RONNIE HAD A CAREER TO REMEMBER

EVEN SOME OF HIS CLOSE FRIENDS WON’T RECOGNISE THE VERY YOUNG LOWRIE

The theory was advanced at last Saturday’s clash between Cambuslang Rangers and Cumnock that if the late and great Andy Goram merited his affectionate nickname The Goalie then it follows that the same tag in Junior football circles could easily be bestowed upon Ronnie Lowrie.

Hard to say otherwise about someone able to reflect on a star-studded career spanning all of 35 years…28 of them as a player and encompassing no fewer than 12 clubs…Junior and Senior.

Though born in Aberdeen, Ronnie was brought up in East Kilbride as a result of his Dad coming down to work in what was a thriving new town back then , and he attended Duncanrig Secondary where his prowess for keeping goal first came to the fore as part of a very successful school team boasting John Brewster (later of E.K. Thistle renown ), Gerry Niven a Rangers signing happy to be farmed out to Bailleston and Pollok in attempting to make his mark at Ibrox , as well as full back Ian Hair snapped up by Aberdeen where he spent five seasons before spending a similar spell with Montrose.

That Duncanrig side were always there or thereabouts when the prizes were being handed out and Ronnie recalls him and his team mates coming off second best in the Under 13 Castle Cup Final and the Under 15 ’s Glasgow Cup Final, losing to St Mungo’s on both occasions, but having better luck in claiming the U14 Crookston Cup as well as the R.S McColl Trophy at U13, 14, 15 and 16 levels while also reaching the heights with an Under 14 Scottish Schools Final appearance only to lose out against Broxburn Academy

Not surprisingly, Ronnie’s performances between the sticks were similarly attracting attention and he briefly appeared as a trialist for both Clydebank and Celtic before on the run up to Xmas in his Sixth Year , he was asked to come in to Ibrox and train with Rangers as a prelude to playing as a trialist against East Fife in a Reserves game where a Cumnock Academy schoolboy Alex McVake was one of the S form signings taking part. .

The nowadays 68 year old recounted, “ I did well enough in the game itself and Rangers were keen to sign me afterwards but though tempted, my Dad was dead against it because he wanted me to finish my education and I sided with him …which looking back now was definitely the correct choice .”

Around this time Ronnie began to combine school games on Saturday mornings with turning out for St Rochs in the afternoons and he has fond memories to this day of sharing a Provanmill Park dressing room with notables such as fellow shotstopper Brian Wallace, John Shankland, Tommy Casserley, Tony Dickson, Danny Martin, Jim March, Willie Callaghan and Bobby McCulley to name but a few.

He said , “ I was yet to turn 17 and playing and training in that company was a real education of sorts particularly in terms of toughening me up and I was certainly a better all-round goalkeeper for the experience which is maybe why Queens Park came chapping my door at the end of my first St Rochs season. “

Tommy Duncan , a former Airdrie winger, was the team boss who persuaded Ronnie to put pen to paper for the Spiders in January 1972 and the teenager, by now at Jordanhill training to be a P.E. Teacher,soon graduated to holding down the No 1 jersey in a first team containing the likes of Bobby Barr, Eddie Hunter, Jimmy Inglis , Ian Campbell. John Kennedy, Cammy Thomson and bustling striker Ian Fallis , later to sign for Kilmarnock.

He reminisced, “ One of the abiding memories of my time at Hampden Park came in the 1973/74 season when we drew Rangers in the third round of the Scottish Cup and were given an 8-0 pasting on a day when Derek Parlane and Tommy McLean both scored hat tricks.

“Parlane was actually on two goals when Rangers were awarded a penalty kick which he stepped forward to take but I managed to save his effort though he later completed his treble.

“To go from losing eight goals against them to the following season being asked to sign by Jock Wallace after playing a successful trial game was a dream come true and this time I didn’t hesitate to join up, albeit as a part-timer.”

Ronnie spent all of four years on the Ibrox books mixing with star turns Derek Johnstone , Parlane, Alex O’Hara, Alex McDonald and forging a close friendship with full back Ally Dawson while acting as understudy to recognized first team goalkeeping pair Stewart Kennedy and Peter McCloy.

