ALLY AS HE IS TODAY AT 73 YEARS YOUNG
Of all the stories that could be told about someone from a Rugby playing school taking up football…Ally McLean’s and his contribution to the game thereafter, spanning almost 50 years, has to be right up there with the best of them.
Hard to say otherwise after chewing the fat with the former goalkeeper and hearing his many anecdotes inclusive of the amusing one about him going for a a pint in a Kilmarnock pub and re-emerging 15 minutes later as a signed up Motherwell player ???.
Way before all that, Ally was born in Glasgow’s Robroyston Hospital, of parents who back then resided in the Southside (Florence Street) prior to them upping sticks and moving to Saltcoats just after his second birthday.
His initiation as a goalkeeper came about when the regular glove wearer for his Saltcoats Junior Primary side got injured ahead of an important Cup game and Ally volunteered to be his stand –in however any thoughts he might have harboured about playing between the sticks were knocked from his head after stepping up to Ardrossan Academy Secondary School where the preference was for rugby to take centre stage.
He recalled, “ I played for the school team at full back ,somewhat reluctantly I dare add, because I really wanted to play scrum half but it’s lucky that I was a versatile type seeing as the No 9 jersey was the preserve of our star player Brian Gossman who went on in later life to be a full Scotland internationalist .
“I didn’t actually play football again until I was 16 and was given the opportunity to join a local side Rancel that competed in the North Ayrshire League against the likes of Eglinton, Rye Rovers, Blacklands,St Peters and Ayr Albion but it’s fair to say we were pretty much one of your run-of-the-mill teams with average players at best and I cannot remember us ever winning anything of note.
“Initially I was an outfield player but yet again an injury to our regular No 1 saw me chosen as his replacement but I must have been doing more right than wrong because Ardrossan Winton Rovers made a signing interest known and I duly entered a Winton Park dressing room containing the wonderfully talented Davie McIlroy as well as John “Fister” McCall Ronnie Sanderson and Frankie Clarke (I think) …along with several others whose names I never got to know all that well because truth is I only played 6 games before Ayr United came chapping at my door.”
Ally was snapped up without the cursory need for him to play an Ayr trial game such was the faith that charismatic gaffer Ally McLeod had in the recommendations proffered by his scouts seeing as they had previously brought terrific players to Somerset Park (now Ally McLean’s team mates) in the shape of goalkeeper Davie Stewart (soon to sign for Leeds Utd), Stan Quinn, Spud Murphy,Dick Malone (Sunderland), Johnny Doyle(Celtic) , defensive stalwart Sanny McAnespie, George McLean and Davie McCulloch.
Said the former shotstopper,” Winning the Reserves League title in my first season was a dream start and I made my first team debut against Dundee United in a 2-2 Tannadice draw that was Jim McLean’s first game in charge and later after Davie Stewart went to Leeds , I also had the privilege of playing Texaco Cup games against the marvelous Peter Shilton as well as the one and only Malky McDonald.
“Another truly memorable occasion was a 1971 league match against Partick Thistle, not long after they had beaten Celtic 4-1 to win the League Cup, and it stands out as particularly special in the memory banks because it was played on Christmas Day ( as were a number of other fixtures I should add) , but I believe that was the last ever time Scottish clubs were asked to play games on Christmas Day.
A five seasons long stint at Somerset Park ended after mentor McLeod’s move to Aberdeen as the replacement for ousted team boss Jimmy Bonthrone led to Alex Stuart taking over the Ayr reins and making a raft of changes, one of them installing Hugh Sproat as his goalkeeping first choice..
THE UP AND COMING ALLY AT AYR UNITED IN THE EARLY 70’S
Ally was then surplus to requirements and his `out in the cold` situation caught the eye of Aberdeen’s new manager who set about brokering an all-yellow jersey swap deal involving Ally moving North while long serving Dons back up keeper Andy Geoghegan headed in the other direction.
