Some Scots At Goodison Park

BEING AN OLD ROMANTIC, I got caught-up in the emotion, watching Sunday's final Everton Men's Game, at Goodison Park. Merseyside has a great bond with Clydeside, when it comes to football, so, I thought I'd reflect on picking an all-time of Everton Scots. So, here goes:

Straight away, we have a shoo-in, only one Everton goalkeeper has played for Scotland, while with the club, so I will give the Number One jersey to that guy – George Wood, with a sympathetic, close but no cigar to a man who was in a few Scotland squads, while an Evertonian, but never got capped. That man is Ian Turner.

I am going with a back four, so, on the right, there was only one man I could pick, the first right back I saw live in a Scotland shirt – Alex Parker. The man from Dreghorn broke through with Falkirk, before going south to serve Everton with distinction.

On the right-hand side of central defence, I am going with the legend that is Richard Gough, who will have by his side another man to have a lengthy career and feature for both Rangers and Everton, that man is David Weir.

The number three shirt is another one where I have to pick a player who never won a full Scotland cap, but was certainly good enough. My left back is Sandy Brown, who won one Scottish League cap with Partick Thistle, then gave Everton a decade of great service.

My midfield four comprises two old-fashioned wingers, plus a couple of midfielders. On the right I have gone for Alex Scott, who moved to Goodison Park from Ibrox after losing his place in the Rangers' team to Willie Henderson, but continued to win Scotland caps, at a time when he was competing against Henderson, Jimmy Johnstone, Charlie Cooke and Davie Wilson and Bobby Lennox.

The number eight shirt has to go to a true Everton legend – Alex Young, “The Golden Vision” - he broke through with Hearts, but really found himself during his long spell with Everton, where he had iconic status. He was also one of the nicest men I ever had to interview.

A few great Scottish Evertonians have a case to be selected beside Young in midfield, but, for me there can only be one guy in there - “The Wee Barra” - the five foot four giant that was Bobby Collins.

On the left I have selected another Wee Man who was big inside Goodison – Wee Alex Troup, whose crosses were fundamental to so many of Dixie Dean's headed goals for Everton. Dundonian Troup is another who was scandalously under-capped by Scotland, but, in fairness, he was competing against Alan Morton for the left-winger slot.

Up front, it's a case of perm two from three – the choice is: Duncan Ferguson, Graeme Sharp or Andy Gray. With the supply they are going to get from that midfield quartet, whichever two got on would surely score plenty of goals.

I appreciate, I've had to leave out a few Tartan legends: James McFadden, Stephen Naismith, Ian Durrant, Stuart McCall, Pat Nevin, John Connolly, Jim Pearson, Bruce Rioch, Asa Hartford, Jimmy Garbiel, to name but a few.

A final word on Sunday's extravaganza. Not many Scots get the better of Alistair McCoist when it comes to a battle of words, so fair play to big “Duncan Disorderly”, who brought the house down about: “Scoring the winner against Manchester United, back when they were a good team.”

Even Rio Ferdinand, who was meant to be marking him that day, had to laugh at that one.

And, by the way, like many Scots whose loyalties lie elsewhere, I have long been critical of Celtic for stealing “You'll Never Walk Alone” from Liverpool. But, I learned on Sunday, song theft is a two-way streeet, after hearing the Everton version of “The Celtic Song”.