SramTon Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 In each case, the team which played in the top flight was very different to the one which won promotion, but only in the first case did we actually strengthen. In 1987 the older legs in the team were crucial in winning the 1st Division, but were badly found out the following season, and too much was asked of younger players who had never been in the first team. A few years later when we were stagnating McGraw admitted that he wished he had the title winning side back as "they'd have strolled this league". I'd agree with that. The 1986-87 championship winning team had a number of player: McNamara, Richardson, Holmes, McMaster, O'Hara (along with Callaghan and Coyle who both little featured) who were well into their thirties. That's half the out-field first-team. They were mostly still pretty capable at (then) 1st Division level but all (without exception) were too far gone for the Premier Division (not helped by being a year older). Jackie McNamara had been Player of the Year and Lex Richardson, realising that he could no longer hack it in the Premier, had elected to move on at the end of the season. We also never really improved the squad that close-season: Lex Richardson (a seasoned top-flight player), was replaced with Alan Bateman (a free transfer for 2nd Div Stenhousemuir); Jimmy Simpson (who had retired due to injury mid-season) was replaced by Jimmy Robertson (a QOS legend, but now aged 32 and with no top-flight experience); Albert Kidd was also signed but chose to emigrate to Australia before the season started. And that was it for signings before the season kicked off (though we signed Gerry Ronald to too long after). We also tried to sign Danny McGrain, following his release from Celtic, but he realised he was past it and decided to drop down to Div 1 with Hamilton instead. Mid-season we signed Roddy MacDonald (age 35?) from Hearts, who was injured every second week (I remember he used to alternate with John Boag: McDonald would be injured one week, and Boag suspended the next). Watching the video from after the Airdrie game (where we won the Division) McGraw talks about how our experienced players would get us through our first season back in the Premier. It's amazing how he seemed to be completely blind to the fact that none of them still had the legs to make the step back up and his solution was to try to sign even more elderly guys like Robertson, McGrain and MacDonald. He made pretty much the same mistake again in our relegation season in 1993-94, when he went with a front-line of Alexander, Tolmie and Gahagan with a combined age of 100-plus, following the sale of Alex Mathie the previous season, only for all three not to perform and the younger forwards Lilley, Mathieson, Ricky Thomson, Alex McEwan either not being: not fully ready for the step up, not good enough, or not in favour with McGraw. Look at her riding pillions on Davy’s sea-bike, carrying an apoplectic macaw in a silver hoop. Oh, Morton, let’s go there this winter! Or learning the Japanese chinchona from that Kobe group, in a dress that looks like a blowtorch rising from one knee, and which should sell big in Texas. Morton, is that real fire? Happy, happy little girl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRVMP Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 I've often wondered why Alex Mathie doesn't get the same hero status as a lot of players. He was fucking immense and went on to play in the Premiership. To think he couldn't dislodge a 200-year-old Jim Tolmie or John Gahagan (got to admit I don't remember this guy at all but my understanding is that he was on the downswing by the early 90s) is madness. Mathie deserves more recognition than he gets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazooka Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Mathie scored after about 5 Mins of his debut against Thistle. He played all the time as far as I can remember. He was great for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SramTon Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 I've often wondered why Alex Mathie doesn't get the same hero status as a lot of players. He was ****ing immense and went on to play in the Premiership. To think he couldn't dislodge a 200-year-old Jim Tolmie or John Gahagan (got to admit I don't remember this guy at all but my understanding is that he was on the downswing by the early 90s) is madness. Mathie deserves more recognition than he gets. Mathie was always first-choice whilst he was here. I was referring to the season after he was sold. I agree Mathie is under-rated, particularly relative to contemporaries such as Wylie and Alexander. Look at her riding pillions on Davy’s sea-bike, carrying an apoplectic macaw in a silver hoop. Oh, Morton, let’s go there this winter! Or learning the Japanese chinchona from that Kobe group, in a dress that looks like a blowtorch rising from one knee, and which should sell big in Texas. Morton, is that real fire? Happy, happy little girl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinwoodTON Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 I've often wondered why Alex Mathie doesn't get the same hero status as a lot of players. He was ****ing immense and went on to play in the Premiership. To think he couldn't dislodge a 200-year-old Jim Tolmie or John Gahagan (got to admit I don't remember this guy at all but my understanding is that he was on the downswing by the early 90s) is madness. Mathie deserves more recognition than he gets. Agree. Mathie's record of 44 goals in 88 games is right up there with Ritchie and McGhee. <span style='font-size: 14px;'><em class='bbc'>"That LinwoodTon's a c*nt, eh?"