'I Was Paid Just Fifty Quid A Week'

May 18 2008 John Hillcoat

I WOKE up on Thursday looking forward to the day ahead and going to the Paisley school where I work to join in the friendly banter that is always aired after one of the Old Firm fail In Europe.

Only minutes after the final whistle on Wednesday night the jokes were flying thick and fast from mobile to mobile such as "What goes beep, beep, beep? The Rangers open top bus reversing into the garage!"

It's just harmless banter among folk who know where to draw the line.

Pity that wasn't the mentality of the few hundred hooligans who trashed the name of Scottish football after wrecking the streets of Manchester during and after the game.

Total animals who deserve to be caged and displayed in the centre circle at Ibrox to give real fans the chance to tell the rats responsible for dragging their club's name through the mud exactly what they think of their appalling behaviour But it wasn't all bad down in Manchester on Wednesday night as most Gers fans acted impeccably and struck up an instant bond with the locals.

Take the squad who travelled from the Wee Barrel pub in Paisley for instance.

Jake Fulton and his crew were gutted after the screens failed in Piccadilly Square shortly before kick off.

They were left to scamper up and down alleyways in the hope of wiatching their heroes score against Zenit.

But there was no room at the inn until one big-hearted English soul placed his 32-inch TV on his fifth floor balcony so Jake and the lads could watch the second half in peace.

It didn't take long for word to circulate and by the end of the game about 300 fans were down on their knees bowing to their saviour in gratitude and throwing wads of cash at the guy to say thanks.

But my short journey to work on Thursday felt like a gruelling two-hour trip as I turned on the radio to listen to Hugh Keevins and could tell by the tone of his voice that something major had happened.

Celtic legend Tommy Burns had lost his battle against cancer and died during the early hours and all thoughts of friendly banter with my work mates was quickly forgotten.

I didn't really know Tommy but grew up watching him perform in mammoth Old Firm clashes throughout the late seventies and early eighties.

But it's not until you become an adult that you realise the impact guys like Tommy had on the Scottish game and the influence he exerted on young guys like myself and thousands like me as we grew up in the west of Scotland.

The only real involvement I had with the Celtic legend over the years was in a pub a while back when he pulled me up and gave me a row for slagging off his barnet in this column.

But it was a half-hearted telling off and I considered it a compliment that he took time to speak to me in the first place.

The guy was a true legend and I'm sure not even the mindless morons who shamed Scotland during the week would disagree with that. You never know though.

But life must go on and tomorrow morning signifies the start of the most important week in the history of my old club Queen of the South.

Gaffer Gordon Chisholm and his players will turn up for training at Glasgow Green knowing every ball they kick and every doggy they run will have an impact on what will happen in the Cup Final.

Inferiority complexes will be put to bed come three o'clock at Hampden on Saturday as the Doonhamers take on the might of Rangers.

Chis and his men are huge underdogs and have already been made to feel second best when they tried to plan their pre-match ritual for Saturday's big event. Big Gordon and his crew wanted to stay at the Crutherland Hotel in East Kilbride because the service they received before their win over Aberdeen in the semis was top notch.

But they endured the custard pie treatment from the hotel management who said there was no room as Rangers had already provisionally booked the gaff even though they still hadn't played their semi-final against St Johnstone.

I hate that kind of snobbery and big time attitude from some people. Surely money is money no matter whose pocket it comes out of?

But it's changed days down Dumfries way these days - the expectation levels are much higher than when I played there almost 10 years ago.

I was being paid a whopping £50 a week and it actually cost me money to play for the club after I had filled my tank with petrol and bought a Chomp bar and a 10p mixture.

But the pre-contract signing of striker Stewart Kean from SPL side St Mirren signifies the club no longer pay their players two hats and a balloon.

A hefty bonus of around five grand a man come quarter to five on Saturday after a win against the Glasgow giants will hopefully have skipper Jimmy Thomson and the bold Neil Scally wiping their butts with £10 notes for the next six months at least.

Good luck lads.