LOCAL BOY DID GOOD

BALM DRESSED AS A SPECTATOR NOWADAYS

There are things that go without saying which simply need to be heard and “Ian Balmer was born too early” is one of them.

Hard to think otherwise considering the Beith Juniors  legend’s career had run its course long before the Johnny Miller inspired  revolution that brought the Ayrshire outfit their first and only Scottish Junior Cup win (2016), two West of Scotland Cup triumphs (2009 and 2019) and their  crowning as Super Premier Division champions (2010 and 2018).

By way of comparison, `Bam` ,venerated and much revered by club supporters to this day , has only  winners medals from an Ayrshire Cup  triumph (a 6-0 Final victory over Kilbirnie Ladeside no less ) and a Sectional League Cup  success (against Auchinleck Talbot) to show for nigh on 15 years of total commitment throughout the 1970’s and early 80’s.

Some might say his is a hard luck story yet you won’t find the nowadays 68 year old bemoaning his lot because he prides himself in having played. with no little distinction,  for the team in the town of his birth, particularly as from a very early age ,Ian found there were obstacles to overcome .

For starters he attended Spiers School (no longer there) in the Ayrshire town which happened to be a Rugby playing school and one where former Scotland internationalist winger David Shedden had famously been a pupil so not unsurprisingly the young Ian’s kicking abilities soon had him  earmarked as a promising stand off .

But he also had a leaning towards the game with the  rounder shaped ball and by way of compromise, he played  for the school’s rugby fifteen on Saturday mornings before turning  out for his local Boys Brigade football team in the afternoons and it was from there he was persuaded to join crack Youth side Dalry Rovers where he found himself in the same team as Bobby Davidson (later a Scottish Junior Cup winning winger with Kilbirnie Ladeside) and goalkeeper David McKellar making the stellar career beginnings that would initially take him to Saltcoats Vics and Kilwinning Rangers prior to stints in the Senior game with  Ipswich, Brentford Town , Carlisle United, Kilmarnock and Rangers among many others.

Ian’s own budding emergence led to him being asked by then Beith Juniors Match Secretary George Anderson to play as a trialist for a Mighty line-up containing notable worthies such as Ada McLaughlin, Bill Hainey (of Partick Thistle renown) and ex-Rangers and Cumnock defender Bill Millar in a Christmas game down at Largs Thistle that proved to be something of a mixed bag for the teenage striker because though Beith were on the wrong end of a  4-2 scoreline, he netted both their goals after coming on as a substitute.

Any doubts felt about joining the Junior team on his doorstep were not assuaged by that defeat and Ian duly put pen to paper however within a couple of months yet another successful trial game had him carrying out signing formalities once again, this time on a provisional move to Celtic where he didn’t look out of place in outings for a Reserves team managed by Willie Fernie and comprising of the likes of Tommy Burns, Jackie McNamara (Senior), Andy Ritchie, Rab Prentice and Paul Wilson.

He reminisced,” Getting game time in such illustrious company was always going to be a huge problem as I found out to my cost and I soon became disillusioned with making limited appearances so  a year down the line I jumped at the chance to be farmed back out to Beith .

“Ian McQueen’s arrival as coach during my time away had resulted in a number of personnel changes at Bellsdale and I now found myself sharing a dressing room with Morris Dunn, John McAulay, Jim Mullaney and Alex McVake whom Ian had enticed to the club from Pollok, as well as the one and only Sal, (John McKenna) a born and bred Beith lad like myself, and someone blessed with an inherent ability to win games single handed whenever he was in the mood.

“Playing as part of  such a good side brought out the best in me but was also a hugely enjoyable time for everyone involved with the club so much so that I wasn’t in the slightest bit perturbed when the end of the season arrived and Celtic revealed they wouldn’t be taking up the option to sign me on a full professional form.”

The strong affinity felt by ardent Beith supporters towards their team was furthered when another couple of local lads Ian McLeod and Graham Anderson joined Bam and McKenna as regular picks, around the same time as hard as nails competitor Martin Craig came on board along with Steve Clarke, the current Scotland manager, who was holding down the right back berth after being farmed out by St Mirren.

