Andy Ritchie will chew the fat in the Weekend Tele _(Image: George Munro)_
THERE are, of course, many tales about the legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly but, here’s one of my favourites.
The Reds had a match on Boxing Day one year and Bill told the players to report in for training the day before as usual.
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“But, Boss…it’s Christmas Day,” said striker Ian St John.
Shankly just looked at his fellow Scotsman and replied: “Son – yer a fitba’ player. Ye have yer Christmas in June!”
Bill Shankly _(Image: PA)_
And that’s the lot of being a ‘fitba player’ – you play throughout the festive season, regardless.
I know we did when I was at Morton, and I have to say I enjoyed it. Given that all of us, by and large, were off work as part-timers, it meant we had more time to train and prepare just like a full-time club.
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Right – no sniggering. Andy Ritchie _DID_ train, okay?
We would go in on Christmas morning for a session and then all head back to our respective homes to celebrate with our families before a Boxing Day joust.
I suppose it’s the same for the Cappielow crew these days as well although I can bet, they didn’t get the festive bonus that we did back in the day.
When I first came to Morton in the old Scottish First Division, we had a squad of 14 and I was told there was a brilliant arrangement with a local company no doubt familiar to you all, Jess The Butchers, wherein they gave each of us in the squad a fresh turkey each as reward for our efforts.
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It was a brilliant gesture and certainly not one to be sniffed at in those days.
Hell, I would accept that arrangement now, never mind back in the ‘70s!
Anyway, when we went up to the Scottish Premier League our squad size rose to 20 but the good people at Jess told us that there were still only 14 of our freshly plucked friends being offered to us as that had been then arrangement for some time.
Six of us were going to miss out on the festive treat.
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Step forward Hal Stewart.
The bold Hal went and negotiated on our behalf for a new bonus but, not with Jess the Butchers, but the Lee Jeans Factory up in Larkfield.
Of course, he had a contact there!
The good ladies in the factory would famously stage a sit-in a couple of years later when the manufacturer threatened closure. A story that I believe has now been turned into a play.
Anyway, the upshot was that the company donated six pairs of jeans and the decision was made to draw lots in the Cappielow dressing room to see who got what.
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Fourteen turkeys to six jeans – I fancied the odds!
Guess who drew one of the denims!
I remember taking my jeans which, incidentally, weren’t in my size, back to the then Mrs Ritchie.
She wasn’t best pleased as she had organised everything else for Christmas and was just awaiting the arrival of a plump bird to stick in the oven.
She was even less chuffed when I presented her with the denims with the words: “Good luck stuffing this little lot!”
Well, I thought it was funny.
I think it was Hogmanay before she spoke to me!
Ah – happy, carefree times.