</em></span> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyrshireTon Posted May 22, 2016 Author Share Posted May 22, 2016 We also never really improved the squad that close-season: Lex Richardson (a seasoned top-flight player), was replaced with Alan Bateman (a free transfer for 2nd Div Stenhousemuir); Jimmy Simpson (who had retired due to injury mid-season) was replaced by Jimmy Robertson (a QOS legend, but now aged 32 and with no top-flight experience); Albert Kidd was also signed but chose to emigrate to Australia before the season started. And that was it for signings before the season kicked off (though we signed Gerry Ronald to too long after). Watching the video from after the Airdrie game (where we won the Division) McGraw talks about how our experienced players would get us through our first season back in the Premier. It's amazing how he seemed to be completely blind to the fact that none of them still had the legs to make the step back up and his solution was to try to sign even more elderly guys like Robertson, McGrain and MacDonald. It was sad watching legend Jim Holmes being torn a new one by Mickey Weir - he later moved onto Falkirk. MacDonald stayed for the following season and got found out again in THAT game against Falkirk at Scapa. The younger players had spent a season in the top flight being pumped every week and were expected to suddenly grow up and get us back up again. Everyone could see that same problems were still there except the guy that needed to. Losing all of our games against Raith didn't help - must be an "ex-player in charge" thing. He made pretty much the same mistake again in our relegation season in 1993-94, when he went with a front-line of Alexander, Tolmie and Gahagan with a combined age of 100-plus, following the sale of Alex Mathie the previous season, only for all three not to perform and the younger forwards Lilley, Mathieson, Ricky Thomson, Alex McEwan either not being: not fully ready for the step up, not good enough, or not in favour with McGraw. That season still makes me cringe. A defence line including a regularly injured Jim Hunter and other wonders like McCahill and Donaghy. We found three different ways to lose 5-1, two of them to bloody Falkirk and the other in one of our darkest ever nights at Love Street. Ricky Thomson - scored in a pre-season friendly against a Rangers XI and was then dropped from the first team for half a season. How's that for out of favour? McGhee needs some support, there's no-one backing him up. Hayes playing it forward, Bell being forced to do it all alone, now forward from Marr, here's Ritchie, still Andy Ritchie, look at the control... That is a marvellous goal from Andy Ritchie. Twenty minutes on the clock and Morton's supporters come alive. A goal which epitomises the control, the arrogance, the cheek of Andy Ritchie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bewilderedbeast Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Mathie scored after about 5 Mins of his debut against Thistle. He played all the time as far as I can remember. He was great for us.Always remember Mathies statement in the Tele when he signed, when he said that leaving Celtic for Morton was a step up 😂 I know what he ment though, reserve football To first team football, but it didn't read that way, reminded the Celtic fans at every opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Blue Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Mathie is a legend in my eyes. Fantastic player for us. Wonder what he is upto now. There's a storm on the horizon And for that I can't see the sun For I'll keep a waiting on the pavement For the ice cream van to come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ton in Shawlands Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 The game I remember best from 86-87 (other than Airdrie) was the 5-2 early season thumping of Thistle at Firhill. It was a lovely sunny day & I remember sunbathing on part of the old curved away terrace, laughing at Derek Johnstone. He was their player/manager at the start of that season, but was so unfit he subbed himself at half time. He seemed to spend the entire first half in the entre circle (as centre forward) lumbering backwards and forwards changing direction & trying to catch up as the game passed him by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfever Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Agree completely about Mathie, one of my all time favourite Morton players What Carew can do with a ball, I can do with an orange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRVMP Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Mathie was always first-choice whilst he was here. I was referring to the season after he was sold. I agree Mathie is under-rated, particularly relative to contemporaries such as Wylie and Alexander. Ahh right, misread that. Well, the point about his reputation still stands. You hardly ever see him mentioned when he was clearly and obviously a class act. Can you imagine, though, Morton paying 100k for a player then selling him as an (English) Premier League starter for 250k? Wouldn't happen now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazy_ar*e_student Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Mathie is a legend in my eyes. Fantastic player for us. Wonder what he is upto now. Whilst I never use wikipedia as a wholly reliable source, that and another website say he works for Royal Mail. WHEREVER IT TAKES US- WHATEVER IT TAKES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyrshireTon Posted May 23, 2016 Author Share Posted May 23, 2016 Whilst I never use wikipedia as a wholly reliable source, that and another website say he works for Royal Mail. Following in the footsteps of the great Jimmy Boag. McGhee needs some support, there's no-one