mcguru

Mair visual than verbal: When John Lambie & Chic Charnlie were at Thistle - the Jags players had a session in the gym but Charnlie is jist sitting there reading the paper for 1\2 hour with a glass of water by his side. Other Thistle players then tell him Lambie's coming in and he's gonna see he's no being working oot. Quick as a flash Charnley chucks the paper away, throws the water o'er his heid and is wiping his wet brow when the boss arrives. Lambie takes one look at him and tells him "awright Chic, don't want ye over daeing it, take a break son".

Up the DOSSERS. Wisney gonny go but changed ma mind noo, think the players will be right up for it. Just like they were at that dump 8th October 1988 when Cammy Duncan had to be carried aff

10.32am: called and told me game is OFF.

Fishal site has the U'19 game home to Dundee Utd as being played Saturday but SPL site has the game listed for tomorrow. I'll call the club in the am but does anyone know if it is tomorrow and scheduled kick-off time? cheers

Got over yesterday to see the game, took ma mate who is a Rangers man and he was shocked how poor Rangers were made to look. The young lads' football, ie good short passes and making space was too much for the Rangers boys. Could so easily have been 6 or more with 1 stonewall penalty turned down. Shows you when it really is a level playing field with no imported big money journeymen brought in by the old firm teams like Motherwell have nothing to fear. Long may the passing game continue!!

Mind it well, first game of 82-83 season I am sure and was the first time I was allowed to go to Fir Park masel for an old firm game. Rangers had their new signing Robert Prytz (who him?) put them 1-0 up early doors with a dodgy penalty. We came back from 2-0 down , did big Joe Carson not score that day then get sent off?

Celtic had just bought a numptie fae Arsenal Martin Hayes(?) who had to be taken off at 1\2 time as Boyd was running rings roon him. The Shimmy King put us 1-0 up and I think wee Dougie got the second, not a bad way to open a season.

Where does the time go? Mind going up to Pittodrie on the Wishy bus, on my few trips up there I had never even seen the 'Well score a goal let alone win. Cooper touches the free-kick to his right and yer man Kirk lets fly. Beach End went mental when the ball nestled in the old onion bag. Made it back to The Heathery in time for the highlights on Sportscene. Oh happy day but there was more to come! Falkirk were leading the 1st division at the time as I remember and that was a tough game, we did well to come through 4-2. Was stramge to say the least to see Johnny Gagahan lining up in the white of Morton instead of Claret & Amber after all those years. A tense 0-0 draw ended with the natives not happy at all. Midweek replay doon Cappielow and I had my tank on Motherwell half-time\full-time which didn't materialise. Pyscho's winning penalty will long live in the memory. Mind our back windae on the bus getting put in as we left the grun. First Celtic game and how that was not a penalty when White(?) not so much man-handled (Arnott?) to the ground as wrestled him doon. Fergie's thunderbolt that smacked off post and bar almost put us in the final. Replay and it didn't look too good approaching half time with them leading 2-1 and Coyne missing a good chance for 3-1. The team became legends in the second half and by the way, wasn't Cooper suspended for these 2 cup games? Credit to the whole team that night and if I live to be 100 I will never forget O'Neil's goal. Seemed to happen in slow-motion for me. Did he just do that? Was it really in? Were we really 3-2 up in a cup semi-final replay against Celtic. You're not meant to do that. Bonner's flailing arms which could've been better used putting oot the washing were never keeping that strike out. Kirk's goal put the tin lid on it. Grown men cried as they would do in the very same spot a few weeks later. Windae on the bus was put in that night also but we didney care. Mind getting aff at Motherwell Cross and many a supporter singing around the streets there. Looked like Hamish French had put Utd in front early doors but ruled out for offside and it might even have been Darren Jackson who was off canny remember. Then they had a shot came off both posts was it? Ferguson's header and what a noise came from the terracing, Motherwell hadn't been ahead in a Scottish Cup final since 1952. Their equaliser was a blur and would have been kept out had Maxwell not been seriously injured by Clark who wusny even booked. Phil put us 2-1 in front shortly after and Kirk's delightful lay-off for Angus to thunder home the third had us in delerium. O'Neil gets one back and we're all whistling for Syme to blow for full time when a hoof doon the park isn't dealt with and Jackson sneaks in to make it 3-3. Malpas was it even then deep into injury time could have won the game for them. From Section J I couldn't tell if it hit the bar or Maxwell saved it. Not sure I could ever have got over that if that had gone in. Kirk scored the first and ultimately, the last goal of the cup campaign and most of us were drained by then emotionally, physically and pyshcologically. When the full time whistle went I had no more to give and slumped onto the barrier we were standing behind. When Boyd lifted the cup to the fans he almost seemed to be saying "I can't believe it". Tommy's last game for us and what a way to go out. I made sure to get back to Fir Park in good time and soon as we came off the M74, the crowds were out cheering the returning fans and waiting for the team bus. I remember the streets around Fir Park were jam-packed, you literally could not move. I managed to bag a spot at Edward St\Fir Park St then heard a distant roar which flowed like a Claret & Amber wave became contagious and we knew the team bus was coming. The bus had to fight for every inch as it attempted to drive into Fir Park Street. The crowd cheering outside was caught on by the fans inside the ground. The players would eventually make it up to the Director's Box and us fans on the park got a close-up look at the cup in claret & amber ribbons. The bus tour showing off the cup the next day wasn't half-bad either. No one, including all my non-Motherwell supporting pals, could not say it was the best and most enthralling game they'd seen.

