THE TEENAGE BILLY JUST AFTER SIGNING FOR MOTHERWELL
Who would be a goalkeeper?
Better still who would be a short-sighted goalkeeper of no little distinction (well he does stand 6 foot 3inches in his stockinged feet) as Billy Graham was throughout a career forged between the sticks and spanning all of 25 years across the Junior, Senior and Amateur ranks?
Born and bred in the Old Village domain of East Kilbride , Billy’s education got underway as a pupil of Halfmerke Primary where he found himself installed as goalkeeper in a school team captained by future St Mirren and Rangers midfielder Bobby McKean(deceased).
An obvious and understandable explanation was given to my posing the question as to why Billy was chosen as the wearer of the gloves ?
The soon to be 68 year old (next month no less ) revealed ,“ From a very early age I tended to hang around with guys who were a lot older than me and I therefore found it difficult to compete physically in our kickabout games so whenever sides were being picked, they would invariably say `Billy, you go into goal `
“It was either that or I didn’t get a game at all so I just went along with it.”
The experience he was to acquire from this pressganging enabled the young Billy to excel as a budding shotstopper to the extent that he also found himself as the preferred No 1 for the prestigious Lanarkshire Primary Schools Select, managed back then by High Blantyre Primary School teacher Craig Brown (the one and the same!), and boasting an outstanding star turn of a team mate in Andy Ritchie soon of Celtic and Morton renown.
Moving up to the Village Secondary School as an 11 year old saw Billy playing alongside the subsequently notable likes of Ian Fleming (Blantyre Vics), Davie Campbell (Blantyre Celtic) whose stepping up to East Stirling saw him play under Alex Ferguson, as well as a teenage Rangers centreback prospect Alan McTurk (another no longer with us ) who went on to play with East Kilbride Thistle and Bailleston.
Despite this seemingly impressive array of talent, trophy success was to elude Billy both at the Village School and also when he later attended Claremont Secondary in the town however no such lean times were his lot in coming through the various age groups of Youth Football because he has immensely fond memories of winning several league titles and Cup competitions turning out with E.K. based Raeburn Boys Club .
He takes up the story, “ Raeburn were not one of your instantly recognized big names at Boys level but they produced players of the calibre of Ian Hair who played as a full back or central defender in front of me before going on to feature in more than 50 first team games with Aberdeen under Sir Alex Ferguson as well as spending several years on the books of Montrose.
“And also among my many other team mates in those teenage years were Joe Reilly and Kenny Gordon who coincidentally were the two goalscorers when East Kilbride Thistle beat Bo’ness United 2-0 at Ibrox to famously win the Scottish Junior Cup in 1983.”
Billy eventually left Raeburn aged 16 and firstly spent a fairly uneventful season with Fernhill Amateurs before the lure of playing with one of his home town clubs led to him joining an E.K. Burgh side whose reaching a Cup Final against Queens Park in his very first season was to prove both momentous and career defining.
He recalled , “ The teams played out a 0-0 draw over the 90 minutes but we then lost 2-1 in a penalty shoot-out even though I was able to save three of the Queens’ spot kicks.
“However, any disappointment I felt afterwards was completely blown away when Laurie Cumming, a well-known Rangers scout of that era ,said he’d been impressed by my performance and asked if I would be willing to come in and train at Ibrox.
“That’s not the kind of opportunity you turn down and despite never actually signing on the dotted line , I look back with pride on establishing myself as part of the very strong Rangers Youths set up at the time comprising of the likes of Martin Henderson , another goalkeeper in Donald Hunter, Ally Dawson (albeit latterly), Alex O’Hara, striker Billy Steel who I believe went on to have spells at Raith Rovers and Benburb as well as winger Alex McVake, probably best known for his exploits in the Juniors with Pollok and Cumnock.”
“There were so many highlights in those early days too many to mention if truth be told but one I can vividly remember was being included in a playing squad that flew out to take part in a prestigious invitation tournament being held over in France (Lille) where we finished in a highly respectable third place .
Billy somewhat noticeably paused before adding, “I was still in and around Ibrox attempting to make the grade during the following season when Rangers were again invited to the tournament and my excitement at the prospect of going back to have another crack at it only grew after being told to hand over my passport in readiness for the trip but little did I know I was destined never to get on the plane with the other guys.”