backing him up. Hayes playing it forward, Bell being forced to do it all alone, now forward from Marr, here's Ritchie, still Andy Ritchie, look at the control... That is a marvellous goal from Andy Ritchie. Twenty minutes on the clock and Morton's supporters come alive. A goal which epitomises the control, the arrogance, the cheek of Andy Ritchie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazy_ar*e_student Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Following in the footsteps of the great Jimmy Boag. Do they do the same round then? WHEREVER IT TAKES US- WHATEVER IT TAKES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shagster Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Remember clearly for some unknown reason that Mathie scored after 66 seconds on his debut for us at home on first day of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyrshireTon Posted May 23, 2016 Author Share Posted May 23, 2016 Do they do the same round then? McGhee needs some support, there's no-one backing him up. Hayes playing it forward, Bell being forced to do it all alone, now forward from Marr, here's Ritchie, still Andy Ritchie, look at the control... That is a marvellous goal from Andy Ritchie. Twenty minutes on the clock and Morton's supporters come alive. A goal which epitomises the control, the arrogance, the cheek of Andy Ritchie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazy_ar*e_student Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Sorry! It does give the opportunity for a "what do they do now" thread. WHEREVER IT TAKES US- WHATEVER IT TAKES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SramTon Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 It was sad watching legend Jim Holmes being torn a new one by Mickey Weir - he later moved onto Falkirk. I'd forgotten that game, that was some performance by Weir. Not as sad though as Holmes' infamous o.g. when playing for Falkirk against Airdrie! That season still makes me cringe. A defence line including a regularly injured Jim Hunter and other wonders like McCahill and Donaghy. Mark Donaghy was a strange one, wasn't he? Been at Celtic for about 7 years from age 15 and had seemingly made it to the brink of the first-team. We beat off Kilmarnock for his signature, Killie being managed by Tommy Burns who presumably knew Donaghy very well from their time together at Celtic. Before Donaghy's debut McGraw was in the Tele saying that he was lack sharpness (no pre-season?) and he would need a few games to get up to speed. Sure enough, first match and he's miles off the pace. OK, let's cut him some slack. Second game the same, through to about his 20th and final match. No idea how he survived at Celtic for so long. Was freed and went to East Fife, only to surface in an article in the Record linking him to Liverpool! Eventually won a move to Partick but (unsurprisingly) failed to make any impact there. Ricky Thomson - scored in a pre-season friendly against a Rangers XI and was then dropped from the first team for half a season. How's that for out of favour? McGraw did that to a few players. I was thinking more of Alex McEwan when I referred to players being out of favour, but agree Thomson as well. The worst was Dave McCabe. Out of the picture for ages, always "injured" according to McGraw. McGraw goes into hospital, McMaster deputises and picks McCabe who plays an absolute stormer (do you know the game I'm thinking off? Can't remember how many McCabe scored). Next game McGraw's back in charge, McCabe gets subbed and is never seen in a Morton shirt again. Look at her riding pillions on Davy’s sea-bike, carrying an apoplectic macaw in a silver hoop. Oh, Morton, let’s go there this winter! Or learning the Japanese chinchona from that Kobe group, in a dress that looks like a blowtorch rising from one knee, and which should sell big in Texas. Morton, is that real fire? Happy, happy little girl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cet Homme Charmant Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 The worst was Dave McCabe. Out of the picture for ages, always "injured" according to McGraw. McGraw goes into hospital, McMaster deputises and picks McCabe who plays an absolute stormer (do you know the game I'm thinking off? Can't remember how many McCabe scored). Next game McGraw's back in charge, McCabe gets subbed and is never seen in a Morton shirt again. Think your memory is playing tricks on you a wee bit. His 2nd last start for us, which is the game I think you're referring to, was a 2-2 draw away to Clydebank on 1 May 1993, in which he scored both goals. But he also started the week previously, a 2-1 defeat away to Hamilton. His previous start before that was on 27 February 1993, also a 1-2 defeat to Hamilton, this time at home. So in fact he hadn't been out of the picture for ages, only a couple of months. The next game after the Clydebank game was as you said his last for us, a 1-3 defeat at home to Stirling Albion on 8 May 1993, when he was substituted for Rowan Alexander. Our goal that day was scored by Alex Mathie. That was the last game of the season and Dave was released in the summer by which time he was 31, so his best years were already behind him. He played a total of 66 games (11 as sub) over three season with us, so don't think McGraw was shy in picking him at all. Good wee player though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LargsTON Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 McCabe was a McGraw masterstroke. Plucked from the obscurity of Motherwell reserves where he couldn't buy a goal only to bang in a hat-trick on his debut against Thistle. "CORNBEEF IS A BELLEND" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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