THE FORMER East Ayrshire mining village in which I live is something of a Unionist/Rangers stronghold. I am told we have more Union Flags flying in front gardens here – and in a couple of similar nearby villages, than anywhere else in Scotland. The running joke up here used to be, when you got the keys to your Council house, you also got a picture of King Billy, on his white horse, to hang above the fireplace.
So, with that background, Thursday night was a wee bit wild – between Rangers winning in Dortmund, then Celtic being beaten at home by Bodo/Glimt; as one of the local 'Bears' commented: “If Carlsberg did Thursday nights, this would be it.” Another of the local branch of WATP pondered the great philosophical question of the night: “When Celtic bomb out of the Europa Conference League, where do they go – the Eurovision Song Conference perhaps?”
These are of course, part of the non-stop banter between the fans of the Bigot Brothers. Both Borussia Dortmund and Celtic are capable, with a fair wind behind them, of overturning a two-goal deficit in the second leg, but, until this Thursday, the Rangers' fans have the bragging rights.
But seriously, from an overall Scottish Football viewpoint, if Celtic go out in Norway, it dents our hopes of boosting our European co-efficient. Fair enough, however, for me, it is long past time the rest of our so-called top clubs to step up to the mark and help the big two enhance our co-efficient. In Europe, every result counts, and, for too-long, this has been a weakness in Scottish football.
BIG DOUG BAILLIE died at the week-end, aged 85. That's a good innings and my condolences go to his family – the big man will be much-missed.
He hailed from Rigside a mining village high in the South Lanarkshire hills. From here, every day, he caught the train to Lanark Grammar School, where he combined a good academic record with a starring role in a very-good school team.
He was in the Airdrie first team while still at school and aged just 18, he was chosen at centre half for Scotland's first-ever Under-23 team. Four of that team, full-backs Alex Parker and Eric Caldow, right-half Dave Mackay and outside-right Graham Leggat would go on to win full caps, with Caldow and Masckay captaining Scotland, so to be in that company demonstrates, Doug could play a bit.
Sadly, Scotland lost 0-6 to England, most of the damage being done by Duncan Edwards, the legendary Busby Babe. He was switched form his normal left-half role, to centre forward in the second half, scoring a hat-trick and giving Doug a torrid time. Years later, I broached the subject of Edwards to him and doug had no hesitation: “He absolutely murdered me that night, by far the best player I ever faced.”
Doug was a Rangers fan and when Rangers paid Airdrie a then big fee of £11,500 in the close season of 1960, he achieved his ambition of playing for the club. Sadly, he had a horrific debut, being run ragged by the young John Yogi Hughes as Celtic won 3-2. It was a foretaste of things to come and, in the face of competition from former Scotland B cap Bill Paterson, veteran internationalist Willie Telfer, then the breakthrough of the young Ron McKinnon, he only managed 41 games, in five seasons at Ibrox.
Perhaps his best performance in a Rangers jersey was in the first leg of the European Cup-Winners Cup semi-final “Battle of Britain” against Wolverhampton Wanderers, when Scot Symon handed him the number nine shirt with instructions to make life difficult for Wolves' captain and England centre-half Bill Slater. Doug did a sterling job, creating space for Alex Scott and Ralph Brand to score the goals which took Rangers into the final.
He left Rangers in 1964 to run down his playing career with Third Lanark, Falkirk then Dunfermline Athletic, before, after some 400 games in his 17-year senior career, he hung-up his boots, having found his true forte.
The Sunday Post held what were, in effect, open auditions, seeking new football-writing talent. Doug turned-up and got the gig. Initially, he understudied their Chief Football Writer, Wembley Wizard legend Jack Harkness; then, when that goalkeeping great retired, Doug became the Post's go-to man for football coverage.
He invented a whole new language for football-writing: “Doug-Speak.” They didn't play with a ball, but with a “spheroid.” “Custodians defended the onion bag.” During John Greig's tenure as manager, Rangers were 'Greig's Granadiers.'
You read a Doug Baillie match report with a smile on your face; his copy flowed. We lesser lights, sharing a press box with the great man, never filed our copy while he was on the telephone to the Post – listening to Doug was more entertaining.
He truly was a larger-than-life character, ever ready with a joke and a quip. He was also the embodiment of: “Once a Ranger – always a Ranger.” I remember one afternoon, at Ibrox, sitting between Doug and another former Rangers centre-half, the legendary Willie Woodburn. I was black and blue at the end, as they kicked every ball with their old team.
Rangers had a young centre forward playing that day, who was going to be: “The next big thing.” Doug wasn't impressed: “See that yin, he'll still be a promising boay when he's 30,” was the Baillie verdict. The next big thing was back in the juniors a couple of season later.
But, surely the best Baillie story is of the afternoon son Lex scored the winner for Celtic in an Old Firm Derby. “His mother is very proud,” is how Doug assessed the goal in his Post match report.
He had settled in Hamilton and, in retirement, he became something of a regtular at Accies' home games. He had been a successful president of The Scottish Football Writers Association, as he covered games around the World, at World Cups and European Champiionships.
Because he had played the game to a high level, Doug could get stories out of players which we lesser beings never could – he truly was a giant of Scottish Football Writing.
Our craft has lost one of its gianst and, as one proud to call him a friend, I mourn his passing. We will not see his likes again.
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