Nice One Cyriel.
Age does not come alone as they say. As a 16 year old schoolboy follow following my team to victory in the first Royal Scottish Cup final in 1973, did I ever think Rangers would field players with the following monikers : Trevor, Nigel, Baillie, Zak, .................... and now, Cyriel? We had a particularly Scottish slant back in the day, Tam, Doddie, Sandy, .................. and Billy 'couldnae kick doors at Halloween' Mathieson. The big, gruff Fifer did not venture up the park much; however, on the other side, Sandy Jardine was often further up the wing than Tommy McLean. He was the epitome of the then, 'overlapping fullback'.
Honestly, you would get home on a Saturday evening after playing for your school, your amateur boys club and, watching Rangers. You would sit down in front of Brian Moore or Frank Bough and they would be telling you of the latest footballing revelation, 'overlapping fullbacks'. You had just played in two games and watched one that featured this revelation, in deepest, darkest Lanarkshire. In London, Englandshire; the player responsible was a bluff Yorkshireman playing left back for the Spurs, his name Cyril Knowles.
Tottenham Hotspur reached the final of the English League Cup final against Norwich City in 1973. Their star player was Martin Chivers, big bully of a centre forward who scored goals for fun. Thus, surely a song about Martin was the very thing to cheer up the Cockerels on their way to Wembley? No, the Cockerel Chorus took the dirge, 'Nice one Cyril, nice on son' to number 14 in the national charts. All I ask as I take my seat at Ibrox for the coming season, do NOT play that dirge over the PA system every time Cyriel puts one in the back of the pokey.
I am off for my morning cafe and Tostado con tomate y aceite.