Despite this impressive array of talent, Beith continued to underachieve big style and were tagged as perennial `nearly men `on account of a veritable plethora  of runners-up finishes in local Ayrshire competitions as well as between 1975-1980 being knocked out of the Scottish Junior Cup by no less than four of the eventual trophy winners  namely Glenrothes, Kilbirnie, Bonnyrigg Rose and Bailleston.

Bam insisted ,“ Those defeats in the Scottish were a massive disappointment not least because the games were close to call and could have gone either way apart from the final one against Bailleston when Neilly Muggins was sent off just ten minutes in and we took a 5-0 hammering.

“Our Ayrshire Cup defeat of Kilbirnie in 1978 was around that time and to a man we felt it would stop the rot but if anything the club fell into a downward spiral, broken only by the 1982 Jackie Scarlett Cup win over Auchinleck at Rugby Park that preceded my testimonial match against Celtic later that year which if memory serves me right ended in a creditable 1-1 draw.

The early 1980’s also brought Ian, previously selected by Scotland Juniors manager John   Hughes (ex-Celtic) to play against Eire and Northern Ireland in 1978 ,a third and final cap by Yogi and he has fond memories of figuring in a squad alongside Norrie Fulton(Pollok), Tommy Ure (Linlithgow Rose) Johnny Graham and Jimmy Robertson (Rutherglen Glencairn), Dennis Gray (Auchinleck Talbot) and John Chalmers (Lesmahagow) even though Scotland lost 1-0 to England.

IAN IN HIS JUNIOR SCOTLAND ATTIRE

The season after their Auchinleck triumph saw Beith relegated in what was the start of a period of marked decline which proved particularly painful for a local lad like Ian who then didn’t need much persuading to up and leave for Irvine Meadow after Sanny McAnespie in charge of playing matters with big Willie Frew as his assistant, made a signing approach.

Bam scoffed ” Turning down that pair or even attempting to put up an argument for improved terms was a total no-no “

His all too brief  interlude at Meadow Park was followed by Bam responding to a cry for help from ex-Kilbirnie great Davie McIlroy who was overseeing playing matters at Troon  and desperately wanted to enlist him in a player/coach capacity at Portland Park where a season of putting in his tuppence worth on and off the pitch proved invaluable in enabling a side, whose star turns were the veteran trio of Jim Clarke (Steve’s Uncle )  former Rangers and Hearts defender Jim Denny and McIlroy himself , to clinch  promotion to the Ayrshire First Division …by a quirk of coincidence at Beith’s expense.

Ironic therefore that Ian’s next  stop at the start of the following season should be back at his former club where he unhesitatingly agreed to sign on the dotted line for the management duo of Jock Minford and No 2 Sammy Murray whose dressing room charges at the time included Alan Ewing, Bobby Davidson, by now in the twilight of his career, and classy defender John McNeil.

Bam recalled, “At 36 years of age I was definitely more into the coaching side of things rather than playing so  I decided it was time to hang up the boots and that opened the door for Minford to take me with him when he subsequently took over at Irvine Meadow.

“But my feet were hardly in the door when who came back on my scene but Sanny , by then established as Stranraer team boss, and he wanted to know if I would be interested in a coaching post with him and I just couldn’t turn down the opportunity to work at a Senior club with top notch professionals of the calibre of Darren Henderson, Tony Gallagher,Jim Hughes,  Tommy Sloan , Rusty Harkness and Barney Duffy.

He went on , “ Stranraer was a great experience  and I  might well have stayed for  the long haul  only for the Scotland Juniors management team of  Dennis Gray and Billy Young getting in touch to ask if I was up for becoming part of  their backroom team.

“A position much closer to my home in Beith was always going to appeal more and I never regretted spending the next four years 1995-98 as part of the SJFA set up , not least because helping to prepare the best Junior players going the rounds, for the bi-annual Quadrangular Tournament , Martin Nelson, Stuart Allison, Ian Ashcroft, Gary Graham, Brian Smith,  Stevie Convery and Derek McCulloch to name but a few, was anything but hard work.”

