Another Legend Has Passed

THE death of Sammy Cox, who has passed away in a nursing home in his adopted Stratford, Ontario, Canada, cast something of a pall over our big week-end of the first Premiership games.

 

At the time of his death, Sammy was the second-oldest living Scotland internationalist, the oldest former Scotland captain and a memorial to "Real Rangers", the Bill Struth-managed club which dominated Scottish football. He was one half of one of the greatest Scotland full-back partnerships; he and big Geordie Young played at 2 and 3 for Scotland in 23 internationals, with Scotland winning 15 of these games - now that's a record today's internationalists would be proud to have.

 

If he was a Rangers legend, Sammy, from Darvel, also played as a youngster with Queen's Park, Third Lanark and Dundee and saw war-time service with the Gordon Highlanders. He completed his active career in Scotland with East Fife and I have a journalist friend, an East Fife fanatic, whose father is an avowed Cox fan, from his two-year spell there after he left Rangers.

 

One of the legendary -  Brown; Young and Shaw; McColl, Woodburn and Cox "Iron Curtain" defence of the 1949 Treble-winning Rangers team, Sammy Cox was a truly great Scotland player. He has now been released from the living hell of Alzheimer's - my thoughts are with his family.

 

 

 

COX is gone, but, Scottish Football carries on. It would be foolish to try to read too-much into Saturday's results, but, IF Dundee can build on Saturay's terrific win at Rugby Park, IF Aberdeen can keep progressing, and IF we get a few more hum-dingers such as Sunday's seven-goal thriller at Tynecastle - well, it might be a good season.

 

 

 

TOLD you it was a flash-in-the-pan: the RTA scoring six goals at Easter Road. Only three goals against Peterhead, at home, tut-tut. Still, a win is a win. The RTA is due at Somerset Park shortly, and I have a couple of mates who have long suffered in the cause of the Honest Men. They are confident their side can put a spanner in the RTA's works.

 

 

 

WHAT a great touch by Celtic, having John Clark unfurl the League Flag on Saturday. Clarkie was a marvellous support and stay to Billy McNeill, at the heart of the Lisbon Lions' defence, he is as kit man and sounding board for Ronnie Deila, a living link between the Lions and today's Celtic team, yet he is a man who has perhaps never received the credit he is due for his part in the club's history.

 

Clark has inherited Sean Fallon's role as the heart of Celtic, as such, that heart is in good nick.

 

 

 

EWAN Murray had a very good interview with Hearts' Ann Budge in Sunday's Observer. I commend this piece to anyone who can access it on-line. The lady talks a great deal of sense about Scottish football.