Willie Miller, Drew Jarvie ,Jocky Scott Joe Harper,Billy Williamson, Stuart Kennedy, Arthur Graham and Dom Sullivan were just some of the illustrious names inhabiting a Pittodrie dressing room that also boasted the former Scotland goalkeeper Bobby Clark whose involvement on the other side of the Atlantic with San Antonio Thunder in the American Soccer League was the reason behind McLeod opting to bring in a second keeper of Ally’s standing and experience .
He recalled , “ Bobby was toing and froing from the USA and had reputedly forewarned the gaffer that he might miss the start of the season.
“ He didn’t as it turned out but Ally clearly wanted to make a point and gave me the nod to play in our season opener against Kilmarnock which we won 2-0 however deep down I knew Bobby would soon work his way back into favour and that’s exactly what happened.
“The high regard in which he was held by everyone connected with Aberdeen was never more obvious than when he injured his hand (a fracture at the base of his thumb no less ) on the Saturday prior to the 1976 League Cup Final against Celtic and couldn’t play when we faced Motherwell in the midweek before the Final .
“I took his place in a 5-1 win and it was looking more and more like I would be in our Final line-up as well when Bobby was then unable to train full out or take part in any shooting practice drills during our preparations.
“But come the big day itself, he declared himself fit and served up a safe-as-houses display as that wonderful Aberdeen side came out on top 2-1 thanks to a winning goal from Davie Robb.”
ALLY (seventh from left) PARADES THE LEAGUE CUP WITH HIS ABERDEEN TEAM MATES
The shotstopping Ally grew disenchanted with his lack of first team appearances during the couple of seasons he was an Aberdeen player so he didn’t take much convincing when St Mirren manager Jim Clunie went about persuading him there was merit in making a return to the West of Scotland at Love Street where the only other goalkeeper on the books was a raw teenage prospect by the name of Campbell Money, recently recruited from Dailly Amateurs in Ayrshire.
His transfer coincided with a recently married Ally arriving at a veritable crossroads in his life not least because he had just been offered a significantly more rewarding job ,with a company car, away from football however his attempt at finding a compromise through joining the Saints as a part-timer was clearly not to the liking of Clunie as three months later he made the call to offload the then 28 year old keeper to Partick Thistle in a swap deal taking Billy Thomson to the Buddies.
Jags manager Bertie Auld had Colin McAdam, Brian Whittaker, Alex O’Hara, Dougie Somner, John Hansen (older brother of Liverpool great Alan) Jim Melrose and Ronnie Sheed at his beck and call but the prize possession in his Firhill stable was undoubtedly Scotland No 1 Alan Rough however the “Auld Fox” enticed Ally into putting pen to paper by saying Rough was on the verge of moving to a top English club.
Roughie did eventually move …but to Hibs two years further down the line… and that was fully a season after Ally had grown tired of playing second fiddle to him and had walked away from Thistle and football itself to concentrate on building an alternative career away from the game.
He might well have remained as an ex-Senior but for his venture into the aforesaid Kilmarnock hostelry owned by the then Motherwell gaffer McLeod whose managerial instincts told him to make the most of this `gotcha` moment so with the bar counter doubling as an office desk, he duly signed his former Ayr and Aberdeen goalkeeper for a third time.
Once again, Ally found himself as back-up to Hugh Sproat ,the established wearer of the gloves in a Motherwell side comprising of John Gaughan, Albert Kidd, Joe Wark, Brian McLaughlin and Joe Carson among others, and he managed only one first team appearance over the following season before his place in the Fir Park scheme of things was further diluted by McLeod enlisting the much younger Howard Sameroff. as Sproat’s understudy
Ally takes up the story, “ I had peace of mind for a year and a bit after deciding to turn my back on football altogether but right out of the blue I got a telephone call from my former Ayr team mate Sanny McAnespie asking if we could meet up for talks .
“He with Willie Frew as his No 2, were keen to bring me to Cumnock where they were in the process of putting a team together around the defensive pairing of Peter Monan and Bobby McCulloch and containing many guys I had played alongside previously at Ayr such as Jimmy Flynn, Tommy Reynolds, Jim Docherty, Brian Bell and Les Train.