Personal issues led to Ian stepping away from the Scotland Juniors however he remained firm friends with Gray, someone who had previously enjoyed a trophy laden stint as Beith gaffer in the early 1990’s, so his assuming the Bellsdale hotseat for a second time in in 2001, with Hughie Findlay as his assistant, culminated in a request for Balmer to join them .

Ian said, “Any other club than Beith and any other manager than Dennis and I would have politely said No Thanks but I didn’t and my agreeing to go back certainly proved  a good call because there were more good times than bad thanks in no small measure to several local Ayrshire trophy wins whetting our appetites for bigger things.

“If I have one regret it’s that the side Dennis put together which had tried and trusted stalwarts in Barry McCorriston, Paul Courtenay, Gary Graham and a wonderful attacking trio of John McLaughlin , Billy  Borthwick and Craig Shanaghey could and should have done better in terms of competing for the major prizes at Junior level.”

Gray calling time on a  four year tenure fueled optimism that Findlay would step up to the manager’s chair however Beith officials opting instead  for an  ex-Arthurlie contingent headed up by Frank Lynch and with Johnny Millar, Stevie Convery, Derek Rhoddan ,Ian Ashcroft and Tam Miller in tow, overcame a few teething problems to spark an unprecedented run of success for Beith over the next decade and a half that more than satisfied Balmer’s long held dream of Bellsdale’s trophy cabinet housing the game’s major silverware prizes.

His was a watching brief from the terracing steps throughout this time and he  still takes in Beith’s home games to this day but concedes that nothing on earth could tempt him into coming back…yet again.

Balm added “ It’s a much changed game nowadays though Auchinleck Talbot continue to be one of the more dominant  forces  just as they were back in my day when facing them meant coming up against the likes of Cammy Hitchell, Brian Lannon, Dennis Gray and the towering centreback pair of Jack Collins and  Hughie McLean.

“Now we have Darvel grabbing the spotlight and they are by far the best football playing team I’ve seen this season and understandably are everyone’s tip to be crowned champions however you simply cannot rule out Talbot coming with a typical late charge.

“Neither can the current Beith team be written off and as you might expect they are my fancy to come good  in the title run-in.”

FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY 11^th FEBRUARY 2023 ( Kick Offs 2PM unless stated): Scottish Junior Cup.Quarter Finals. Hurlford Utd vCumnock, Bellshill Athletic v Glenafton, Larkhall Thistle v Rutherglen Glencairn, Dundee East Craigie v Shotts Bon Accord, Buildbase Premier Division. Irvine Meadow v Cambuslang Rangers, Auchinleck Talbot  v Pollok, Largs Thistle v Arthurlie, Troon v Rob Roy, Kilwinning Rangers v Beith, Clydebank v Petershill.PDM Buildbase First Division. Bonnyton Thistle v  Thorniewood Utd ,Gartcairn v Neilston,  Cumbernauld Utd v Whitletts Vics,        St Cadocs  v Kilbirnie Ladeside,Blantyre Vics v  Johnstone Burgh, Rossvale v St Rochs,  Drumchapel Utd v Benburb. PDM Buildbase Second Division. Maybole v Craigmark, Glasgow Perthshire v Maryhill,St Anthonys v  Ashfield,  Wishaw v Glasgow Utd, Ardeer Thistle v Forth Wanderers, Kilsyth Rangers v  Yoker Athletic , Glasgow University v Renfrew (Friday 8PM), Maybole v Craigmark. PDM Buildbase Third Division. Lugar Boswell v Royal Albert,  Ardrossan Winton Rovers v Irvine Vics,Port Glasgow v East Kilbride Thistle,  Lanark Utd v Kello Rovers, Dalry Thistle v Carluke Rovers,Vale of Clyde v   Vale of Leven, Girvan v Saltcoats Vics v Lesmahagow,Newmains Utd v Girvan. PDM Buildbase Fourth Division. Campbeltown Pupils v St Peters, Easterhouse FA v Threave Rovers, West Park Utd v BSC Glasgow, Thorn Athletic v Harmony Row,, Kilsyth Athletic v Rossvale Academy,Glenvale v  Eglinton .

Regards   Jim O’Donnell

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