HAVING A SHORT FUSE DIDN’T STOP GOLLY

JOHN WAS LIKENED TO A SMILING ASSASSIN IN HIS HEYDAY

Off the pitch, John McGall was renowned for being suave and trendy whereas on it was where he amply demonstrated the considerable substance to go along with the style.

He could hardly do otherwise after his first ever Junior stint at Kilbirnie Ladeside was underpinned by an encounter with legendary Blasties trainer Hughie McDonald that conveyed how `rolling up the sleeves and getting stuck in` was preferable to looking nice and elegant in possession.

Golly tells the somewhat quirky story,” I had moved to Valefield after spells with a couple of Senior clubs where the emphasis at training sessions had been on developing skills and playing one-touch and two-touch games.

“So before one summer workout at Kilbirnie, I had dared to suggest to Hughie that weather conditions were perfect for doing some ball-work and to be fair he didn’t try to make fun of me in front of the other guys or shout me down .

“Instead , I will forever remember a wicked grin came over his face as he then replied very firmly ` More than happy to do that son as long as you realize our work at this club will be with a medicine ball`…and as I later found out, he wasn’t kidding! ”

The soon to turn 63 year old , born in Bonhill, Alexandria, attended St Pats Dumbarton where Maths Teacher Jack Gilroy who had formerly been on the books of Forfar Athletic and Celtic overseen a school team that included soon to be Celtic defender Brian McGrane as well as Stephen McGinn, father of current Aston Villa and Scotland midfielder John.

John quickly established himself as a playing asset and recognition of his burgeoning talents came from being selected along with Alistair McLeod, youngest brother of Celtic ace Murdo, for a Dumbarton West Schools Select that Gally felt was destined for great things until he and his team mates were brought back down to earth as a result of a 9-0 thrashing by Glasgow Schools for whom future Everton and Hibs winger signing Joe McBride turned in a scintillating performance .

At the same time as he was playing for the school team, Golly was also turning out for St Kessog’s Guild coached by one time Celtic goalkeeper Evan Williams as well as a more than decent Vale of Leven Juveniles side whose team matters came under the umbrella of Jimmy Brown , later to manage Vale of Leven and Dumbarton, however a burning desire to win trophies and medals led the young McGall to join Drumchapel United after David Moyes (father of the current West Ham boss) made a signing approach.

He recounted, “ I was headhunted to replace Joe Rowan, someone who had been a Vale of Leven Juveniles team mate, after he moved South to Leicester City, and I formed a Drum midfield alongside John Henderson and John Spence that went on to win the Scottish Amateur Cup.

“Our season then came to an end while a backlog of Junior games were still being played and Duntocher Hibs , who were in severe danger of being relegated, asked if Drumchapel would allow the three of us to sign amateur forms in order to play in their remaining fixtures and against all the odds , we helped keep them up . “

“An ex-Celtic player by the name of John Taggart ,was a scout for Dundee back then and he was clearly impressed with our showings for Duntocher because an invite was then extended for myself and John Henderson to travel up to Dens Park and allow the gaffer Tommy Gemmell to run the rule over us.

“ Signing talks then followed but the terms offered were very poor to say the least and we initially turned them down but then had a change of mind after it was strongly implied that our prospects of breaking into an aging Dundee first team were better than good ?”

Having their hopes raised may have persuaded the young guns to put pen to paper but the Dark Blues experienced campaigners such as Erich Schaedler, Ian Redford, Ray Stephen , Stewart McKimmie, Eric Sinclair, and Jim Shirra continued to wear the jerseys and the closest McGall & Co got to mixing in their acclaimed company was from sharing `digs` with some of them through in Broughty Ferry .

He added , “ Ours was a really strong Reserves side under Jocky Scott and we won the Reserve League that season but that counted for next to nothing when it came to new contract talks as I found out to my cost..

“It didn’t help that Tommy Gemmell was no longer in charge and had been replaced by the former Dundee United goalkeeper Donald Mackay because he didn’t hold back from giving free transfers to a bunch of us , myself included, because in his opinion we were never going to be big or strong enough for Scottish Football ?

John’s next port of call was East Stirling where in 1980 he was the first ever signing of Martin Ferguson (big brother of Sir Alex) and he has fond memories of playing out a season there alongside notable worthies, Bobby McCulley, Donald Watt, Ian Browning and Jim Stirling among others.

