THE
BBC SCOTLAND website has just
revealed Scotland's 50 Greatest Players, as chosen by the fans.
Nothing wrong with such exercises. They are terrific “click bait”
for the site sponsoring them, but, who gets chosen depends on the age
profile of those contributing.
As
it happens, all 50 players nominated are from the last 60 years, with
only three players – Eric
Caldow (1957), Dave
Mackay (1957) and
Denis Law (1958)
being capped prior to the swinging sixties.
All
three would be in my list, and top 20 players at that, but, there are
several nominees, whose place in that top 50 had me thinking: Yer
avin' a larf!!!”
And, the fact Jim
Baxter only
just scraped into the top ten, had me shaking my head.
One
of the seldom mentioned givens about such lists is, the acceptance, a
big star in one era would be a big star in any era, so, I reckoned I
could pick at least an XI from the old days, capable of beating any
XI chosen from the BBC's 50.
So,
Here in the old-fashioned 2-3-5 formation is my team of Golden Oldies
to take care of the more-recent guys.
Goalkeeper:
Jimmy
Cowan (Morton)
– 24-times capped hero of the 1949 Wembley win, a game forever
known as: “Jimmy Cowan's Wembley.” As a goalkeeper he was way-ahead of his time. Had nine clean sheets in his 24 internationals and is one of the few Scotland goalkeepers to have conceded less than a goal a game in the national team.
Right-back:
George
Young (captain) (Rangers)
– 54-times capped, captain on 48 occasions, he was, in effect,
Scotland's player-manager during the early 1950s.
Left-back:
Sammy
Cox (Rangers)
– 25 caps. He played left-half for his club, left-back for
Scotland, where both English knighted wingers, Stanley Matthews and
Tom Finney reckoned him to be their most-difficult opponent.
Right-half:
Willie
Shankly (Preston
North End) – 5 caps. His subsequent managerial record with
Liverpool has over shadowed the reality, Shankly was a marvellous midfielder, whose career was marred by World War
II, which doubtless cost him many caps.
Centre-half:
Willie
Woodburn (Rangers)
– 24 caps. Older Rangers fans who saw him play will tell you he was
better than the later stars such as Butcher or Gough. Scotland's
record with Young, Woodburn and Cox as a back three, in front of
Cowan, is the stuff we can only dream of today. Fantastic player, with
a hair-trigger temper which eventually cost him his career.
Left-half:
Jimmy
McMullan (Partick
Thistle and Manchester City) – 16 caps. Captain of the first
Wembley Wizards and an inspirational captain, but, also a great
midfield schemer. Only on the losing side once in his 16
internationals.
Outside-right:
Alex
Jackson (Aberdeen
and Huddersfield Town) – 17 caps. The man who scored a hat-trick at
Wembley in 1928. Wonderful winger who added goals to his supply of
tempting crosses.
Inside-right:
Tommy
Walker (Heart
of Midlothian) – 20 caps. An Edinburgh icon, like Shankly, his
gilded playing career was interrupted by World War II, and his
subsequent managerial record during Hearts' “Golden Era” of the
late-fifties, early-sixties has overshadowed his talents as a great
player.
Centre-forward:
Hughie
Gallacher (Airdrie,
Newcastle United, Chelsea and Derby County) – 20 caps. Scotland's
greatest goal-scorer, 24 goals in 20 internationals. Also perhaps the
hardest to handle player off the field. Gallacher's troubled
relationship with drink eventually led him to kill himself, but,
still a fantastic striker.
Inside-left:
Alex
James (Preston
North End and Arsenal) – 8 caps. His meagre number of caps fails to
do justice to his talent. Wasn't that bothered about playing for
Scotland but, at club level, he was the brains behind North End, then
the great Arsenal side of the 1930s, before enjoying a good career in
journalism. Had a near telepathic understanding with the men either
side of him.
Outside-left:
Alan
Morton (Queen's
Park and Rangers) – 31 caps. “The
Wee Blue Devil,” tormented
the English, and everyone else, throughout the 1920s and into the
1930s. A fantastic, fast and tricky winger who, like Jackson on the
opposite flank, carried a goal threat. On retiring, was immediately
appointed to the Rangers' board. He may have gone to Ibrox, (Legend
has it his signing-on fee kept the family mining firm afloat in hard
times) but, he remains the epitome of the Queen's Park
gentleman-footballer.
That's
my first XI, I could have included the likes of Davie
Meiklejohn, Bob McPahil, Patsy Gallacher or Jimmy McGrory from
the great Old Firm teams of that time. Hearts fans may question why I
included Tommy but not Bobby
Walker, and
I did not even consider some of the giants of the Victorian era, when
Scotland was the best team in the admittedly then small football
world – Charles
Campbell, Tom Vallance, Walter Arnott, Dr John Smith, William
McKinnon, or
great men from the Vale of Leven such as John
McDougall or
James McAulay.
Aye,
we've got literally hundreds of marvellous players from which to pick
a top 50. That's the great thing about such exercises, choice is
near-infinite and it all comes down to opinion, which, as CP Scott,
the great Guardian
Editor
memorably maintained is free.
So,
feel free to disagree with my selection and pick your own.
