Keep Fighting (9 page)

‘Well, a year later, the game was up. I had pissed off a lot of Scottish Football Association officials with my outspoken and honest ways, and some of the extra-curricular drinking and celebrations I had with my colleagues. I was told by a few folk, players and managers that there was a groundswell of these people who wanted me out of the Scottish international equation, they saw me as a loose cannon.

‘The incident in Copenhagen gave them all the ammunition they desired. I went out with Arthur Graham, Pat McCluskey, Willie Young and Joe Harper. We had a disagreement with a member of staff in the hotel, and a drink got spilled – thrown – whatever, she ended up getting wet. We celebrated and had fun in the bars and clubs we visited. It was all innocent fun, so we thought anyway. But the cops were called and, as usual, the matter was blown out of all proportion.

‘There was also a bit of a bedroom trashing to a Scottish Football Association official's room (Jock McDonald), nothing damaging, just the odd bit of blanket throwing on the floor, and it was said by him that someone crapped on his bed. He got anxious and upset by our behaviour and I told him what a boring fart he was and to loosen up a bit. He told me he would make sure I never played for Scotland again.

‘Next thing, I am on the floor – he had smacked me one! We each got five-year Scotland international bans, mainly courtesy of McDonald's report; though our behaviour did warrant some punishment, it was way over the top. The worst thing was I heard that a couple of the players were told privately not to appeal, as their punishment would be reviewed and lifted. Not so mine, and whilst I formally and publicly apologised for my behaviour, McDonald was so influential that he was not about to allow my punishment to be rescinded. It was a sad end to my Scotland career, and I felt as though I had let so many people down, not least my family.

‘There were many great players and characters around that time. Jim Baxter for instance – what an arrogant man he was on the football field, and off it too. He had a very definite way about him, Jim. Confident, and focused all the time, especially on himself. You were never sure whether he was being funny, as in funny peculiar, or whether he was pulling your leg. He always said it as it was. He once told Alf Ramsey, the England manager, that he (Ramsey) didn't have any personality, and that he found him really boring as a person. Jim meant it, and Ramsey knew it. Next thing I hear is that Ramsey rang Jim up and said that he was
worried by what Jim said, and asked him what he meant by boring. Jim had told him straight: “You put people to sleep when you talk.” To which Ramsey had said, “Oh” and replaced the telephone receiver. Jim loved playing for Scotland and would have gladly given all he had for a Scotland win. It was like that for all of us back then, though I'm not so certain in today's game we see the same level of commitment.’

As someone who has witnessed for himself how proud and committed Billy Bremner was to the Scottish cause, it is perhaps worth noting how things have changed, not for the better, in the international game since the days when Bremner, Henderson, Johnstone, and cohorts were thrilling crowds with their skills and football prowess. In today's international game, players retire for a variety of less than orthodox reasons; because they are displeased by tactics, or at being substituted, or because they don't like another player in the squad. Some even come out of international retirement when a new coach is appointed. This isn't something unique to Scotland. In England, Wales and Ireland too, the commitment and pride at being selected to represent your nation seem to have been ignored, as players often churlishly put their own needs before that of the nation they are called to represent. I can tell you now, Billy Bremner and the majority of players of his era would have freely given up their time and walked hundreds of miles to represent their countries at not only football, but anything. The thought of voluntary premature retirement from international duty would be quite unthinkable to the likes of Billy Bremner, as would not giving 100 per cent commitment and effort when wearing the country's colours in a game. Quite what he would have made of some of the Home Countries international performances during the most recent 2010 World Cup qualifying and competition is open to debate but it's doubtful that he would have been accepting of any of the players’ attitudes or performances. There was a lack of passion to their game.

Certainly in the Scotland team Billy captained, each and every player would be focused and would deliver their all throughout
the entire game. Representing their country, Scotland, was important to them, their families, their people. There would be no shirkers of responsibility, no excuses, just honest and tireless effort and at the end, great pride that they had given their all.