He might have signed on for a second campaign but for a chance meeting with Kilbirnie Ladeside centreback Davie Jackson ,whom he knew from his Juveniles playing days , and the upshot was Jackson convincing him to come down and meet Blasties team boss Bobby “Sconie” Davidson whose persuasive tongue did the rest in persuading the 22 year old to throw in his lot with the Ayrshiremen whose dressing room comprised of up and coming talents Gordon Mills, Hughie Lyden, Tony Bryden. Barclay Feeney and Kenny Lynn along with more seasoned types Willie Russell, Archie Halley and the aforementioned Jackson.

Golly took to the hurly-burly of the Ayrshire Juniors like a duck to water and soon established himself as a fans favourite yet only one season further down the line found him preparing to move on ?

He recalled , “ I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Kilbirnie but come the end of that first season I turned up at training to find a team meeting taking place in the car park.

“I wasn’t totally clued up on what had taken place but the gist of it was recorded letters had not been sent out before the stated retention date which meant all the guys , myself included, were now free agents.

“I did toy with the idea of resigning anyway but a phone call from the new Pollok manager Dickie Brock ( he’d just taken over from Tam Young) saying he was keen to sign me soon knocked that idea out of my head.”

A broad smile creases his face as Golly remembers how one of his best friends, in those days Alex McVake (they went out with sisters) attempted to talk him out of his 1984 move to Newlandsfield.

He revealed,” Alex was playing for Petershill but had previously been on Pollok’s books and he felt I wouldn’t hold down a place in their team if I went there however I decided to ignore his advice …thank God.

“Later that season we lined up against each other in the Scottish Junior Cup Final and I like to remind Alex that I played in both games as Pollok ran out 3-1 winners in a replay after a 1-1 draw.

“If memory serves me right, we went out for a pre-arranged dinner with the sisters after the first game , the Peasy captain Sam Miller and his wife were also there , and it came out in conversation that Alex had promised to foot the bill out of his win-bonus ???

“And before you ask …he didn’t .”

John was now an established Pollok midfield fixture and he never once looked out of place over the next 9 years in various sides boasting players of the ilk of Jeff Curran, Stuart Auld , Jimmy Hughes, John Paisley , Ally Marshall and feared twin strikers Dougie Arnott and Stuart Gordon.

McGALL WITH HIS POLLOK SILVERWARE HAUL FROM 1985

There were numerous highlights , too many if truth be told and a double-figures haul of winners medals backs up this contention ,however none give him more satisfaction than the 3-2 comeback West of Scotland Cup triumph over Auchinleck Talbot in 1987 .

He revealed , “Losing 3-2 to Talbot in the 1986 Scottish Cup Final has to go down as the biggest disappointment of my playing career and more so given Pollok had the game as good as won and should never have let Talbot back into it when we were leading 2-0 through early John McCarthy and Ally Marshall goals .

“So to more or less do the same number on them the following season in the West Final thanks to a George Rattray hat trick when they had been the ones 2 goals to the good was definitely a case of sweet revenge for our survivors from the Hampden Park debacle .”

Short Fuse as he’d come to be nicknamed at Pollok for obvious reasons , played under three separate Pollok managers, Brock, Tommy Reynolds and Jim George but he could see the writing was on the wall when left sided midfielders Bernie Grant and Paul McGrogan were brought on board during the latter named’s reign.

“ I was now getting on a bit at 33 yet Rutherglen Glencairn gaffer Davie McDermott was prepared to shell out a transfer fee and I do believe Jim George would have agreed a deal but Pollok being the type of club they are and aware I was about to get married , made the fabulous gesture of granting me a free transfer with a parting gift of £100 for my wedding.”

Rather than join the Ru’Glonians , Golly opted instead to take up a player/assistant manager role under his former Pollok skipper Gordon Wilson , at Neilston where Paul Lovering (on loan from Clydebank) , Alan Urqhuart and Ian Penman were the star turns but his Brig O’Lea posting proved short lived as Wilson duly accepted the manager’s job at Rob Roy and wasted no time in installing a backroom team of John , Ally Marshall and Hughie McDonald.

