for it as Jelavic got on the scoresheet on 55 minutes, as he headed home a Davis cross past Forster from ten yards out for the equaliser.

He added: “It’s the first Old Firm game of the season and it’s a great result for us. That’s all it is – there’s miles and absolutely miles of this campaign to go. They’ll be lots of twists and turns between now and then obviously but it is a big three points and a deserved three points.”

Rangers continued pressing in search of more goals and Lafferty had a great chances to give Rangers the lead. But the Northen Irishman failed to capitalise on a free header as he towered over Moroccan El Kaddouri, as he fired wide of the Celtic goal.

Defeated Celtic manager Neil Lennon after the match said: “We had a good spell in the game for 15 to 20 minutes at the end of the first half, but we never came out in the second half, we went into our shell and didn’t compete physically and that’s what you have to do in these games. When we got it

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down and played, but you have to gain the right to play, once we done that and moved the ball around like we can then that’s where the goals came from.

“But we had none of that in the second half and didn’t earn the right to play, didn’t compete and on too many second balls we were short and too many aerial challenges we were short, and if you don’t compete like that in these games them you get punished for it.”

Rangers XI: McGregor, Whittaker, Goian, Bocanegra, Papac, Naismith, Davis, Edu, Wylde, Jelavic, Lafferty.

Subs: Alexander, Broadfoot, McCulloch, Fleck, Healy, Juanma Ortiz and Perry.

Celtic XI: Forster; Mark Wilson, Kelvin Wilson, Loovens, El Kaddouri, Brown, Kayal, Ki, Mulgrew, Hooper, Samaras.

Subs: Zaluska, Matthews, Forrest, Bangura, Stokes, Wanyama, Ledley.

Referee: Craig Thomson Att: 50,221

Ally McCoist issuing instructions to his team

Celtic failings are clear!

Andy Muirhead looks at why the Tax issues and money worries of rivals Rangers have overshadowed Celtic’s own problems.

Rangers off the field problems have given Celtic fans something to gloat about. But the real gloating has came from the Rangers support, where it matters the most, on the field. The Parkhead side have failed to win the SPL title since 2008 and have only won two trophies in those three years since - the League Cup in 2009 and the Scottish Cup last season. How the Rangers support love that.

Despite the club’s money troubles, tax issues with HMRC and legal battles with their former Chief Executive Martin Bain, Rangers are still producing the goods on the pitch even if their financial state is on a shakey nail.

Celtic to their credit have worked within their means for the past few

seasons, not relying on Champions League money unlike their rivals, which Rangers owner Craig Whyte highlighted only this month. But despite watching the pennies and bringing in players - some of them quality additions such as Ki, Kayal, Hooper and Izaguirre - Celtic are failing where it matters for a football club, on the field of play.

Their best chance to win the SPL title came last season, but after Samaras’ penalty miss against Rangers and the whole team choking against Inverness Caley Thistle, Neil Lennon’s side threw away a title that was their’s to lose and lose they did.

The Celtic board have failed in providing the necessary funds to help strengthen the Celtic side outwith the

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money they bring in. However the real failure is at management level.

Last season’s issues certainly overshadowed football and Lennon’s first full season in charge. But would he have been given such a support on the final day, knowing full well that Celtic had not only thrown away the title but also handed it on a plate to their arch rivals? I doubt the stadium would have seen the scenes that it did on the final day that is for sure - withthe cheers turning to boos despite the victory.

This season has already highlighted Celtic’s failings. Poor in Europe, falling at the first hurdle against FC Sion, only to be re-instated on a rule breach by the Swiss side. That decision will only help the club financially and not on

the field of play.

The game against Atletico Madrid came three days before the first Glasgow Derby of the season and it proved costly to Celtic, as their players looked off the pace, disinterested and second best throughout the derby game.

The SPL is what is a must for Neil Lennon and to Celtic. A fourth year without the title is beyond comprehension for not only the fans but also the board. Neil Lennon himself stated that if he doesn’t win the league then his time as Celtic manager would be up and so it should be.