BILLY(4th from right standing)POSES FOR A RANGERS YOUTH TEAM PIC BEFORE THE FIRST LILLE TRIP
To this day, Billy has never actually been given an explanation for his removal from the travelling party however his nowadays thought process , honed somewhat by a further 50 years of life’s ups and downs, has him utterly convinced his falling foul of a sacred Rangers taboo was the sole reason behind his omission.
He candidly recalled how the youth side’s preparations for Lille included an early kick-off midweek friendly match away to Rob Roy which had necessitated the young shotstopping prospect to leave school early and head directly to Adamslie Park however upon arriving through in Kirkintilloch he found himself on the receiving end of a stentorian rollicking from Youth Team coach Joe Mason because he was not wearing a tie!
Billy recounted, “It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Joe went ballistic and dished out the mother of all dressing downs (no pun intended) in front of the other guys and he didn’t hold back in stressing the need for me…and all of them…to always be fully aware of the standards required whenever any of us were representing Rangers F.C.
“It was a particularly painful experience and one that was to hurt even more after the game when told I wouldn’t be going to the tournament and I knew straightaway that my hopes of building a career at Rangers had all but fizzled out from then onwards.”
Having his goalkeeping services no longer required at Ibrox led to a race breaking out for a then 18 year old Billy’s signature which was duly won by legendary Cambuslang Rangers team boss Dave McLaggan in the euphoric aftermath of his wonderful side’s third Scottish Junior Cup triumph in four years …the 3-1 Hampden Park defeat of Linlithgow Rose in 1974 when Jim Orr , only a year older than Billy, had been between the posts .
“Jim was hardly coming to the end of his career so a lot of my close friends thought I was off my trolley in signing for Cambuslang and trying to compete with him for the goalkeeper’s jersey but I had every confidence in my abilities and neither could I turn my back on the chance to develop my game further through working under the highly regarded Lang goalkeeping coach at the time, Bobby Russell, who had played for the club in the 1960’s and early 70’s intermingled with Senior spells at Morton, Stenhousemuir and Third Lanark.” admitted Billy.
“That said, it was still a daunting experience as an 18 year old to walk into a Somervell Park dressing room containing such established Junior worthies as the three Jackies , Thomson, Mordue and Ferguson, Bobby Brown , Willie McCallum, Billy Patterson and of course fearsome looking midfielder Rusty Craig who made it abundantly clear what was expected of me as his goalkeeper when I made my Wee Gers debut in a game against Blantyre Celtic.
The nowadays grandfather of six (five boys and a girl) continued, “A through ball had been knocked over the top of our defence which forced me to come rushing full pelt off my line and I managed to collect it while at the same time jumping aside in order to avoid a collision with an onrushing Blantyre striker.
“I then cleared the ball upfield causing players and spectators alike to turn and look towards the other end of the pitch at which point Rusty roughly grabbed me by the throat and growled into my face “ Don’t you ever do that again son…go right through him!”
To say Billy more than impressed through a season long stint at Somervell Park might give the misleading impression that he went on to establish himself as McLaggan’s regular No 1 pick however this was certainly not the case despite him showing enough qualities in what starting appearances he did make to be snapped up by Motherwell whose manager Willie McLean and assistant Craig Brown were in the process of building a formidable side encompassing strikers Willie Pettigrew and Bobby Graham, Gregor Stevens, Peter Millar, Joe Wark and Ian Kennedy among others.
Billy reflected, “Fir Park was where real issues over my short-sightedness became problematic during actual games and Willie McLean’s embarrassment at the signing of a goalkeeper who wore contact lenses on the pitch and glasses off it led to him releasing me after just one season.”
The towering keeper’s next stop was Southcroft Park , home to Rutherglen Glencairn where a number of their losing 1975 Junior Cup finalists (1-0 to Glenrothes) , Alan Roberts, Tony Ward, Mick Carracher, Ian McManus,Tony Dickson and Willie Woods were still to be found in situ along with newcomers of the ilk of George McKay, Jimmy Ingles, Alex Caskie ,John McLeod and others???
Billy laughed in reminding me of his rather unfortunate beginning to a two seasons long stint with the Glens “ In only my third appearance , I broke my leg during a Sectional League Cup game at home to Renfrew and a certain Jim O’Donnell took my gloves and jersey from me as I was being stretchered away and went into goal where he served up a clean sheet if my memory’s serves me correctly ?”