JOHN WITH NEW BORN SON ANTONI IN THE ROB ROY DUGOUT

The birth of his son Antoni in 1997 undoubtedly diluted John’s commitment so rather than let long-time friend Wilson down , he resigned and initially took some time out from football prior to an 1995 request for help from former Pollok gaffer Brock , holding down the reins at Beith.

“That team put together by Dickie were more than decent as you might have expected when the forward going players were of the calibre of Billy Borthwick ,Stevie Quigg and John McLaughlin,” insisted Golly.

“But where someone of my 35 years figured in his plans was acting as back up to coach Ian Balmer whose commitments meant he couldn’t make every second Saturday so I went to Bellsdale as a player/coach and actually played in a famous victory over Auchinleck when Quiggy scored a hat trick.

” Dickie eventually said he’d had enough and left so I went with him and that was my very last involvement with the Juniors.”

John , a Banker in his day job , then turned to playing and later captaining a T.S.B side managed by Bill Kerr ex- Darvel before assuming the responsibility for running the team when Kerr stepped down.

He said , “ Don’t ask me how but I then aspired to taking charge of the T.S.B. national side that annually took part in a prestigious tournament out in Italy where very competitive games were played against representative T.S.B. teams from other countries and it’s up there with all I’ve achieved in football that my teams were crowned winners on three separate occasions during my nine years in the job.”

In 2005 , Golly then in his mid- 40’s and living in Carluke ,agreed to do a favour and turn out for local side Carluke Hearts when they were short of players and you could have knocked him down with a feather to discover the amateur outfit’s regular striker was none other than John Paisley, a former Pollok team mate dating back to the 1990’s .

He scoffed , “It would be stretching things too far to say Big Justice was as good as he was in his heyday ever however he certainly looked in good shape and his touch and eye for a goal were as good as ever.

“Not so in my case but the game did rekindle my old enthusiasm and led on to me setting up a coaching school called C.M.D.(Coach, Mentor , Develop) which proved a terrific success and I also took up a coaching role with Scotland

Boys Club after learning the ropes from the former Manchester City and Scotland left back Bobby McDonald .

“ Working with their 2005 team during the week and taking in their games at the weekend should have sated my appetite but right out of the blue last year I was offered and accepted a scouting post for the Celtic Youth Academy under former player Willie McStay and that’s been my lot ever since.”

Asking if he has any regrets evoked a typically competitive retort, “ I still believe Pollok should have beaten Talbot in `86 and otherwise my turning down invites to Pollok dinners because of other commitments is not something I’m proud of.

“I was never the best player in my teams but I did the job asked of me!”

FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY 15^th APRIL 2023 (2PM unless stated):

Clydebuilt Home Improvements Scottish Junior Cup. Semi Finals. Glenafton v Cumnock(Friday 7.30PM at Meadow Park) Rutherglen Glencairn v Dundee East Craigie (Sunday 2PM at Volunteer Park, Armadale.) P.D.M.Buildbase Premier Division. Clydebank v Auchinleck Talbot, Arthurlie v Kilwinning Rangers, Hurlford Utd v Petershill, Cambuslang Rangers v Rob Roy, Darvel v Pollok.PDM Buildbase First Division. St Cadocs v Gartcairn, Thorniewood Utd v Neilston, Cumbernauld Utd v St Rochs, Johnstone Burgh v Drumchapel Utd, Shotts Bon Accord v Blantyre Vics, Whitletts Vics v Benburb, Kilbirnie Ladeside.PDM Buildbase Second Division. Maryhill v Glasgow Utd, Wishaw v Glasgow University, Ardeer Thistle v Craigmark, Forth Wanderers v Glasgow Perthshire, Maybole v St Anthonys, Renfrew v Muirkirk. PDM Buildbase Third Division. Newmains Utd v Ardrossan Winton Rovers, Saltcoats Vics v Lanark Utd, Irvine Vics v Carluke Rovers, Girvan v Kello Rovers, Royal Albert v Vale of Leven, Finnart v Dalry Thistle, Larkhall Thistle v Lugar Boswell, Lesmahagow v East Kilbride Thistle, Bellshill Athletic v Vale of Clyde.PDM Buildbase Fourth Division. Harmony Row v Threave Rovers Easterhouse v Thorn Athletic , BSC Glasgow v West Park Utd.