Gordon Strachan Scared To Go To Ibrox!

[pete 2,499]

That top picture looks like Tommy Burns is scared to intervene... but look at McGrain in the background - looks like he is ready to maul the guy, beelining right for him (admittedly still pictures can tell you anything).

 

We missed out big time on McGrain... pete has a story on that one, right pete ?

 

Yep his mother, Margaret, worked with my Dad in the veterinary university on the way up to Bearsden but they were friends of the family for years before that. The best story from my father was that Danny's father and my Dad played for Anderston. My father was on the wing and Danny's father was at CH. The back of the other team kept crunching my father. I think his name was Bob McGrain but forgive my memory, said to my father go to CH for a few minutes. After a few minutes the guy was carried off and Mr McGrain trotted back and said okay you can go back on to the wing now. My father said the guy tried to crunch him but he was waiting for it and came down landing on his knee

My father said he was as hard as nails.

As you have pointed out Craig the other point was that they were always at our birthday parties which always ended in a Sash bash and they joined in just as much as anyone. When Danny signed for Celtic Margaret changed to hating Rangers with a vengeance as she thought we never signed him because of his name. The Rangers reps had agreed to meet them and called it off at the last moment and they never contacted them again. The rest is history. One more thing. I helped Danny when he was trying to buy kitchen units when I worked for Timberland in Renfrew. I only knew him though he doesn't know me. It was a cunt trying to understand him.

 

One other thing was that one of the songs our family used to sing was to the Beanz meanz Heinz advert. My father would never teach me the words as I was very young. The only thing I can remember was the chorus went.

A million fe***** every day pick up there rosary beads and say Stein stein stein. Have any of the older bears ever heard that?

[JohnMc 2,801]

I've never been sure about the explanation that we didn't sign McGrain because of his name. I think it suited some people back in the day to use that excuse instead of admitting our scouting was just terrible in the late 60s and early 70s particularly in Glasgow. I mean we missed out on Dalglish too, no issue with his name and his entire family was waiting for the call from our club having been told Rangers were going to make a move.

 

Now, 50 years later, it suits the Tims to say we didn't sign him because of our bigotry. It might be true but I've always believed it was simply incompetence and arrogance that was the issue.

[pete 2,499]

I've never been sure about the explanation that we didn't sign McGrain because of his name. I think it suited some people back in the day to use that excuse instead of admitting our scouting was just terrible in the late 60s and early 70s particularly in Glasgow. I mean we missed out on Dalglish too, no issue with his name and his entire family was waiting for the call from our club having been told Rangers were going to make a move.

 

Now, 50 years later, it suits the Tims to say we didn't sign him because of our bigotry. It might be true but I've always believed it was simply incompetence and arrogance that was the issue.

 

Danny went to Bellahousten High if memory serves me right and the headmaster was 100% in contact with the club and as I said reps from Rangers were supposed to be going to his house for talks but never showed up. That does not mean it was because of his name but Danny's mother and Father perceived it as that. That came direct from the mouth of his mother who I knew and talked to up until I went to Holland in 1980.

[JohnMc 2,801]

Danny went to Bellahousten High if memory serves me right and the headmaster was 100% in contact with the club and as I said reps from Rangers were supposed to be going to his house for talks but never showed up. That does not mean it was because of his name but Danny's mother and Father perceived it as that. That came direct from the mouth of his mother who I knew and talked to up until I went to Holland in 1980.

 

Oh I'm not saying his mother doesn't believe that's why he was overlooked. I'm saying it was a handy excuse for Rangers scouts to use to excuse their incompetence in overlooking arguably the greatest full-back these islands have ever produced. McGrain himself in recent years has said he doesn't know if this was the why Rangers didn't sign him and that in fact no scout from Rangers ever actually spoke to him.

 

McGrain's from Drumchapel and went to Kingsridge High.

[pete 2,499]

Oh I'm not saying his mother doesn't believe that's why he was overlooked. I'm saying it was a handy excuse for Rangers scouts to use to excuse their incompetence in overlooking arguably the greatest full-back these islands have ever produced. McGrain himself in recent years has said he doesn't know if this was the why Rangers didn't sign him and that in fact no scout from Rangers ever actually spoke to him.

 

McGrain's from Drumchapel and went to Kingsridge High.

 

As I said my memory wasn't great on that. I knew it was a High. It was the headmaster who was in contact with Rangers though. As I said the Reps\Scouts did not turn up or called off at the last minute.

I believe I was ever at their house once just waiting outside in the car and to be honest I have no idea where it was now. From what I can remember if it was Drumchapel then it was a nice part of it. It looked more like a Milngavie house.

Edited December 21, 2017 by pete

[aweebluesoandso 290]

Whats that all about ?

 

In one of his books about life at Old Trafford and the players at United , he called Strachan out for being two faced and a liar.

[craig 5,199]

As I said my memory wasn't great on that. I knew it was a High. It was the headmaster who was in contact with Rangers though. As I said the Reps\Scouts did not turn up or called off at the last minute.

I believe I was ever at their house once just waiting outside in the car and to be honest I have no idea where it was now. From what I can remember if it was Drumchapel then it was a nice part of it. It looked more like a Milngavie house.

 

That's why your memory isn't great... because you were on a high

[pete 2,499]

That's why your memory isn't great... because you were on a high

 

I always am.:

[MacK1950 2,399]

Listen guys I have posted before on the Danny situation.

He attended Kingsridge Senior Secondary school in Drumchapel from 1962-1967which is when I think he left.

He started off in class 1B2 same as me as we sat beside each other in registration class and was always the star during PE football lessons.

I remember him being told by a Geography teacher that it was a waste of time staying on at school, to be picked for schoolboy internationals,as football would get him nowhere in life,the rest is history.

As far as I remember their was great excitement in the school as reps from Rangers had come to speak to Daniel Fergus McGrain,but left when they were told he was at St. Pius which was true as they had a swimming pool which our school used for lessons.

Danny came from Airgold Drive,the same as my wife and my Mother in Law was good friends with the McGrains.

The last time I met Danny was when we shared a taxi from The Kingsway in Scotstoun to Drumchapel as he had been visiting his then Girlfriend Lorraine and I had visited my mate.

A quiet guy and as mentioned hard to understand.

[onevision 1,595]

I think Strachan is suffering for Paul Elliott syndrome....