Neil Lennon was certainly not the Celtic board’s first choice as manager of the club. He was their only choice, the cheap option in fact.

The misconception that Neil Lennon was one of many candidates for the Celtic job is another great PR spin from Mr Lawwell. Who were the other candidates? I can’t remember any coming out and publicly stating they were contacted about the position nor were they ever mentioned in the press. The season before Celtic had Roberto Martinez and Owen Coyle linked with the job, when Strachan left before Lawwell and Reid appointed third or fourth choice Tony Mowbray.

Celtic can no longer attract the big names to the club. There will not be another Martin O’Neill or Billy McNeill, Tommy Burns or Jock Stein at the club because of the lack of money at the club, and more importantly the level of football in the SPL. Majority shareholder Dermot Desmond will forever be called upon by the fans to dip into his very deep pockets to splash some of his millions. But the Irishman is savvy enough to know that the SPL is not worth anything he can provide. He is a businessman and football is no longer a game it is a business ran by individuals like Desmond as a sort of chess game, with the club and its fans pieces on the board. Despite the fans calling for him to splash the cash or leave - he will not do either under duress - he will probably tell them to bog off in Irish Gaelic.

What do Celtic need to do now?

They need to bring in players in January that is for sure. The additions need to be defenders as those at the club are not up to scratch, in fact the majority of them are bomb scares waiting to happen.

Another addition that I would have within the Celtic ranks is an experienced head in the management team. Currently both Mjallby and Thompson are in the infancy of their coaching careers, likewise Lennon who is a rookie manager. Then there is Gary Parker who before taking up his role at Celtic under Neil Lennon was a painter and decorator.

There is no experienced heads within Celtic’s management team and that is what is hampering Celtic significantly more than anything else. The team choked last season against both Rangers and Inverness Caley Thistle, and this season the team have lost the fight, the desire and the determination to win games that was self-evident under Gordon Strachan and Martin O’Neill’s tenure.

The likes of David Hay, who would love a return to Celtic in any capacity - as he mentioned to me during an interview at the launch of his book The Quiet Assassin would be a great addition to the Celtic management team even as a coach or an advisor to Lennon.

Failure to strengthen both in terms of the playing staff - in the right positions and failure to bring in an experienced head will cost Celtic the title, and for Neil Lennon and his management team their jobs.

It is time the Celtic support stop revelling in their rivals financial problems and concentrate on their own club’s failures. Three years of no Champions League money, three years of no SPL title and three years in which they have only won two trophies is proof that they have nothing to gloat about.

Time that Peter Lawwell refrains from his stand up act at the expense of Rangers, time that Lennon stops mentioning Rangers and how he would rather be in four competitions rather than what McCoist and Rangers are now left with and it is time that Celtic fans come back to Planet Earth and realise that Celtic Park is no longer Paradise but a cursed land.

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A Celtic fan mocks the HMRC tax issue that Rangers are currently suffering, but it was Rangers who had the last laugh in terms of the scoreline

My Legends

I X

GOALKEEPER: Andy Goram – Love him or hate him the ‘goalie’ was an exceptional talent. That save from Van Hooijbonk in 1996 would have been regarded as the save of the century had it happened in a World Cup or Champions League match.

RIGHT BACK: Lillian Thuram – Tireless full back who showed great composure on the ball and was a threat going forward. Part of an exceptional French team which dominated the international scene in the late 90’s and early 2000s.

CENTRE DEFENDER: Franco Baresi – A proper old school Italian defender, uncompromising and ruthless in the tackle. A leader of men and superb organiser, sadly Baresi will always been remembered for his awful penalty miss in the 1994 World Cup final.

CENTRE DEFENDER: Colin Hendry – Like Baresi an old school defender, superb in the air and a pivotal part of the successful Scotland side in the late 90s which was based on discipline and organisation. How the current national side could do with someone of Hendrys ilk to sort out our inadequacies at the back.

rld o W is h s k ic p ie n n e R Allan Scotzine contributor he reasons behind them.