A transfer to a Blantyre Vics where his ex-Cambuslang Rangers team mate Rusty Craig had taken up the managerial reins and accumulated a decent array of tried and trusted types such as Willie Thomson, John McGurk, Harry McDade , Willie Muldoon and Jim Donaldson followed for Billy, but an unfortunate combination of circumstances were to dash his hopes of laying down roots at Castle Park.
“Rusty left within a couple of months (to Bailleston ?) and John Young was brought in as his replacement which to all intents and purposes looked a decent appointment for me seeing as John had been a goalkeeper himself in his own playing days” said Billy before adding “ He actually made a decent fist of standing in for me for a few matches after a shoulder injury I picked up in training was diagnosed as requiring treatment and rest if I was to be available to play in a vitally important Scottish Junior Cup tie away to Petershill .
“To come through a couple of training sessions n the lead up to the Cup game with no ill-effects saw me confidently declare myself fit and ready but my shoulder went again less than five minutes in and there was nothing for it other than play out the rest of the game in a lot of pain (Where were you then JOD when I needed you ?) and the Peasy capitalized on my obvious handicapped state to run out 7-1 winners helped by a Pat Crawley hat trick.
He went on “Was I blamed for the Cup defeat ? Well the shoulder injury sidelined me for the next six months yet even after making a full recovery I was never to feel part of John’s plans so I asked for a transfer but the club insisted instead on retaining me and I had to go through the entire 1979/80 season without playing a single game .
Thorniewood United gaffer Stuart Noble eventually rescued Billy from his harsh non-playing existence when approaching him to ask if he would be willing to play for the lowly Central C Division outfit in a 1980/81 pre-season friendly match against Bailleston.
What looked a total mismatch on paper …only a couple of months earlier the Rusty Craig steered Bailleston had been crowned Scottish Junior Cup kingpins following a 2-0 replay win over Benburb… ended in a more than creditable 2-2 draw and Billy was so taken with Noble’s nous and way of things along with that of his knowledgeable assistant John Chisholm (formerly a Scottish Cup winner with Johnstone Burgh) that he agreed signing terms immediately after the final whistle.
THORNIEWOOD PAIR BILLY AND GEORGE MACKAY COMBINE TO CLEAR THE DANGER AGAINST BLANTYRE CELTIC
Thinking over his reminisces brought him to say, “Stuart had both an eye for a player and the gift of a very persuasive manner when it came to getting signing targets on board.
“ Stevie Russell , Ian Anderson (son of Stan )and ex-Bailleston stalwart Billy Gray were among his captures yet all three of them could easily have played for higher league clubs and he also got George McKay to do him a turn at the heart of the Wood’s defence when aged 36 and reckoned by most pundits to be heading for the knackers yard.
“ That said ,arguably Stuart’s finest bit of transfer business was the signing of midfielder Tommy Gilmour who as a youngster had captained Scotland Schoolboys to a Wembley victory over England and had then been snapped up by Manchester United .
“Tommy was all of five years at Old Trafford before a parting of the ways led to him coming back up the road in order to play trials with Hamilton Accies until Stuart got in touch to say he could land a bigger and better club if he joined Thorniewood United so he moved to Robertson Park and was never less than excellent every time he pulled on a jersey for us.”
Yet another Noble acquisition was goalkeeper Lindsay Hamilton , reputed to be Graham Souness’s first ever signing as Rangers manager, and the former Thorniewood team boss is often credited with setting him on the ladder to footballing fame though the real conduit was Billy… albeit unknowingly ???
He reflected, “Depending upon the opposition, Stuart would alternate between myself and the young Lindsay when he was first breaking through at Thorniewood and showing great promise.”
It was a means to keeping us both happy but I wasn’t best pleased one night after Stuart phoned and asked the question ` Were you playing in the game against Shotts Bon Accord last month to which I answered Yes .
“ He then explained that Jim Cook, a leading Central League official back then, had taken in the Shotts game and having mistakenly thought Lindsay was in our goal had nominated him for the Central League Select side on the basis of what had been my goalkeeping display.
“Stuart and I thought it best to keep mum over the mix-up and Lindsay to his due went on to perform well enough for the Select to then earn a Scottish Junior cap and the rest as they say is history. “
Work commitments compelling him to relocate down to London in 1983 led to Billy taking a three years break from the Junior scene however his return to Scotland did not go unnoticed by Noble ,by then managing Cambuslang Rangers , and their subsequent reunion undoubtedly helped to land the 1985/86 Central First Division title in the first of a five seasons long Somervell Park stint for Billy .