Ah comfae Craigneuk and ma old man was a Cel'ic man. Probably season 74-75 when I was 7\8 he'd take me on the Cel'ic Wishy bus to Parkheid one week and down to Fir Park the next for a Motherwell game. There was something magical in making that walk doon the Bee Hive Brae towards Fir Park. More so for a kid for an evening match when you could make out the glare of the floodlights even fae Craigneuk. Getting closer to the grun and being lifted over and then scrambling up the bing to get to the top of the terracing and taking in the view afore ye will never be forgotten. All you could see was a lush green carpet (Boyle take note) of a playing surface spectaculary lit. A warm, fuzzing feeling inside without the use of a porn mag - amazing. Walking to the games, ah remember thinking I couldn't understand people going about their daily lives when there was a game kicking off in an hour's time. How could they be wasting their time doing mundane things like going shopping, to the pub or staying in? Realised I was a Dosser probably in the '75 semi-final against Airdrie. Not knowing all the nuances of fitba, all I gathered from my 7 year old reading of the Record was something to do with Rennie, 4 steps and a free-kick. It didn't make sense. Ma old man definately realised I was lost to "the cause" when he couldn't get tickets for the '76 3rd round game against Cel'ic so we went up to King George's Parks and heard the game on the radio. 2-0 down but I didn't give up hope. When the 3rd goal went in for a famous win, you could have seen ma smile fae Fir Park tae the Maracana. Gie ma old man his due, he allowed me to make my own decision about it cos I know plenty OF faithers who widney let their boy support anything other than the so-called big two. To top it off that season ma maw got me ma first fitba tap, course it was 20 sizes too big for me and went doon o'er ma knees but far as I was concerned, I WAS Wullie Pettigrew every time ah pulled it on. Number 8 will always have a special fascination for me on a fitba shirt. First time I cried over a result of course was the semi defeat against Rangers. JPR Gordon, Newport-on-Tay never forgotten or forgiven. Blood, sweat & tears is all you can be sure of as a Dosser but once the magic is in you, you'll never give it up.

Right 'nuff....so what time is the gemme up Wishy Sports Centre?

Confucious, he say: "I'd rather see 10 shots go out for a shy than 1 effort that hits the post."