He revealed , “I thought my big break had arrived when Jock Wallace telephoned one night to say he was moving Kennedy on and would be doubling my wages if I could show myself capable of replacing him but though my money did increase twofold , I never did get the chance to impress because not long afterwards Jock himself left to take over as Leicester City manager.

“John Greig took over the reins and made it clear I couldn’t expect to play under him unless I could somehow go full time at the expense of my Jordanhill studies which was out of the question so I ended up with a free transfer at the end of the 1978/79 season.”

RONNIE(far right) ALONGSIDE HIS RIVALS FOR THE IBROX GLOVES

As befits an ex-Rangers goalkeeper, Ronnie became the recipient of numerous signing offers from interested parties however even close friends were taken aback when he decided to plump for Blantyre Vics, in the lower reaches of the Junior ranks and managed by former shotstopper John Young, the wearer of the gloves when Cambuslang Rangers won the Scottish Junior Cup in 1969 with a 1-0 victory over Rob Roy.

Young’s teambuilding plans had already brought lively winger Brian Mitchell , the late Jackie Mordue, Robert Clark and Tommy Coggil to Castle Park and Ronnie went on to establish himself as one of the key components in a side that won the Central C Division title as well as the prestigious Evening Times Cup with a particularly satisfying Final victory(for him at least ) over his local team East Kilbride Thistle , the A Division title winners.

Recognition of his contribution to these successes came from Ronnie’s picking up the first of what were to be ten caps for Junior Scotland , his selection by various managers John Binnie, George McKenzie and John Hughes leading to him playing alongside star turns from up and down the country such as Dougie Friedman, Norrie Fulton , Jackie Myles, Gerry Philips , Lex Shields, Dennis Gray and Jim Leckie, as well as big defender Michael McManus (Ronnie thinks Lochee United were his club ?) whom The Goalie remembers coming close to landing the Scotland squad in a bit of bother following a game against Northern Ireland at the home of Carrick Rangers.

He takes up the story “ Not a lot was known about Mick on account of him playing up on Tayside but there was no doubt about his allegiances after we discovered in the dressing room that his arms were literally covered in Celtic tattoos.

“ It wasn’t a problem for anyone in the team but the name Carrick Rangers was a giveaway to where Scotland were playing so we did draw the line when it came to going out for a few drinks after the game because not one of us were prepared to sit beside him unless Mick wore a long sleeved shirt !”

The following season saw the Vics take the B Division honours and brought their No 1’s displays under even closer scrutiny by Senior scouts ,most notably Airdrie who resorted to landing charismatic keeper John Martin in Ronnie’s stead after having a signing approach turned down.

A bid by Alloa gaffer Alex Totten appeared eminently more suitable to the Junior outfit after he telephoned Ronnie to say he had been given permission to sign him up however the Vics then allegedly upped the transfer fee when it came to the deal being ratified by their full Committee, causing Totten to walk away and bringing about a massive rift between the disappointed player and his club.

Ronnie’s steadfast refusal to play for the Vics again at the start of the 1981/82 season saw him ostracized and “put out of the game” until November when Vics officials finally relented and accepted an offer for his goalkeeping services from Central League rivals Bailleston.

Ronnie teamed up with worthies Alex McLaren, Crawford Baptie, Davie Murphy, Paul Doctor, Billy Patterson , Jim Donaldson and Jackie Goodall to form a formidable Bailleston side that made it all the way to the Scottish Junior Cup Final where their opponents …by a cruel quirk of fate …were Ronnie’s erstwhile employers Blantyre Vics and one can only imagine his disdain for them would have festered even more after the Vics proceeded to lift the coveted silverware thanks to John McGurk netting the only goal of the game.

Baptie, Murphy, Doctor and Donaldson were still strutting their stuff at Station Park when Bailleston again reached the Junior showpiece occasion in 1983/84 (losing 2-0 to Bo’ness United this time) but not Ronnie even though he did play a part in helping the Rusty Craig steered outfit get there.

He reasoned, “I was teaching at Trinity High in Rutherglen and one of my former pupils and school team players , a certain Andy Walker ,came in to get my thoughts on whether he should accept an offer to go out and play for a Canadian team…Toronto Blizzards if memory serves me right ?