“ I couldn’t resist the temptation to join them and I made the right call as it turned out because that Cumnock side went through their entire league programme undefeated in winning the Ayrshire First Division but any hopes of us building on that success were scuppered when Sanny and Willie upped and left for Irvine Meadow and took a number of the guys, myself included , with them .”
Over the next two years .Ally was to endure a rollercoaster time of it as part of a Meadow Park dressing room initially comprising of Jim Fleeting,Alan Johnstone, Stuart Mauchline, Fraser Preston, Chris Strain, Peem Frew and former Winton Rovers team mate Fister McCall among others.
Losing 1-0 to Benburb in a Junior Cup quarter final clash when Medda were regarded as everyone’s favourites to go on and lift the Scottish Cup goes down as the undoubted low point whereas the other side of the coin was a 6-1 Ayrshire Cup Final scotching of Auchinleck Talbot when Sal McKenna was at his unplayable best and scored a hat trick.
ALLY (third from right standing ) IN AN IRVINE MEADOW TEAM PIC
Long-time friend McAnespie’s departure to take over as Stranraer boss was another blow, softened somewhat by the announcement of Ally’s one time Winton Rovers team mate Davie McIlroy as his successor…an appointment that was to have far reaching consequences for the seasoned goalkeeper.
He recounted, “ Davie was well into his thirties but still fit as a fiddle so he came on board as a player/manager and was named in our team when we played a Junior Cup tie against ????(cannot remember) which we won comfortably only to discover afterwards that Davie wasn’t registered .
“Medda were kicked out on a protest and an embarrassed Davie felt obliged to resign so myself and Alan Johnstone took over the running of the team and made a decent fist of it if I say so myself.
“Adding the likes of Nigel McCreath, Neilly Muggins and Derek McCutcheon in our first full season in charge enabled the Medda to enjoy a terrific Junior Cup run that was only ended by defeat from the eventual trophy winners Auchinleck in the quarter finals…and even that was at the third time of asking after 1-1 and 0-0 draws! “
Ally calling it quits at the end of the 1985/86 season came as a surprise to many of his close friends and footballing acquaintances but it was to prove `no spur of the moment` decision as he remained on the outside looking in until the onset of 1988/89 when Stranraer manager McAnespie coerced him into becoming his assistant and overseeing a more than decent Stair Park collective of Barney Duffy, Jimmy Hughes, Jim McCann, Tony Gallagher, Ian Spittal , Derek Cook and Rusty Harkness to name but some.
He laughed in remembering, “Kenny Brannigan was another wonderful player for Stranraer and will forever be remembered for skippering our Second Division Championship winning side but he was definitely someone you could describe as a back-door signing
“ He had played for Kilmarnock against us and was sent off for head-butting Cooky during a nose-to-nose altercation between them and after the final whistle we were talking with the Killie boss Jim Fleeting when he excused himself and went behind closed doors with Kenny who emerged looking somewhat sheepish and carrying his boots.
“Fleets coming out to tell us he had freed him because he wasn’t prepared to tolerate that type of behavior at his club had both Sanny and I nodding knowingly but within a matter of weeks, we had signed up Kenny.“
ALLY IN ACTION FOR ST MIRREN BEATING TOM FORSYTH (Rangers) TO THE PUNCH
Ally was to step back from Stranraer around the early 1990’s and have no further involvement in football until 2010(ish) when he was working as a Sales Representative for a Kitchen Company owned by Jim Geddes who totally unbeknownst to Ally had himself played for Ayr United along with Junior outfits , Irvine Meadow, Kilwinning Rangers and Largs Thistle.
“ I had heard it said Jim had been assistant to Sammy McGivern at Saltcoats Vics but a conversation on the subject had never developed until I had called into the Office fully six months into my employment and found him and his daughter Joanna (a qualified Physiotherapist ) preparing to leave early..
“When inquiring as to why, I was astonished to discover he was the Whitletts Vics manager and had been landed with all the preparations for a must win end of season game (to avoid relegation) against East Kilbride Thistle at their Showpark ground because his No 2 was away on holiday.