Not an easy question like top 10 fav. albums or films. For me - Boyd - Solid attacking full back. Remember 1st game of 90-91 season was it when we beat Celtic 2-0. Celtic had a big guy signed from Arsenal Martin Hayes and Boyd ran rings aroon him. It's not often we had the chance to sign "Arsenal Reject Hello...." but we did that sunny day. Cooper - There's not much new you can say about the man. Remember a league game against Dundee Utd at Fir Park that I think we won 3-2 or 4-2 in the end and Cooper played an inch perfect defence-splitting pass through to wee Dougie who finished with aplomb. Only 2 games a week were televised in those days and it was a real pleasure to watch us on Sportscene that night. Gahagan - Was there ever a better sight that Wee Johnny charging down the right wing in front of the shed in the second half of a game? Kirk - Legend in our lunch-time. Was stood at the Gorgie Road end when he saved Wayne Foster's penalty. We were 2-0 down in that game if I remember rightly and came back to claim a 2-2 draw. And who will forget the moment when his blooter from Cooper's lay-off left Sniejder Aberdeen goalie floundering in is own net? When he scored the winning goal on 18th May in That Game, I was emotionally and physically gone, all I could do was collapse onto the barrier in front of me in celebration. Maxwell - Under-rated goalie in my opinion. What he went through in the Cup Final, a goalie would never be asked to do in today's game. Course, you have sub goalie's noo for one thing. There's a reason it was his face on the front of the Sunday Mail the next day. McClair (1st stint) - His hat-trick against Rangers at Fir Park in Jan 83 will long live in the memory. Think I caught the flu that day and so missed his 2 goals against Celtic days later in a 2-1 win. Packie Bonnar drops a cross in the last minute and Choccy is in like a rat up a drain-pipe. Richard "The Dick" Park's voice can barely contain his sorrow as he exclaims "oh no...Motherwell have scored...." on Radio Clyde's commentary. Nihjolt - Super solid at the back and in midfield when required. Looking at the re-runs nowadays, I can see but didn't realise at the time he had quite a few fouls in the Cup Final and was finally booked. Deservedly won Man of the Match in the semi-final game I'm sure. O'Donnell - Anyone who scores their first goal for their club as an 18 year old in a Cup Final is mature beyond their years. Integral part of Motherwell. Pettigrew - His goal against Celtic in the 76 Cup Game has to be seen to be believed. A genuine striker who knew where the goal was. Philliben - Big Softy may not have been one of the 13 for the actual final but his exploits helped us get there make no mistake. He should have been in O'Neil's place, who had a knee operation days before, was never fit. Wark - Mr. Motherwell. He knew your father and mine as well. Honourable Subs - Bobby Graham - Pettigrew's other half. McFadden (I live & work abroad so have only been able to get to maybe 5 games in past 12 years so only saw Faddy once in the flesh.

Nah, ah'm sure I was in almost the same spot as when Pyscho scored his winning penalty in the 1\4 final replay. Think the only time I was ever in an "away" end for a gemme was when for reasons unknown I decided to stand at the Fir Park School end when we played St.Mirren and the Kirkmeister scored 4 (and was then promptly subbed by McLean as I remember). Nothing like seeing other fans troop out the grun before the end of a game muttering "canny believe it..."

Big Softie 7 goals for us, remember 3 of them aff the top of ma heid - 1. Almost bursting the net as his blooter put us 1-0 up against Rangers in last home game before 91 Cup final. Dougie adding 2 memorable goals in the last 5 mins. 2. Equaliser at Tannadice in 94th minute of a Cup game sparking manic scenes in the Tannadice Enclosure and on Radio Clyde commentary. 3. Was standing behind the goal at Cappielow when Big Softie connected with a ball something like 50 yards out it seemed to me. Most days it would have ended up past the cranes in the docks but on this day it rocketed straight towards me and only the net saved me from getting battered. 1-1 that day as I remember.