With incredible foresight and vision, Bremner once told me of his take on the future of the Scottish game in general.

‘I blame the Scottish Football Association of the 1970s for not having the foresight to develop young football talent at junior school level. The Scottish clubs themselves have to take a look at themselves; far too many home-grown young Scottish footballers were allowed to join English clubs from school. Outside Celtic and Rangers, and occasionally Aberdeen or Hibernian, no club was seriously investing in, or encouraging youth into the game. It has to change, otherwise Scottish international football will stagnate and it will take decades to catch up on other countries’ emerging youth policies.

‘Willie Ormond was another great character as the Scotland manager. Willie was a Hibs (Hibernian FC) man, he had represented Scotland and appeared in the 1954 World Cup finals, so he knew his football. As a manager he was tough, or tried to be. To be honest, we gave him a bit of a run around, albeit we were respectful and generally did as was asked of us. We were once staying in a hotel in the middle of nowhere, good for focused training, Willie would say. We were told to get an early night, and to be up for an early start the following morning, a run and some light ball work before breakfast. Will escorted us to our rooms and bid us a goodnight. It took about half an hour before the tapping at the bedroom doors began – a few players fancied a late night tot to help us sleep. So together, we sneaked back downstairs and into the bar, ordered our rounds and quietly sat down in the corner to drink them. I took a drink out of my pint to find it was shandy and gradually everyone realised that we had been served with pints of shandy, and not what we ordered. One player thought he was drinking rum and blackcurrant, it was in fact just blackcurrant!

‘We complained to the barman and he said he would fetch the
manager. A few seconds later, out comes Willie Ormond, wearing a broad grin on his face. He looked at us all and said, “I knew I couldn't trust you buggers. Now off to bed with you all. I'm staying up all night, guarding this bar.” As far as we know he did too, least ways he looked rough the next morning. Willie wasn't a fool, nor was he a stooge for the bureaucratic ways of the Scottish Football Association. He began to speak out against their ways, and, for his rewards, he too was effectively shown the door, being allowed to leave to manage Heart of Midlothian.

‘I played under a few authoritarian managers for Scotland and Tommy Docherty wasn't a man to cross. He had a real temper on him, added to which, he knew how it was, he knew the tricks and fun players got up to when away on international duty and you couldn't pull the wool over his eyes one little bit. I got to know Tommy over the years. He is an amazing after-dinner speaker, players of all ages and eras just love listening to him. It's such a pity that a great Scot such as him should have had a club career at Chelsea and Manchester United.

‘Of course, the man I would really liked to have played under was Jock Stein. He had a short stint in 1965-66, but by the time he was permanently appointed in 1978, my international career was over. Unfortunately, I missed him at Leeds too. I was gone by the time he made his brief visit to the club.

‘Another would have been Alex Ferguson. That man is a wonderful role model for future potential managers to study and emulate. Alex is a devout and thoroughbred Scotsman, the greatest manager in the modern-day game without any shadow of a doubt.

‘Scotland is my homeland, no one will ever insult or discredit it in front of me; if they do, and few have tried, then they will learn from me what makes Scotland so superior to all other nations. Our passion, loyalty and bravery are a good place to start!’

It's sad that modern-day football fans will never see or realise the absolute passion and commitment players of the Billy Bremner era had, when representing both club and country. It
wasn't about money, ego or self-publicity and marketing, it was about a love for the game and loyalty to the club and country they represented. There was no badge-kissing heroics before the fans, or feigned affection; this was an era when men played football with honesty and integrity. It was rough and you had to be tough, it was all about winners and losers, and for a select few, collecting trophies. Players were both approachable and accessible, and in general, enjoyed mixing with supporters and making them happy. Today, the marketing people in football tell us that the game is more fluent, action packed and entertaining than it has ever been. Anyone who watched football through 1960-1970 era will know different. It was the golden era of the game and it's no coincidence that so many recognised all-time football greats come from that era. For Scotland and Leeds United, Billy Bremner stood out among his peers, and continues to do so to this day. Class is permanent.

