On hold for the bleak midwinter

 By Bernard Thompson

Tartan Special

Published in the Irish Times new media edition

At this happy time of year, all of the things that the Scots are famous for come together. Kilts, shortbread, whisky without an "e" and getting screaming drunk find harmony in the traditional festivities. Scotland is the only nation on earth that has a New Year, apparently, and everyone goes out on "Hogmanay" just waiting for the accordion thrill that signals the time to salivate on the cheeks of complete strangers. Then they play football.

Sadly, the collective headache of a people has put an end to the New Year's Day fixture list but the appetite is merely stronger on the following day. However, no team has rejoiced in the changing of the calendar more than Dundee United. Only days ago, all connected with the club were seething loudly at the unsportsmanlike behaviour of Hibernian players.

Apparently, some Hibees thought that the injury that felled Jim Lauchlan, as the game wound up, was a little too convenient. With the match at 0-0, there were suggestions that Lauchlan had nothing that could not be cured by hearing the final whistle. So, rather than return the ball to a United player, it was sent upfield where a corner and then a penalty ensued.

The result was a last gasp winner for Hibs to leave angry Dundonians asking where the referee found the extra three minutes of play. All this is very frustrating of course, unless you happen to be a neutral  - when it is little short of hilarious. Not so funny was the reaction of United's goalkeeper Alan Combe, who is alleged to have attempted to headbutt the fourth official.

Still, you can now dust off your "auspicious sign" clichés, for the first match of 2001 brought unheard of joy to Tannadice. Their distress against Hibernian was forgotten about with a home win over Motherwell. It took Utd nearly ten months to win at their own ground in 2000 so there is at least some room for optimism in the City of Discovery.

It was a less happy start for Kilmarnock. With his famed eloquence, their manager Bobby Williamson, described his team's 6-0 defeat against Celtic as "the worst experience I've experienced" in football. From Killie, it was as shoddy an exhibition as has been seen since Paul McCartney displayed his paintings and when Williamson heaved Ally McCoist on at 5-0, the merciless home crowd's day was complete.

Larsson scored four as he continues to search for his best form. Sutton scored another couple to make the Celts' fans feel like world-beaters. That they are not but Scot-thumpers they most certainly are.

As far as the Celts go, though, the big story of the week has been the undignified exit of Allan MacDonald. MacDonald was supposed to be Celtic's answer to David Murray. There were, though, a few differences.

For instance, Murray owns most of Rangers whereas MacDonald was merely a boardroom figurehead. However, MacDonald left with generous parting shots at almost all of the people who supported him throughout his period of tenure.

He claimed that Celtic had already planned to sell Henrik Larsson, before his arrival, and that only MacDonald's intervention secured the future of the superstar who notched his 100th goal for the club on Tuesday. This has angered the shakers and movers at Celtic, not least Dermot Desmond who is singled out for special criticism.

MacDonald also claimed that Desmond preferred Joe Kinnear to Martin O'Neill as the Celtic manager. However, one figure from Celtic Park (the legendary "insider") disclosed to me that the allegations relating to Henrik Larsson were hotly disputed.

He responded that "Joe Kinnear was much closer to getting the Celtic job than even he probably realises" but that "Desmond was never against O'Neill". In relation to Henrik Larsson, he went on, "as far as the board were concerned, it was Allan who seemed to think that selling Henrik was a good idea because it would bolster the accounts from the start. The board felt compelled to back him in anything he did as he was a new appointment, but they also supported him when he was persuaded that the fans would not tolerate selling Henrik."

He went on that Desmond and the board view MacDonald's recent comments as "a betrayal as they feel that they supported Allan to the final full stop." If that is so, they have moved swiftly to deliver a "Not welcome" message to the former Chief Executive. "The word went out that Allan is effectively persona non grata at Celtic Park."

"They know that they can't really bar him but they want to make him aware that he is unwelcome." To that end, "MacDonald's Executive Club status is now void" and even his entry to the car park at the ground was to be "subject to negotiation." Of course, this is fairly standard fare when a major figure leaves Celtic.

MacDonald, for all his accusations, was a failure at Celtic and he seems to be unable to accept that as he attempts to maintain a reputation that will assure his continued success in the business world. Regardless of his jibes against Desmond, it does seem that it was the former Chief Executive who made many of the bad decisions at Celtic Park.

Now, the club even refuses to credit MacDonald with the appointment of Martin O'Neill, which they say was instigated by a "non-executive Director" which suggests that MacDonald was even less successful than his record suggests. When that record includes appointing John Barnes, you have a fair bit of explaining to do.

Anyway, enough of Celtic. The other Glasgow team defeated St Mirren, partly thanks to two goals from £12m Wonder-Norse, Tore Andre Flo. The 3-1 victory came as something of a relief to Dick Advocaat but St Mirren were in no condition to give the Ibrox club any pre-winter break blues.