Legends XI side and t 22

LEFT BACK: Paulo Maldini – Staggering career, playing over 1000 games for club and country in a career spanning almost 25 years. Consummate professional who never let the side down.

Won five Champions League titles but ironically had retired from international football when Italy lifted the World Cup in 2006.

CENTRE MIDFIELD: Luis Figo – Loved the way he played the game, effortless passing and movement.

Not too dissimilar to the way Xavi & Iniesta go about their business. A

great creater of goals in with a fair few of his and chipped own.

CENTRE MIDFIELD : Zinedine Zidane – World Cups Championships, World , European year. Zizou won that. player of the vision and surprisingly Great touch, air. The injury time bragreat in the England, the World ce against winning double or the Cup Final League goal at HampdeChampions wonderful Zidane me n. So many greatest player of my mories. The only a little Argentinia generation, that away from him.... n could take CENTRE MIDFIELD: – Speaking of whichLionel Messi knows he is a geniu, everybody question left is, is he s, the only the greatest?

The aforementioned Zidane, Maradonna and Pele are all pro bably above Messi at the mo few more Champions ment but a and a World Cup wi League titles with Argentina and nners medal argue he is not the gre who would atest of them all.

FORWARD: Thierry He more than just a goal nr y – Much searing pace left defen machine, his in his boots. Practicaders quaking his own brand of go lly invented a position on the left al, taking up the pitch Henry would hand side of inside on to his favou regularly cut before unleashing anred right foot shot into the opposite unstoppable corner.

FORWARD: Ally McCo kid growing up wants ist – Every to follow in one of their pa rticular idols footsteps. McCoist wa goal scoring record wa s mine, his none. Could score wi s second to left and head and oftth his right, in with vital goals mo en chipped st notably his lob against Norway wh secure Scotland’s qu ich helped alification to

the 1990 World Cup. FORWARD: Stevie Co fashioned centre for oper – Old in the air but murder ward, good at his feet. An Airdrie with the ball scoring a famous wi legend after nner against Hearts which secured the a second Scottish Cup Diamonds seasons in 1995. Sadly final in three , Cooper died suddenly in 2004 at the age of 39.

SUB KEEPER: John Martin- Was part of the same succe side as Cooper. Mad as ssful Airdrie hatter, Martin would often be seen sw the crossbar. Was actuainging from keeper but was poor wi lly a good his feet, the pass back th the ball at in during the earlier 90law brought killed his chances of s effectively playing at a higher level.

SUBSTITUTE: Lauren Captain of the great t Blanc – of the late 90s, now French side manages his country. Who could for love for Fabian Ba get Blanc’s thez’s bald napper?

SUBSTITUTE: Paul Played the holding Lambert – well before it becamemidfield role One of the few Scottall the rage. who made it on the co ish players was an integral part of ntinent and Dortmund side tha the Borussia Champions League in t won the 1997.

SUBSTITUTE: Paulo Di Canio was great theatr Canio – Di talented but had a hecke, supremely Still his wonder goal forof a temper. in a fixture against Wi West Ham mbledon will go down as one of the the Premier League era greatest in .

SUBSTITUTE: Ronaldo – Was untouchable in his strength and scored prime, pace have gone on to be thegoals, could greatest of

23

them all had it not be horrific knee injuries. en for some adequate replacemen Would be an should the big man get for Cooper, t tired.

GAFFER: Jock Stein – to win the European It’s not easy you have bucket loads Cup, but if Barcelona or Man Un of cash like become easier. Stein ited things that when Celtic lifted never had in 1967, his team were the trophy players who were born made up of mile radius of Parkhea within a 35 will never be replicatedd, a feat that .

If you want to send in XI and have it publisheyour Legends issue of the magazin d in the next editor@scotzine.com. e send it to

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