“Instead, I persuaded him to speak to Rusty about turning out for Bailleston and he took to the Juniors like a duck to water and was instrumental in getting them to the Final and duly signed for Motherwell .

“And the rest as they say is History!

Prior to that 1984 finale ,Ronnie ,had been enticed into taking another step upstairs by Alloa gaffer Jimmy Thomson and he was to prove integral to the Wasps`1984/85 promotion winning side that included stalwarts Kenny Thomson , Davie Lloyd and an outstanding midfielder in the tragically deceased Gary Thomson who was latterly in his career the manager of Rob Roy.

It came to Ronnie’s mind, “ Alloa were vying for the second promotion place (Montrose won the title) with Dunfermline and went into our last league game needing to beat Arbroath which we did with a 1-0 victory but celebrations were more than a bit muted after word came through of the Braford City Fire disaster on the same day.”

RONNIE PLAYING FOR ALLOA AGAINST FALKIRK

A couple of eye-catching seasons at Recreation Park led to Partick Thistle boss John Lambie wanting a now 34 year old Ronnie to act as back-up to regular Jags No 1 Andy Murdoch and he duly put pen to paper for a Firhill side containing Grant Tierney, Davie Irons, Sammy Johnston, Colin McGlashan, Gary Peebles and Jim Duffy among others.

His stay on the North side of Glasgow might have been longer than two seasons but for then Pollok boss Tommy Reynolds , whom Ronnie had played alongside for Junior Scotland, convincing him of the merits of extending his playing days with the Newlandsfield outfit.

“ I was coming up on my 36^th birthday and thought a top Junior club like Pollok would be a good place to bring the curtain down but never for one moment did I think I’d still be playing eight seasons later and would be a Scottish Junior Cup winner at the age of 42.” he articulated .

Ronnie’s blooding with the Southside giants was in a Premier Division title winning team comprising of seasoned types skipper Gordon Wilson, John McGall , Andy McQuade, John O’Brien (Niggy), Rocky Crichton ,John Paisley, Ally Marshall and Alex Coubrough that also went on to take the West of Scotland Cup honours with a 1992 defeat of Beith .

He was to retain his jersey after Reynolds resigned and was replaced by Jim George whose bringing on board players of the ilk of tried and trusted types , Dunky Sinclair, Gordon Mills , Benny Rooney and Alan Grainger resulted in another Premier Division title success that was duly followed by Ronnie’s medal haul being considerably boosted ( over the next three campaigns) by further Premier Division and West of Scotland Cup triumphs either side of the crowning glory of his long career …a 3-1 Scottish Junior Cup Final defeat of Tayport in 1997… made all the more special for the veteran keeper by the cult hero status conferred upon him after he scored from the penalty spot in the 5-0 semi-final hammering of his former club Blantyre Vics.

Ian Spittal, Craig Cramner, Kevin O’Neil and the recently passed Iain Ashcroft formed the defensive unit in front of Ronnie and the consensus view was that they might well lift the prized silverware again the following season when Pollok made it all the way through to secure a second successive Final date but unfortunately a 4-0 defeat ensued at the hands of arch rivals Arthurlie much to the chagrin of Ronnie , a Barrhead High teacher at that time.

He insisted, “Least said about that one the better however an even bigger upset was to occur in the following close season when Andy Dailly had taken over as manager and had the heart of his team ripped out by Clyde (managed by former Maryhill gurus Ronnie McDonald and Alan Maitland ) enticing away Spit, Cramner and John Barratt .

“Losing such big personalities led to us struggling to get our act together and Pollok were sitting third bottom of the table and staring relegation in the face when Andy was sacked and our club officials approached me to ask if I would be prepared to look after team matters until the end of season.

“Obviously they were thinking we were as good as down and were wanting to buy themselves time to put a new manager in place so I turned them down and instead asked for the job to be mine on a permanent basis or not at all .