7

WE LOVE YOU

LEEDS – LEEDS – LEEDS

Don Revie held a great belief in his team and not least in Billy Bremner, who he saw as the lynchpin around which he could build his side. However, other managers could spot a ‘wee gem' as well, and Revie was not alone in his respect for the player. With Leeds still aspiring to succeed, and with no silverware to boast, other top First Division sides began to express an interest in signing the Leeds star. Everton came in with an offer of £25,000. Once again the Leeds board spoke to their manager and intimated that they were interested in reaching an agreement with Everton. According to writer Eric Thornton, ‘Revie was incensed by such business and in no uncertain terms told the board: “If you go through with this transfer of Bremner, I'm through too. I shall be out of this club.”' In consequence of this show of support from manager to player, the board brought transfer negotiations to an immediate halt.

In the late 1970s Revie recalled the incident:

‘At the time I thought the board of the football club was acting improperly. They seemed hell bent on cashing in on playing assets; they wanted the silverware and the trappings of success that went with winning trophies, yet hard cash seemed to be a bigger attraction to them. As a manager you tend to forget that the football club side of things is run as a business. I was upset by them – first we had Hibernian, then Everton sounding out moves for some of my best players, and instead of turning them down, the board implied that they were open to, and would assess, individual offers. It sent the wrong message out to our
competitors and my players. I wanted stability throughout the team, players who knew they were wanted and were treated with respect and loyalty. I wanted them to feel part of one big family. Transfer speculation does nothing but cause unrest and disharmony within a football club so I told the directors that if any player was sold to a rival club without my blessing then they would need to find another manager. Of course, they were shocked by my outburst, but I meant it, and if they had sold Billy Bremner, then I would not have hesitated in resigning. The chairman wasn't slow in changing his mind and in telling me that neither Billy Bremner, nor any other Leeds player, would be sold in the immediate future. Thankfully that was the end of the matter.'

The 1965-66 season was not as dramatic as the previous one, which had ended in failure at Wembley. Leeds were gradually forging a good reputation for themselves and being accepted as a force and championship contender within the First Division. Despite this they still had many critics, each of whom tended to concentrate solely upon their tactics rather than football performance. The Liverpool manager, Bill Shankly, once described their style as being similar to that of a ‘rugby team, more akin to Hull Kingston Rovers than a football team'. Whether this outburst was borne out of the fact that Leeds had just inflicted a 1-0 defeat over his side in front of Liverpool's own fans at Anfield, on the day after Boxing Day, is open to debate. Nevertheless, such comments offended many of the Leeds team, and if anything were to make them a more committed unit.

Highlights in the league included the 6-1 defeat of newly promoted Northampton Town, and a 5-0 demolition of West Ham United, with Bremner scoring in both games:

‘Northampton Town were a bit of an unknown quantity to the First Division. They had made a meteoric rise from the Fourth Division to the First in consecutive seasons. Although we really thrashed them, they had some decent players in their team but on the day they couldn't compete with us over ninety minutes. We exploited their full backs and defensive weakness time and again.
I think I am right in saying that Northampton were relegated after just one season and dropped straight back through the leagues and back into the Fourth Division as quickly as they rose from it.'

Perhaps the best league result of that season was the 3-0 victory over Arsenal at Highbury, a game that took place before just 4,554 spectators. The game had been rearranged and was played on the evening of Thursday, 5 May 1966. On that same evening, Liverpool were facing Borussia Dortmund in the final of the European Cup Winners Cup and that game was being shown live on national television. This, combined with Arsenal's dismal form, resulted in Highbury's lowest First Division crowd since the First World War. Goals from Jim Storrie (two) and Jimmy Greenhoff secured the victory. Arsenal manager Billy Wright was humble in defeat, and later told reporters: