Car trips with Big Jock and Bob Shankly sent me on road to glory as a manager
HE’S the wise old sage of Scottish coaching – and Alex Smith admits he learned from the best during car trips with Jock Stein and Bob Shankly.
Smith will finally call time on his memorable 60-year career at the end of this season.
The 78-year-old Falkirk technical director will retire and emigrate to Australia to be with his family.
He has packed plenty into his career and will always be remembered for masterminding Scottish Cup triumphs at St Mirren and Aberdeen.
Smith got the perfect grounding in the game from legendary Celtic boss Stein and Shankly, brother of Liverpool icon Bill.
But he admits they were so far ahead of him in their chats about football he often didn’t have a clue what they were talking about.
Smith said: “When I was younger Jock and Bob took me under their wing. They were very close friends.
“Jock would phone Bob up and say, ‘I fancy going to this match or that match’. I was with Bob at Stirling at the time and he would say, ‘Can I bring young Alex?’
“Jock would allow it and we would all travel up in the car.
“I would be sitting in the back of the car listening to the two of them bang on about football.
“Honest to God, their discussions would go way over my head!
“I was trying to grasp everything they were talking about and what they were meaning.
“They saw football in a far deeper way and in a clearer light and they completely lost me.
“Every now and then when they thought I was sleeping in the car, they’d throw a question at me and ask how I’d have handled things.
“Both Jock and Bob would dismiss my answer completely.
“I can still hear Big Jock’s voice booming out as he grabbed my arm in the back of the car saying, ‘Nah, that wouldn’t work son!’
“You couldn’t go to sleep, that was frowned upon.
“What an education it was.
“Bob was Bill’s older brother and he was his mentor.
“What a privilege it was to sit in the back of a car and listen to two great men chewing the fat over football. “Both Jock and Bob wanted to give me every bit of their football knowledge and they did. “That was their managerial legacy to me.” They weren’t the only legends who crossed Smith’s path during his incredible career – he was best mates with Scotland hero Billy Bremner. Smith said: “I got the chance to work alongside Jock, Bob, Sir Alex Ferguson,
I would listen to the two of them talk football. It all went way over my head ALEX SMITH
Walter Smith and Jim McLean – the list is endless.
“Everybody knows I was Billy Bremner’s best man at his wedding and we were best pals.
“He was the best schoolboy player I had seen and he went on to justify that for Leeds and Scotland.
“He was a wonderful man and fantastic fella.”
Smith insists he has too many career highlights to pick just one.
The two cup victories – with Saints in 1987 then the Dons in 1990 – stand out for obvious reasons.
So too does his half-time team-talk at McDiarmid Park that saw Dundee United turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 victory to ensure their Premiership status in 2001.
Smith said: “The cup wins were special and will remain in my heart forever. St Mirren had not won the Scottish Cup for 28 years and their fans appreciated it so much.
“The people in the Paisley area have to work so hard to earn a living and they were just so grateful for winning the Scottish Cup for them.
“Aberdeen was wonderful as it is a one-team city.
“The city just lights up and there is a wonderful feeling and atmosphere in Aberdeen when they have a successful football team.
“That Scottish Cup win in 1990 was the first time Aberdeen had won that trophy since the Fergie era.
“I remember saving Dundee United from relegation in 2001 on the second-last day of the season against St Johnstone when we were 2-0 down at half-time.
“That was my best 15 minutes ever and I had no idea what I was saying or doing. All I know is I was jumping about like a madman because in that moment we were relegated but we won 3-2 so whatever I said must have worked.”
After six decades in football the time is now right to finally become a family man.
Smith said: “We have two grandkids in Australia – Eden is six and Ocean is four – and I promised my wife Janice we would emigrate when her mother left us.
“Janice’s mother lived a long life and sadly passed away in November and the decision was made then.
“Janice has devoted her life to my football dreams so it is only right to retire now.”