WHEN, AS I have been for the greater part of my 50-years in journalism, you are a freelance, you miss out to a degree on the office politics and rituals which are such a part of working in a staff environment. So, I have always been grateful for the friendship and encouragement I received during my all-too-short spell as a regular contributor to the late and much-missed Sunday Standard's sports pages.
The Standard's staff was recruited at great cost and included some sterling names. Alongside them, they gave a chance to unknowns such as I. Had the owners held their nerve and kept the paper going, I am sure it would have made an even-greater impact on Scottish life.
Harry Reid was the Sports' Honcho when I first got involved, but, for the majority of my time at Albion Street, Ian Archer was the main man on sport, with Doug Gillon as his number two. If you cannot learn from two such masters of their craft – then you are a hopeless case.
One of the things 'Dan' Archer did was, he shared the football work load. He was the Number One football writer, but, whereas on other titles the number one only ever covers Scotland and The Old Firm (this still works today), Dan made sure we all got our turn at covering games at the big Glasgow stadia.
Back then, 40 years ago, Alec Ferguson was making waves at Pittodrie, so we all got our turn at covering Aberdeen home games and the rich expenses pickings to be made by such trips.
I also learned much from Saturday night bonding sessions, once the paper had been put to bed, either in Tom's Bar or in one of the nearby hostelries. A certain midweek long lunch in The Horseshoe introduced me to that legendary establishment.
One of the joys of working for the Standard was, being based in Ayrshire, I got asked to cover a lot of Greenock Morton games. Here I first met the great Roger Graham, who I am still proud to call a friend today. Here too, I got to watch, on a regular basis, Andy Ritchie, weave his magic.
If I was asked to name the ultimate Scottish footballer, I would unreservedly nominate the great Jim Baxter. He exuded Scottishness. Totally gallus, he could when the mood suited him, win a match on his own, reducing even the best opponents to embarrassed straight man status as he put that left foot – dubbed “The Wand” to work.
“Stanley”
didn't
care a great deal for fitba. “For
me, it was a way to get to shag nicer-lookin' burds, ken,” was
the straight from the horse's mouth explanation of his motivation.
But,. After Baxter, Ritchie has to be the Number
Two. They were kindred spirits.
Dan Archer stole a line of mine, and I don't begrudge it him, when he said: “Jock Stein initiated a project for a 'Stepford Footballer,' Andy Ritchie was the outcome – the problem was, the final wiring was done by a Rangers' supporter, who built-in the failings.”
Make no mistake, when 'Ambling Andy' was in the mood, he could destroy teams single-handed. But, when he couldn't be bothered, or didn't fancy the weather in Greenock – well, you'd have been better-off with Shane Ritchie playing. Mind you,when he wasn't playing, but sitting in the row behind the cramped Cappielow press box, his one-liners would often be more-entertaining than the fitba on offer.
I remember one game, against the great Aberdeen side of the time, when the rain was coming in horizontally from 'The Dublin End.' The only part of the park offering some degree of protection from the elements was a ten-yard strip either side of half-way, in front of the dug-outs. This is where Andy stationed himself, impervious to the screamed instructions from Benny Rooney, that he get himself more-involved.
Then, Morton were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Aberdeen D. Up stepped Andy, Miller, McLeish & Co were wasting their time forming a wall – the first Jim Leighton saw of the ball was when it came back off the stanchion through his legs. Game won, Andy spent the rest of his time on the park, trying to persuade Rooney to substitute him.
Another time, against Dundee, he delivered a pass to Jim Holmes which, as I wrote in my match report: “had 'please place in the corner of the net,' written all over it.” Holmes duly obliged.
Andy delivered that ball from inside the centre circle, Holmes met it about 16 yards from goal, but the placement and weighting were so-good, Andy took out half the Dundee side with that one pass.
This eulogy to a still-living player has been motivated by a thread on Facebook, inspired by some Ritchie magic. In particular contributors have written about how he used to regularly take great delight in beating Alan Rough from all angles. I love Roughie to bits, I am so-proud to call him a friend. I think, regardless of the Rangers' fan base's idolatry of “The Goalie” - Roughie is Scotland's most-beloved 'keeper.
It has been Roughie's misfortune to be left flat-footed by some goals, scored by some exceptional players – Zico, Oscar, Cubillas, to name but three. You could add Andy Ritchie to that list, when it came to scoring outrageous goals, he had few peers.
My favourite Andy Ritchie story, I have stolen unashamedly from the late, great, Tommy Burns. It came when Andy was back where it started, coaching at Celtic. It was Packy Bonner's birthday, and he had arrived proudly showing-off his present from his better half – a very-expensive sheepskin coat.
Ritchie decided such a Celtic icon's birthday had to be celebrated correctly, so, the players and coaching staff were lined-up on the half-way line, while a recording of The Soldier's Song was played. A proud Packy looked up, to see his new sheepskin coat flying from the flag pole – Ritchie had struck.
Aye, they broke the mould after Andy Ritchie – he only got one Scottish League cap and one Under-21 cap, as an over-age player. When will Scottish Football do the right thing and induct this flawed genius into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame?
