One comes to expect the unexpected as you get on in life but if someone had told me that Junior football’s gain…from Frank Lovering’s chequered 40 year career as a player ,manager and club official …was cricket’s loss then I would have politely asked them if they had been drinking?
Followers of the game, able to recall seeing the warrior-like Frank in action and particularly those with Benburb or Largs Thistle affections, (well he had numerous separate stints at both clubs) will also reckon this revelation borders on the unbelievable however all of us will just have to accept his Astonishing But True disclosures.
That much became clear when the nowadays 65 year old took to reminiscing this week about his formative years as a teenager growing up in Kinning Park where the building of the Kingston Bridge caused the vast majority of his hitherto childhood friends to ship out of the area and relocate in Nitshill, Drumchapel and Castlemilk.
Back then, Frank attended Bellahouston Academy and his preference to be recognized as a very promising batsman/wicket keeper for the school cricket X1 saw him look forward more to playing out of the Norwood Pavilion in Haggs Road rather than making football team appearances.
He recalled, “I was never fully committed to the football side of things other than during the winter months when the cricket season was over so much so that I wore my sandshoes in games because I didn’t even own a pair of boots.
”My only achievement of any note was being invited to play a trial game for Celtic Boys Club but I never turned up for it on account of not having the required boots and shinguards.”
Frank’s aspirations with the red ball were to be put on the back burner altogether after he left school and obtained a job as a trainee mechanic with a garage owner whose stark ultimatum “play sport or work for me” prompted the only responsible answer possible from someone aged 17 and about to marry May his childhood sweetheart.
With his apprenticeship served, Frank resorted to playing football again but only during regular visits to his wife’s parents in Pollok where he used to participate in kickabout games at the local pitch where one such `family` outing led to him being approached by Rikky Scott , manager of East Kilbride amateur outfit St Leonards, who made a very good fist of selling his team to Frank because the then 24 year old went on to play for them .
A season and a bit of standout appearances later saw Frank catch the attention of his local side Benburb so in 1982/83 season, legendary Govan boss Tommy Douglas convinced him to make the step up into the Junior ranks and join a dressing room inhabited by established aces like Ally Marshall, Alistair Edmiston, Stevie Whitehead and Eddie McKim, all of whom had featured in the Bens side beaten 2-0 by Bailleston in the 1980 Scottish Junior Cup Final.
His first Tinto Park stint proved short lived as Frank revealed ,
”Benburb’s Committee picked the team back in those days and would always err for the tried and trusted guys so there were precious few opportunities to impress for any newcomers like myself so I grew frustrated and called it a day at the end of that season only to then raise more than a few eyebrows by opting for a move to Camelon Juniors.”
FRANK HAD THE BALLS TO PLAY CRICKET IN GOVAN
His streetwise qualities were the perfect foil for a silky football playing Camelon side, whose star turn was Kevin “Crunchie” McAllister , and the East Region outfit embarked on a terrific Scottish Cup run knocking out Bonnyrigg Rose and the reigning holders Blantyre Vics before their own 5th round elimination, beaten 4-2 by Pollok .
Watching on was the Newlandsfield club’s former goalscoring legend Norrie Fulton , then managing Largs Thistle ,who came away suitably impressed by Frank’s display in that last 16 tie and duly asked him to sign for the Barrfields club at the start of the following season.
Frankie Molloy, John Hagan and Archie Halley were among his new team mates yet Largs were struggling to make an impact and by Xmas had installed a new team manager in the shape of former Morton and Rangers goalkeeper Erik Sorenson.
“Erik was a superb coach who totally transformed Largs and we went from bottom of the table to being league champions but his odd departure in 1985 (to run an amateur team) saw all his good work count for nothing .” recalled Frank.
“Jim Inglis, Kilbirnie Ladeside ‘s Scottish Cup winning captain came in as manager and replaced me with his former team mate Bobby Davidson so as you can imagine, I was only too willing to join Glenafton when they came calling .
“The actual signing formalities were carried out by their manager Jamesie Kirkland and myself at the Stadium Bar in Ibrox and that same night he fixed up another two players who were to become great friends of mine , Ian Gray and Danny Boland.
“One winter of driving all the way down to Glenafton in the pitch black just to train on a red ash pitch turned things sour for me and I don’t mind admitting to jumping at the chance of a transfer back to Largs where Dicky Brock was now in charge .”
Frank was one of the cornerstones of a revamped Theesel side that won the West of Scotland Cup for the first and only time in their history (1991) with a 1-0 triumph over Renfrew and he might well have remained at the Ayrshire outpost but couldn’t bring himself to turn down a signing offer two seasons further down the line from Pollok manager Tommy Reynolds.
He insisted “Tommy was the kind of manager you would run through a brick wall for therefore I was never going to say no when he asked me to bite the bullet and play in an early season game against Lesmahagow when I was still carrying an injury picked up in training.
“ It’s no exaggeration to say the Gow’s big midfielder Dunky Sinclair took me to the cleaners and I was then dropped for our next game which we won comfortably but it still came as a kick in the teeth to then find myself left out of our Sectional League Cup Final line-up because Tommy didn’t want to change a winning team .”
Frank admits he took his omission badly and in a fit of pique asked to be placed on the transfer list which resulted in Cumnock, where Mark Shanks was at the helm , securing his services .