Yes, the action now ceases so that the players can recharge their batteries, in preparation for the final push for glory. In other words, the Scots male must now revert to accordion-playing until the footy returns. It will sound awful for a few weeks but the result at New Year is magnificent.

Sad end to glorious story

By Bernard Thompson

Published in Irish Times online edition

In Scottish football, the term "great man" is jealously guarded. Busby, Shankly and Stein are acknowledged as men who performed the supernatural in the days of the true working class hero.

Try to add Alex Ferguson to the list and all manner of arguments begin. So, if the manager of the English and former European Champions must struggle to establish his credentials, then it is no surprise that Ferguson's Scots contemporary, Jim McLean, has become a target for disdain.

When Ferguson was challenging the supremacy of the Old Firm, McLean was in charge of a Dundee United side that seemed equally able to rock the foundations of the Scottish game. Between them, the east coast sides, were given the title of "The New Firm" in recognition of the belief that their tilt at the established order would be lasting.

Ferguson's successes are legendary but, with a League Championship, two League Cup successes, a UEFA Cup Final and a European Cup semi-final, McLean's achievements could stand comparison with any recent Scottish club manager. On Saturday, his 29 years with his beloved club came to an end in the most bitter of circumstances.

After a fans' protest outside the ground, McLean faced the television cameras to insist that he would not be driven from a team that he had supported before many of the cat-callers were born.

However, when questioned about the role of his brother, at the club, and the future of manager, Alex Smith, McLean, rashly, raised his fists to the reporter and later announced his intention to sever all links with United, in a public apology. His demise marked a sad end to the career of one of Scottish football's few truly remarkable figures.

When McLean took over United, they were an insignificant club, with no appreciable history of success. Established as Dundee Hibernians in 1910, they were known as the second club in Scotland's fourth city and of negligible importance. It was purely through McLean's understanding of football - an appropriate attribution of the word "genius" - that the Tayside club came to challenge, and often overwhelm, the established powers of Rangers and Celtic.

United, not only won the League in 1983, they went on to reach the semi-finals of the European Cup, losing out to AS Roma in a bitter encounter.

They also lost a UEFA Cup Final to IFK Gothenburg, in 1987 (having beaten Barcelona and Borussia Moenchengladbach on the way) denying McLean's team the sort of glory enjoyed by Aberdeen but establishing the Tangerines as a team of genuine quality.

Such success would not be long-lasting. The introduction of Graeme Souness, at Ibrox, with a bank balance to match his personality, saw the establishment of a dominance in Scotland that was Royal Blue. However, the success that McLean had provided was never acknowledged as being unsustainable by the relatively small body of United fans. Over the years, they grew increasingly frustrated - as did McLean - by the team's inability to emulate their greatest successes.

The pressure increased until McLean finally agreed to give up the job of manager and take charge of the club's administration, in his new role of Chairman, in 1993. However, the failure of the club to prosper under new leadership was as inevitable as the ability of the Old Firm to use their financial power and massive Scottish audience to ensure that future challenges to their dominance would remain the stuff of fantasy. For United, relegation followed, as did promotion, but the hoped for re-establishment of a third power in Scottish league football would not materialise.

The result was a challenge to the boardroom, through a campaign in the media. "United for Change" was the name of a movement, led by the Scottish politician, Lord Watson, and backed by some businessmen and naïve fans. Their promise was to deliver the impossible with a plan that was without realistic specifics. McLean resisted, his board supported him, and it appeared that the threat had been fended off.

However, one of the worst League records of modern times was more than the supporters could bear. Dundee United have failed to win a match since April of this year and their last home win was in 1999. Saturday's 4-0 home defeat by Hearts saw the inevitable protests outside the ground and McLean agreed to defend his position on television.

Unfortunately, the relatively benign questioning became too much for him and he struck out at the BBC's interviewer. Although remorseful, he immediately realised that his position was untenable and intimated his intention to resign.

McLean understands that his moment of anger required a self-inflicted punishment. But what must seem unfair is the extent to which his contribution to football has gone unrecognised. While acknowledged for his team's achievements, his observations on the game went largely unheeded. At the peak of his success, he insisted that his players would be paid bonuses on their entertainment value rather than simply their results.

He was describing football as a product long before the new breed of polished executives had turned their attentions from Rugby Union to the proletarian game of soccer. And, as architect of one of Britain's most successful youth policies, he preached about the need to protect young players as well as the danger of financially greater powers poaching the fruits of years of coaching labour from "provider" clubs.

In many ways, McLean was ahead of his time but his visionary statements went largely unheeded. Had he possessed the panache of so many modern, highly educated executives, the international reputation of an established coach, or just the credibility of an Old Firm manager (he once refused the job of managing Rangers), he might have been regarded as a football luminary.

As things stand, his association with Scottish football and Dundee United has ended in ignominy. His actions, on Saturday, may have been unforgivable but it is certain that, between the victim and the perpetrator, it is McLean's pain that will be more acute - and long-lasting.