25-07-2018, 13:41
Fergie Rises by Michael Grant
A great read, now as a young lad growing up, although unlike 78 when they thought they would;d win the World cup and 1967 when Celtic won the Euro cup, the eighties at least for me had a very strong and competitive SPL.
Mind you even then it was considered a diddy league of quick physical football, bad goalkeepers and far inferior to the old division one, Frank McGarvey flopped at Liverpool and Ally McCoist at Sunderland so it must be rubbish.
The 80`s saw not only "The New firm " of Aberdeen and Dundee United not only challenging Celtic and Rangers but winning the title, Hearts also coming very mighty close. It was a strong league with Hibs, St Mirren, Dundee, Motherwell not just making up the numbers but being competitive and bringing through many top class players also.
Naturally we all know what Sir Alex did at Man Utd, the older ones will remember just how good his Aberdeen side were too-Leighton and Southall were the best keepers in Europe, Miller and McCleish an awesome centre back pairing, the talented Gordon Strachan, I guess they will be the obvious names. But such talented names as Peter Weir, Stuart Kennedy, Neale Cooper, Neil Simpson, Doug Rougvie, Bryan Gunn, Eric Black, Jim Bett, Joe Miller, Mark McGhee, Frank MacDougall, John Hewitt many either uncapped or a scattering of caps, how Scotland would need these players today but such was the depth of talent in the league (Despite the poor WC showings!)
I can reel off so many players in those SPL teams from the time and certainly look back as its golden era
It`s a really easy read and lots of input from ex players, even if your not a fan of Aberdeen or Fergie it says a lot about football management and sports psychology as well as Sottish Football in general
A great read, now as a young lad growing up, although unlike 78 when they thought they would;d win the World cup and 1967 when Celtic won the Euro cup, the eighties at least for me had a very strong and competitive SPL.
Mind you even then it was considered a diddy league of quick physical football, bad goalkeepers and far inferior to the old division one, Frank McGarvey flopped at Liverpool and Ally McCoist at Sunderland so it must be rubbish.
The 80`s saw not only "The New firm " of Aberdeen and Dundee United not only challenging Celtic and Rangers but winning the title, Hearts also coming very mighty close. It was a strong league with Hibs, St Mirren, Dundee, Motherwell not just making up the numbers but being competitive and bringing through many top class players also.
Naturally we all know what Sir Alex did at Man Utd, the older ones will remember just how good his Aberdeen side were too-Leighton and Southall were the best keepers in Europe, Miller and McCleish an awesome centre back pairing, the talented Gordon Strachan, I guess they will be the obvious names. But such talented names as Peter Weir, Stuart Kennedy, Neale Cooper, Neil Simpson, Doug Rougvie, Bryan Gunn, Eric Black, Jim Bett, Joe Miller, Mark McGhee, Frank MacDougall, John Hewitt many either uncapped or a scattering of caps, how Scotland would need these players today but such was the depth of talent in the league (Despite the poor WC showings!)
I can reel off so many players in those SPL teams from the time and certainly look back as its golden era
It`s a really easy read and lots of input from ex players, even if your not a fan of Aberdeen or Fergie it says a lot about football management and sports psychology as well as Sottish Football in general