They say the older you get, the faster time seems to fly past. Recently, I have been reading Pat Nevin’s latest book ‘Football and How to Survive it’. It’s a hugely enjoyable read, very well written and the prose is much like the former Scotland international winger himself – stylish, positive and very impressive.
Nevin, of course, first made his name at Shawfield, home of Clyde, before becoming an integral part of Chelsea’s rise from the old English Second Division to the top flight of English football. Spells at Everton, Tranmere Rovers, Kilmarnock and Motherwell – where he was also appointed Chief Executive – followed before the great man carved out a career as a successful broadcaster and writer.
It’s astonishing to think that one of the best players Scotland ever produced turned 61 years of age last year. Memories of him displaying his mercurial skills are still as fresh as ever and it seems like only yesterday he scored two goals for Scotland against Estonia (it’s hard to believe it was 1993)
Robbo was seen as the future of Hearts as a new successful age beckoned for the Maroons after years of yo-yoing between the Premier League and second tier of Scottish football. Robbo wrote the foreword for my book Hearts Greatest Games back in 2012 and was afforded hero worship by the Hearts support who labelled him ‘the Hammer of the Hibs’ due to his 27 goals scored against the Easter Road team during his 17 years at Tynecastle.
But, John Robertson has turned 60 years of age? No, it can’t be true!
In the same year Robbo made his Hearts debut and Pat Nevin helped Scotland’s Under 18 team win the European Youth Championship, Aston Villa won the European Champions Cup (that’s today’s Champions League, young ‘uns) Villa recently returned to European football’s premier competition for the first time since that day 42 years ago when Peter Withe’s goal gave them a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the final in Rotterdam. Fate decreed that the Villans first home game in this season’s UEFA Champions League would be against Bayern Munich and a packed Villa Park roared their delight as Villa won 1-0, somewhat against the odds. It was a particularly poignant night in Birmingham as a member of Aston Villa’s European Cup winning team from 42 years ago – striker Gary Shaw – had recently passed away. Villa Park was, therefore, a sea of emotion last month. In a fitting tribute, Villa listed Gary’s name in the team sheet for the game. It was somewhat inevitable Villa would win again, by the same scoreline they beat Bayern in 1982.
Again, it seems like yesterday that Gary Shaw was terrorising defences both in England and on the continent, his boyish good looks and long blonde hair giving him the quintessential football star look. He was just 63 when he died, following a fall at his Birmingham home. It isn’t just Aston Villa fans who mourn his loss.
Now I’m as guilty as charged when accused of looking back at football in the 1980s through rose - or maroon - coloured spectacles. But it was a time when Scotland regularly qualified for the finals of the World Cup or European Championship, Aberdeen were European Cup Winners Cup holders and Aston Villa, with young Gary Shaw, were kings of Europe. And I could travel all around the country to watch football using my Young Person’s Railcard (and no, that wasn’t that the age of the steam train...)
Happy days before life became serious and marriage, two children, five grandchildren, divorce and another marriage and various mortgages came along. Simpler, internet-free days, where you could pay with cash at the gate and stand on the terracing.
I blame Pat Nevin for rekindling those old memories…
Mike Smith
Twitter/X @Mike1874
No comments:
Post a Comment