OH GORD ... IT’S NOT YOU AGAIN
Mike faces Strachan 34 years after Scots boss helped give his Canadian side a hiding
MIKE FINDLAY has revealed he has a score to settle with Gordon Strachan after the Scotland boss gave him the runaround during a tour of Canada 34 years ago.
Strachan was part of a starstudded squad assembled by Jock Stein for a three-game series in 1983 – facing the Canucks in Vancouver, Toronto and Edmonton. Scotland cruised to victory in all three.
However, Stein requested a bounce game at their Vancouver base ahead of the trio of clashes and it was left to a friend of his, John Buchanan, to select a ragtag team of nearby amateurs and youth products to face the likes of Graeme Souness, Charlie Nicholas and Willie Miller.
Findlay, who had given up on his hopes of a pro career by that point, made the cut but – in his own words – the team of locals were “bombed” by the Scots.
While the game was strictly behind closed doors, Findlay still has a picture of him and Strach together. But he never imagined that, more that three decades later, their paths would cross on the touchline of a senior international fixture.
Findlay, now Canada assistant boss, said: “The interesting fact about this game, in terms of my memories, is thinking back to 1983. Scotland played Canada in a three-game series and went to Vancouver for their preparation.
“There was a gentleman by the name of John Buchanan, who actually just passed away recently, and he was a good friend of Jock Stein’s.
“Jock said, ‘I’d like to set up a closed-doors game – can you help us out?’
“So John got a group of players together – local guys and youth players. I was 18 or 19 at the time and played against Scotland. We got absolutely bombed by the way! But afterwards we got a team photo and said thanks very much. Charlie Nicholas was in that team as well, after he had just gone to Arsenal.
“In that photo, it is me and Gordon and so many years later we are in the technical area together. It’s strange.”
That’s far from Findlay’s only connection to the Scottish game, having arrived in Glasgow at the age of 15 to pursue a career in football.
He was with Celtic for two years, rooming with a young David Moyes, and learned a lot from Lisbon Lion Bobby Lennox. He said: “I was on trial at Celtic and Partick Thistle. However, I was not good enough. I came across when I was 15 and I guess my claim to fame is that my roommate was Moyesy. “We lived together for two years. Then I returned to North America to try and ply my trade there. But my dad told me I had to get a real job – so I went into football as a coach! Moysey made it, Paul McStay, his brother Willie was in that youth group too. A few of the other senior players such as Pat Bonner used to play with us when not in the first team.
“I had an amazing time there. Bobby Lennox and Jimmy Lumsden were my coaches – I still look back at that time fondly and I learned so much.”
Findlay had been in interim charge of the Canada national team after the departure of Benito Floro last September.
However, he has reverted to his assistant position and tonight’s game at Easter Road will be the debut of a new boss, Ecuadorian Octavio Zambrano.
It will be an emotional match Findlay, whose father Jim was born in Dumfries before moving to Canada in the 1950s.
Findlay said: “I visited my cousin on Tuesday whom I haven’t seen in 15 years.
“But possibly the most exciting part of it is for my dad. He is from Dumfries and is a big Queen of the South supporter – he’ll really enjoy this.
“It is emotional for me because he moved to Canada in the 1950s and I know he is at home going absolutely crazy about this game.”