He insisted, “Mark was a fantastic coach and motivator in the Erik Sorenson mould but his former Senior club Ayr United lured him away which left assistant manager Bobby McCulloch looking after team affairs until the Cumnock officials disastrously brought my former Pollok skipper Gordon Wilson to the club as a co-boss.
“ Bobby and Gordon knew the game inside out but the pair of them couldn’t see eye to eye and were continually falling out so Cumnock sacked them only to make the management situation worse by their appointment of the great Auchinleck Talbot manager Willie Knox.
“He was just not the right fit needed and having so much disharmony behind the scenes persuaded me to jump ship and return to Benburb on a player/assistant manager basis fully 12 years after my last game for them.”
Andy Dailly was the gaffer overseeing a famous old club on it’s knees with Tinto Park in a state of utter disrepair as well as a Social Club in it’s death throes ensuring next to no money was available to put even the small things right and Frank remembers he and Andy taking money out of the pool table to pay out travel expenses.
A parting of the ways was inevitable and a 39 year old Frank then answered a plea from long time buddy George Wall to help a Greenock side containing other notable worthies Danny Gault, Paul Sweeney and goalkeeper Kenny Meechan to win promotion .
Neither his advancing years nor Largs Thistle affiliations could prevent him moving to Beith as No 2 to former team boss Brock whose own subsequent appointment as Junior Scotland manager left Frank holding the reins ahead of a daunting first game clash against arch rivals Kilbirnie.
He takes up the story, “The team was in a decimated state after a number of players left to be reunited with their former Beith manager Dennis Gray at Auchinleck so having little transfer funds at my disposal forced me to enlist the help of my brother Thomas who had played for Meadowbank Thistle.
“To be 2-0 down at half time against Kilbirnie had our fans baying for the Lovering brothers` heads on a plate but a wonderful second half performance ,scoring three goals without replay and Thomas bagging the winner had everyone singing our praises.”
Frank’s vociferous and often abrasive dugout manner did not go down well with certain Beith officials however his enforced ousting from the Bellsdale Park post was welcomed at Largs Thistle whose bringing him on board as team manager resulted in the Ayrshire Second Division title being won.
A fallout with Largs officials after failing to obtain funds for his team strengthening plans led to Frank tendering his resignation and taking up a player/coach position with St Anthonys prior (he played in a handful of games aged 45) to yet again returning to Benburb , this time as manager.
FRANK AND THE FAMILY JEWELS
He added , “It would be one of the biggest understatements ever to say we were a club in crisis given there was no Social Club , zero funds , a list of debtors as long as your arm and just two Committee members so my choices were to walk away and let the club fold or try my best to keep it going .
“Our progress from those darkest days in 2002 was painfully slow to say the least but the help from players John Tinney, Colin McInness , Mark Davis, Richard Lovering, Bobby McMillan and so many others whose names I cannot immediately recall did the trick in keeping the place alive until our resurrection if you want to call it that in 2014 when we managed to build a new ground with the proceeds from the sale of the old one.”
Frank continues to be active on the Tinto Park scene to this day, having carried out various official Benburb roles (his latest is Club Treasurer) down through the years, and is more than happy to lend manual assistance in carrying out ground and terracing improvements so naming a stand in honour of his labours and devotion to the Govan outfit seems a very fitting tribute
Asked for the abiding memories of his career evoked a typical `family man` reply
“80% of the people I know nowadays is through Junior football and there are so many outstanding characters and moments that come to mind .
But if push comes to shove then playing for Benburb against my own son Paul when he was on Clydebank’s books and farmed out to Neilston is a bit special and so too is having Paul, Richard and Lewis appearing together in the same Bens team against Arthurlie!”
FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY 10th DECEMBER ( Kick Offs 1.30 PM): P.D.M Buildbase Premier Division. Cambuslang Rangers v Irvine Meadow, Darvel v Petershill, Arthurlie v Pollok.PDM Buildbase First Division. Benburb v Bonnyton Thistle ,Thorniewood Utd v Whitletts Vics.PDM Buildbase Second Division. Muirkirk v Wishaw, Glasgow University v Ardeer Thistle, Maybole v Greenock, Kilsyth Rangers v Maryhill.PDM Buildbase Third Division.Girvan v Royal Albert, Larkhall Thistle v Lesmahagow, Dalry Thistle v Bellshill Athletic,Vale of Leven v Irvine Vics, Port Glasgow v Newmains Utd ,Vale of Clyde v Saltcoats Vics, Lanark Utd v Ardrossan Winton Rovers, Carluke Rovers v Lugar Boswell.PDM Buildbase Fourth Division. St Peters v Rossvale Academy, Campbeltown Pupils v Glenvale, Harmony Row v Threave Rovers, Easterhouse F.A v Eglinton.Westof Scotland Football League Cup. KilsythAthletic v Clydebank, East Kilbride Thistle vBSC Glasgow, Kilwinning Rangers v Thorn Athletic,Gartcairn v Blantyre Vics, Beith v Shotts Bon Accord, Auchinleck Talbot v Johnstone Burgh, Kello Rovers v Neilston, Cumbernauld Utd v Finnart, Troon v Ashfield, West Park Utd v St Cadocs, Glenafton v Kilbirnie Ladeside, Hurlford Utd v Rob Roy, Renfrew v Rutherglen Glencairn, Yoker Athletic v Rossvale, Cumnock v Craigmark, Forth Wanderers v Drumchapel Utd.
Regards
Jim O’Donnell
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