Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Reid: I signed for £15 a week!
Star just wanted to play
This game wasn’t much to write home about – but Peterhead won’t care after snaffling all three points with a late goal in the second half.
It looked like both teams would be forced to settle for a share of the spoils until Jordon Brown popped up in the 79th minute of Saturday’s League One tie at the Exsel Group Stadium.
Fortess Cliftonhill?
Not quite. This was Albion Rovers’fifth home league game of the season and it produced a third defeat.
Peterhead joined Alloa Athletic and Brechin City in emerging from ML5 with a victory. There have also been defeats to St Mirren in the IRN-BRU Cup and Clyde in the Betfred Cup
Beware those in false positions
The old saying is that the league table never lies. And that is true. But the Blue Toon are not bottom-half material and successive away-day wins over Airdrieonians and Rovers have shown that. They will steadily move up the standings.
Pitch isn’t perfect
The much-maligned surface at Cliftonhill came in for another dose of stick post-match.
At the end of the day, it is what it is. Rovers are trying to make it as good as it can be – but unless they spend money they don’t have, the pitch will continue to be one teams in this division look forward to playing on the least.
Managers’ views
Rovers player/manager Darren Young said:“It was a disappointing result from a scrappy game.
“I’d say we didn’t deserve to win – but I didn’t think we deserved to lose it.
“As much as the opposition teams moan about the pitch, we are in the same position.”
Peterhead boss Jim McInally said:“I don’t want to go on about the pitch but it is hard to play football on that.
“I asked the players to work hard and I was happy we got the goal in the end.
“We have come here and been outfought at times – but we were not outfought in this game.”
Stats a fact
ALBION ROVERS: R M Stewart; Reid (McCann 86), R Dunlop, M Dunlop, McBride; Ferry* (Turnbull 86), Davidson; Wallace*, Boyd, Willis; R C Stewart (Shields 81). SUBS NOT USED: Potts(gk), Fisher, Archibald. PETERHEAD: Smith; Stevenson, Strachan, Kelleher*, Noble; Ferry, S Brown, Redman* (Dzierzawski 70), J Brown (Rumsby* 80); McCluskey (Riley 64), McAllister. SUBS NOT USED: Hobday(gk), Baptie, McIntosh, Blockley. REFEREE: David Lowe. ATTENDANCE: 360. *booked
You don’t need to look far to see the footballers trousering thousands of pounds a week for kicking a ball around.
The beautiful game is big business for many players operating at the top level.
However, there are plenty of part-timers plying their trade in the lower leagues where hard graft is the order of the day and glamour is in short supply. As well as cash.
Ten years ago, Alan Reid was handed his chance to play professional football for Albion Rovers.
John ‘Cowboy’ McCormack was the man with the contract in hand and Reid was more than happy to sign on the dotted line.
His weekly wage? Around £15 a week and barely enough to cover his travel expenses.
But it wasn’t about the money back then. And even though the long-serving defender is on a more reasonable amount these days, it’s not about the money now either.
For Reid, it has always been about playing football. Playing to win. Playing for enjoyment. Playing to be successful.
The 28- year- old is in his testimonial year at Cliftonhill and there will be few fans who can think of a more deserving recipient of a benefit. Not only did Reid arrive when the club was struggling to keep the lights on, he has stayed around through thick and thin.
Never one to mump and moan, the defender is a manager’s dream and just gets on with the job.
“John McCormack signed me at £15 a week,” he said. “At that point, all I was thinking was: ‘I’m getting paid to play football!’
“I didn’t care. It was about playing professional football.
“The wage probably didn’t even cover my petrol to training but it wasn’t about the money and it still isn’t although it has definitely changed.
“A win bonus back then would have done me good. To be fair, the club were struggling but guys like me got a chance.”
Reid won promotion in 2011 and was part of the Scottish Cup quarter-final team of 2014 but the League Two title success a year later was bittersweet.
“Winning the league was maybe not so special for someone like myself having picked up an injury six weeks before the end of the season,” he revealed.
“I know I played my part but it didn’t feel the same.”
● The first of Alan Reid’s testimonial events is a race night at The Georgian Hotel in Coatbridge from 7.30pm on Friday, November 4.