Ronnie added , “ My request was granted so I immediately called it quits on the playing front and brought in a new goalkeeper in Robert Balfour who did us a real turn as the team mounted a wonderful recovery over our closing fixtures , notably beating both Arthurlie and Maryhill during our run-in to ensure we escaped the drop

“ The following season saw a couple of key signings made via the acquisitions of crack amateur pair Paul McNeil and Robert Downs and they along with Robert Prytz, Mark McWilliams , Kevin O’Neil and Mario Pacitti , Alex Eadie and Gary Copeland formed the backbone of our team which went on to won the Central League Cup (beating Shotts Bon Accord) and West of Scotland Cup(Glenafton).

“Ian Spittal had returned to the club as my assistant and along with Alex McVake we formed a backroom team that were to enjoyed many highlights but none more so than the inaugural season of the Superleagues in 2002/03 when Pollok kicked off with an opening day 6-1 victory over Cumnock and proceeded to go through the season unbeaten as we clinched the title in the very last game of the campaign down at Townhead ,through Paul McNeil bagging a wonderful hat trick.

Young Paul was nothing short of sensational that season and would almost certainly have gone Senior but for a viral infection striking him down at the peak of his powers and it’s so tragic to think he never played again.”

The loss of McNeil’s impressive goals return led to Pollok failing to attain quite the same heights during the following season but it was nevertheless a massive surprise when Ronnie failed to win the unseemly vote of confidence that had been called for with Pollok occupying a more than respectable third top of the table position.

Thoughts of a fait accomplit were only heightened by the near instant arrival of Rab Sneddon whose departure from Maryhill in turn created a Lochburn Park vacancy subsequently filled by Ronnie and his backroom team moving across city in the other direction to take charge of an emerging side boasting Brian Dingwall, Andy Essler, Stevie Miller and Eddie McGuinness among their star turns.

Lowrie’s signing additions of Martin Baker and Greg McCulloch further strengthened Maryhill’s playing resources however the rug was to be unceremoniously pulled from under his feet when a Pollok transfer swoop for Dingwall, Essler and Miller was followed by the withdrawal of a major sponsor causing a major review of Maryhill’s finances.

Said Ronnie , “Club officials Gordon Anderson and Gordon Boyd gave me nothing but wonderful support during my time at Maryhill but even they felt embarrassed over asking me to enter into discussions with the players about the need for them to take a not insignificant cut in their wages and to be honest, I couldn’t do it and felt compelled to resign..

“It was not how I would have liked my two years long stint to finish but I felt the parting of the ways would work well for both parties and I certainly have no regrets.”

OF COURSE RONNIE PREFERS GOLF NOWADAYS

Ronnie took a year out of the game in 2006 before a chance meeting with Rangers Youths supremo Billy McLaren led to him accepting a scouting post which he typically threw his heart and soul into for the next 8/9 years before turning to the Golf course for his sporting fix and he currently plays off a -10 handicap despite problems with his swing caused by the large fin protruding from his back.

He said , “ I’ve seen precious little Junior games other than a Darvel v Arthurlie game when one of my former pupils Tam McGaughey was was playing but the 90 minutes didn’t get the juices flowing as much as competing in Saturday Medals so it ‘s looking like golf will be my lot from now on”

FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY 20^th MAY 2023 (2PM unless stated. PDM Buildbase First Division. Cumbernauld Utd v Gartcairn, St Cadocs v Rossvale, Whitletts Vics v Johnstone Burgh, Shotts Bon Accord v Rossvale,,Kilbirnie Ladeside v Benburb (Friday 7.30PM), Rutherglen Glencairn v Blantyre Vics,.PDM Buildbase Second Division. Maybole v Ashfield, Wishaw v Greenock, Glasgow Utd v Yoker Athletic, Maryhill v Craigmark, Muirkirk v St Anthonys, Renfrew v Glasgow University(Friday 7.30PM),Kilsyth Rangers v Forth Wanderers. PDM Buildbase Third Division. Bellshill Athletic v Carluke Rovers, Dalry Thistle v Lanark Utd, Girvan v Port Glasgow, Ardrossan Winton Rovers v Larkhall Thistle, East Kilbride Thistle v Vale of Clyde, Kello Rovers v Irvine Vics, Royal Albert v Lugar Boswell, Lesmahagow v Vale of Leven Newmains Utd v Finnart.