Defences

[Scott7 5,237]

One for the decrepit among us to grind our china gums and wave our sticks about.

 

Another topic had us waxing lyrical about the Millar/Brand forward line of the early sixties but they had a sound defence behind them. Here’s the question: was that defence better than the Iron Curtain? Apart from compo most of us will only have snapshot memories of the Curtain. I only saw them together once in a friendly and Tiger Shaw had retired. What’s more I was of no age to make a judgement but let’s not be put off from doing so now even if we’re using the guidance of our fathers and big brothers.

 

Brown or Ritchie?  Billy was less spectacular but more dependable so he get’s the yellow jersey.
 

Young or Shearer?  Think big, so Geordie’s the man.

 

Shaw or Caldow?  Eric the Immaculate, no doubt.

 

McColl or Davis/Greig?  The Iron Man and the Greatest had unmatched qualities but simply as a football playing right half who happened also to be hard as nails McColl was the most skilful of the three.

 

Woodburn or McKinnon?  Hold up your head Willie Woodburn but Ronnie was more reliable.

 

Cox or Baxter?  Do I even have to ask the question? Must be the genius, surely. But wait. We’re talking defence here. I’ll pick Sammy . 
 

So it’s Ritchie, Young and Caldow; McColl, McKinnon and Cox. Don’t ask me again next week. I’ll have changed my mind about every position except Caldow.

 

Have a go too, youngsters, even if you never saw any of them. I never saw Meiklejohn, Morton or McPhail but I can talk about them as if I had. Inherited memory, perhaps?

[compo 6,215]

Think I would pick Brown over Ritchie but that's not saying Billy wasn't a good goalkeeper 

 

Captain cutlass was my type of defender hard and tough and never say die 

 

 

Tiger was another one from the same mould as Shearer say the word defeat and he would have looked at you as if you had sprouted horns 

 

I am going for our greatest player a man who carried the team on occasions 

 

Again I will pick the hard man big Willie a true defender who didn't fanny about 

 

I have to pick slim for his arrogance and unbridled skill and an old friend 

 

So my one to six is 

Brown  , Shearer,  Shaw ,Grieg ,Woodburn, Baxter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[craig 5,199]

1 hour ago, Scott7 said:

One for the decrepit among us to grind our china gums and wave our sticks about.

 

Another topic had us waxing lyrical about the Millar/Brand forward line of the early sixties but they had a sound defence behind them. Here’s the question: was that defence better than the Iron Curtain? Apart from compo most of us will only have snapshot memories of the Curtain. I only saw them together once in a friendly and Tiger Shaw had retired. What’s more I was of no age to make a judgement but let’s not be put off from doing so now even if we’re using the guidance of our fathers and big brothers.

 

Brown or Ritchie?  Billy was less spectacular but more dependable so he get’s the yellow jersey.
 

Young or Shearer?  Think big, so Geordie’s the man.

 

Shaw or Caldow?  Eric the Immaculate, no doubt.

 

McColl or Davis/Greig?  The Iron Man and the Greatest had unmatched qualities but simply as a football playing right half who happened also to be hard as nails McColl was the most skilful of the three.

 

Woodburn or McKinnon?  Hold up your head Willie Woodburn but Ronnie was more reliable.

 

Cox or Baxter?  Do I even have to ask the question? Must be the genius, surely. But wait. We’re talking defence here. I’ll pick Sammy . 
 

So it’s Ritchie, Young and Caldow; McColl, McKinnon and Cox. Don’t ask me again next week. I’ll have changed my mind about every position except Caldow.

 

Have a go too, youngsters, even if you never saw any of them. I never saw Meiklejohn, Morton or McPhail but I can talk about them as if I had. Inherited memory, perhaps?

Eric Caldow owned my local pub for a number of years - a nicer man you couldnt meet.  Incredibly likeable, incredibly personable, and you would never guess he was a legend from speaking to him - as down to earth as they come.

[compo 6,215]

32 minutes ago, craig said:

Eric Caldow owned my local pub for a number of years - a nicer man you couldnt meet.  Incredibly likeable, incredibly personable, and you would never guess he was a legend from speaking to him - as down to earth as they come.

Think he had a pub near Peacock cross near Hamilton 

[craig 5,199]

16 minutes ago, compo said:

Think he had a pub near Peacock cross near Hamilton 

The one he had in my village is called the Brewery Bar in Catrine in Ayrshire