CAMBUSLANG’S 3 GOALKEEPING AMIGOS…BILLY, JIM ORR AND KENNY BARNSTAPLE
Reflections on the various dressing rooms he inhabited along with the heady mix of seasoned characters and emerging star turns of Stevie Bulloch, Alan Morrison, Tommy Love, Scott Gemmell, Adrian Craig, Kenny Barnstaple, Ian Campbell, Gordon Young and Willie Stewart (he always looked ten years older than his actual age says Billy ) brings back nothing but fond memories for the big yin yet he didn’t hesitate to walk away in 1991.
He admitted, “ Along with being a close friend, Kenny had developed into a top notch goalkeeper and I was getting less and less game time as a result so I decided to clear the way for him by going back to play alongside pals Alex Clark (ex-Cambuslang Rangers) and Keith Jones( Blantyre Vics) in the amateur ranks with East Kilbride based Rolls Royce.
“I would happily have played out my latter years there but for my old shoulder injury flaring up again so I was therefore champing at the bit and only too willing to get involved as a coach when Stuart Noble asked if I would help him try and improve Coltness United’s league position.
“It was a thankless task and made almost impossible when Stuart was then enticed into leaving to help Peter Millar and Tam Miller in reviving Cambuslang’s fortunes and I was tasked with taking charge of team affairs for a matter of weeks before a new manager was appointed.”
A further two seasons turning out again for Rolls Royce was followed by Billy agreeing to carry out a dual player/coach with the newly formed E.K. United playing in the Greater Glasgow League which United managed to top for three years on the spin however he will forever regard the discovery and development of Gary Kelly and Martin McVey ( both later signed by EK Thistle gaffer John Brogan) as his finest achievement.
SOON TO BE 68 YEAR OLD GRANDFATHER BILLY AS HE IS TODAY
The boots and gloves were finally put away after a 42 year old Billy helped out Denny Byrne in coaching E.K.Y.C. and ever since his Saturday afternoons have been spent on various terracings or stands watching a pick of Senior and Junior gamesin the company of close friends and former Cambuslang Rangers team mates Alex Clark and Willie Thomson.
He revealed ,” Distance is no object when it comes to a game catching our fancy because we’ve regularly been spotted at Carlisle United along with taking in matches involving Derby, Burnley, Man United and Liverpool.
“The Juniors are our preference up here in Scotland given our backgrounds not least because we always tend to bump into people we know from our playing days and that can lead to some highly entertaining stories being told ”
FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY 16th DECEMBER (Kick Offs 1.30 PM):
CLYDEBUILT HOME IMPROVEMENTS Scottish Junior Cup.Fourth Round.Benburb v Arthurlie, Rothie Rovers v Bellshill Athletic, Darvel v Larkhall Thistle,Vale of Leven v Auchinleck Talbot, Hurlford Utd v Caledonian Locomotive. INDIGO COMMS West of Scotland Cup.Third Round.Forth Wanderers v Kilsyth Athletic.P.D.M HUWS GRAY Premier Division. Largs Thistle v Troon, Cumnock v St Cadocs, Glenafton v Clydebank, Irvine Meadow v Beith, Rob Roy v Pollok. P.D.M HUWS GRAYFirst Division. Kilwinning Rangers v Renfrew, Rutherglen Glencairn v Drumchapel Utd, Kilbirnie Ladeside v Blantyre Vics, Neilston v Shotts Bon Accord,Johnstone Burgh v Whitletts Vics, St Rochs v Cambuslang Rangers, Ashfield v Petershill.
PDM HUWS GRAY Second Division. Bonnyton Thistle v Kilsyth Rangers, Wishaw v St Anthonys, Glasgow University v Cumbernauld Utd (Friday 8PM), Muirkirk v Maryhill, Glasgow Perthshire v Ardrossan Winton Rovers, Yoker Athletic v Vale of Clyde.PDM HUWS GRAYThird Division. Kello Rovers v West Park Utd, Glasgow Utd v Port Glasgow, Ardeer Thistle v Threave Rovers, Dalry Thistle v Lesmahagow, Girvan v Lanark Utd, Irvine Vics v Greenock. PDM HUWS GRAYFourth Division. East Kilbride Thistle v BSC Glasgow, St Peters v Easterhouse, Rossvale v Royal Albert, Lugar Boswell v Threave Rovers, Glenvale v Eglinton, Giffnock SC v Saltcoats Vics,Carluke Rovers v Knightswood.
| Regards Jim O’Donnell |
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