Search: 'Willie Miller'

Before the Old Firm sealed up the Scottish league for good, there was time for Aberdeen to take home the title as David Ogilvie recalls

The long-term significance
The end of an era. Aberdeen were the last side to wrest the title away from the Old Firm, but Graeme Souness’s momentous arrival at Ibrox was not far away and Alex Ferguson stayed just another season and a bit at Pittodrie before being tempted to Old Trafford. Twenty years ago, Aberdeen, Dundee United and Hearts were all serious title contenders, but those days seem a lifetime away. Hearts mounted a decent challenge in 1997-98 but the Old Firm have not been split since 1994-95 when Motherwell and Hibs finished ahead of a sorry Celtic side but behind runaway champions Rangers.

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The eternally controversial former Rangers goalkeeper took the high road to Elgin in the autumn – but, as Dan Brennan relates, the low road would have led, amazingly, to Brazil

For all its merits, Elgin is not Rio. Ask Andy Goram. This summer, the 39-year-old former Rangers goal­keeper appeared close to an improbable move to Brazilian top-flight side Botafogo, after a chance encounter with the club’s representatives in Selkirk, where he was organising a six-a-side tournament.

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Dear WSC
How’s this for a delicious sense of irony? Brentford v Colchester United, Tuesday February 18, 2003. 1) On a freezing cold night when almost everyone wishes they’d stayed indoors, the Bees put in a dreadful first-half display and are roundly booed off the pitch. 2) In an effort to pla­cate the home fans, Brentford decide to play the D:Ream hit Things Can Only Get Better over the tannoy. 3) Immediately the song finishes, the club announ­ces the match has been abandoned at half time. If only the Bees’ strike force was as good as their comic timing.
Eddie Hutchinson, Ashford

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Dear WSC
Have any other readers noticed that clubs and players seem to be under increasing pressure to pay money for successful outcomes to fixtures? On The Premiership, September 28, Jon Champion at Man City v Liverpool observed that “Michael Owen can’t buy a goal from open play at the moment”. A bit later, during Charlton v Man Utd, Clive Tyldesley told us: “Charlton can’t buy a home win this season.” I know football is a money-dominated sport, but this is ridiculous. However, what I really want to know is how does the system work? Is there a sliding scale of charges, so that Owen could afford to buy a goal against the generous Man City defence, but not against West Brom’s tight back four the previous week? Are “six-pointers” decided by bids in a sealed envelope, which may explain why Sunderland beat Villa, but Bolton v South­ampton was a draw? And do teams expected to win easily not bother buying that week? This would certainly account for Chelsea’s home crash to West Ham. To take it further, do supermarket-style special offers and other assorted gim­­mickry apply? For instance, was Ow­en’s hat-trick part of a “buy two, get one free” arrangement? Did Charlton, who led at half-time but eventually lost, buy a past-its-sell-by-date home win for half price? And is there a loyalty card system for frequent win buying? Arsenal must be well sorted if there is. It would be bad enough if this was lim­ited to the top flight, but it’s even happening in the Nationwide. Ronnie Moore, explaining my team Rotherham’s unexpectedly good start, cautioned that: “This time last season Grimsby were top of the league, but their manager couldn’t buy a win after that.” So, as a Miller, can I please urge whoever is in charge of our points purchasing department to keep up the good work and carrying on signing the cheques.
Steve Ducker, via email

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Aberdeen thought they had finally found the businessman with the financial backing to take them back to the glory days, but as Jonathan Northcroft reveals, things have not gone the way the fans expected

Earlier this year, Sir Alex Ferguson had to parade sheepishly down Union Street in the wind, sporting a jaunty feathered hat and more gold chains than a coachload of gangsta rappers. Then he was cuffed on the head with a ceremonial pair of old trousers and forced to mumble something in Latin. Even bringing the European Cup-Winners Cup to Pittodrie was not enough to spare him the ceremony required to become a Freeman of the City of Aberdeen.

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