“Right then and there I decided to go through and take the game in and as luck would have it I met an old acquaintance Norrie McLean , (the Vics Match Secretary) upon arrival so we took up spots standing behind the Whitletts dugout.
“ I couldn’t prevent myself from making a few loud observations as the Vics fell a goal behind and Jim shouted to me to join him at the side of the park and I did even though it was probably against the rules .My contribution was little more than putting forward one or two suggestions to Jim which went down well because Whitletts ran out 2-1 winners and there was no way I was ever going to say No when he then asked me to come on board in a permanent role.
An amusing aside to that win over East Kilbride occurred at the final whistle when I went with Jim to shake hands with the Thistle manager who turned out to be none other than my former Stranraer player Tony Gallagher!
Ally stayed all of two seasons with the Vics , latterly as their Club Secretary tasked with championing the fight to return the Ayrshire club to their rightful Voluntary Park home ground which had been demolished by South Ayrshire Council amid Health and Safety concerns while also maintaining their very footballing existence by continuing to lease Dam Park in the interim (now 12 years and counting?).
Ally had his fill of it after a couple of years and he resorted to taking in Junior games as a spectator however the repute earned by his Whitletts Vics administration role saw SJFA Secretary Tom Johnston turn to him at a match they were taking in together and ask if he would be willing to be the representative of the non-professional football leagues when SFA talks and meetings were initially getting underway over the creation of a pyramid system in Scottish Football .
Ally remarked, “ I looked upon myself as more of a Junior football spokesman even though Schools, Amateurs and Womens Football played at a non-professional level .
“And it never sat easy with me for the Juniors to be listed under a non-professional umbrella when I was acutely aware of numerous players being well rewarded for their efforts and having to pay income tax on their earnings?
“Most of the time everyone in attendance were simply ratifying SFA mandates insisting this is the road we have to go down so Covid putting an end to the meetings was not a disaster even though the divvy-up by the clubs themselves has been anything but a step in the right direction.”
Kilmarnock based Ally is to be found most Saturdays taking in Junior games involving Ayrshire clubs while more recently he has taken to accepting matchday invites from Ayr United following the launching of a Former Players Club at Somerset Park.
FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY 9th SEPTEMBER (Kick Offs 2 PM):
P.D.M HUWS GRAY Premier Division. Largs Thistle v St Cadocs, Rob Roy v Clydebank, Benburb v Troon, Cumnock v Beith, Glenafton v Gartcairn, Auchinleck Talbot v Arthurlie, Irvine Meadow v Darvel, Hurlford Utd v Pollok P.D.M HUWS GRAYFirst Division. Johnstone Burgh v Maybole,St Rochs v Shotts Bon Accord, Ashfield v Drumchapel Utd , Kilwinning Rangers v Blantyre Vics, Kilbirnie Ladeside v Whitletts Vics, Thorniewood Utd v Petershill, Cambuslang Rangers v Rutherglen Glencairn, Neilston v Renfrew. PDM HUWS GRAY Second Division. Glasgow Perthshire v St Anthonys , Bonnyton Thistle v Maryhill, Forth Wanderers v Kilsyth Rangers, Muirkirk v Cumbernauld Utd, Yoker Athletic v Wishaw, Caledonian Locomotives v Ardrossan Winton Rovers .Larkhall Thistle v Vale of Clyde, Glasgow University v Craigmark.PDM HUWS GRAYThird Division. Vale of Leven v Greenock, Kello Rovers v Lanark Utd, Bellshill Athletic v West Park Utd, Irvine Vics, Ardeer Thistle v Irvine Vics, West Park Utd, Greenock, Port Glasgow v Kilsyth Athletic , Girvan v Lesmahagow, Dalry Thistle v Threave Rovers, Glasgow Utd v Finnart,. PDM HUWS GRAYFourth Division. St Peters v Royal Albert, Campbeltown Pupils v Eglinton, Lugar Boswell v Easterhouse, Glenvale v BSC Glasgow ,East Kilbride Thistle v Knightswood, Carluke Rovers v Thorn Athletic, Giffnock v Newmains Utd, Rossvale v Saltcoats Vics.
Regards
Jim O’Donnell
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