The wit and wisdom of John Lambie
FEW characters have made such an impact in the history of Scottish football as John Lambie.
He lit up the game as often as often as he did a White Owl cigar in the Firhill dugout.
The pigeon-fancying, expletiveloving, sheepskin-coat wearing ex-Partick Thistle boss was the epitome of an “old school” manager.
He was a true one-off who spent 44 years in football as a player and then manager.
He spelt out the realities of the beautiful game in the simplest of terms. On playing Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen in August 1986: “Pittodrie is the hardest place to go to in Scottish football. It’s like a British boxer going to Italy. You have to knock them out to get a draw.” On the transfer market: “I never finish buying players. I’m like my wife when I go out shopping – I never want to stop.” Following Hamilton’s cup win over Rangers in 1987: “The chairman said on the bus going to Ibrox that if it went to a replay, it couldn’t go on at Douglas Park because of the new lights being installed there. I said to him: ‘I suppose we’ll just have to go and win it then.’” Following a heavy Partick Thistle defeat against Dundee in 1992: “Our defence couldn’t keep weans out of a close.” After being told that Jags striker Colin McGlashan was concussed and didn’t know who he was in 1993: “That’s great. Tell him he’s Pele and get him back on.” Following Partick‘s 11-1 League Cup win over Albion Rovers in 1993: “I’m not going to praise them. We were a disgrace in that first half. In the second half, it was easy to look good. Ian Cameron may have got four goals but he needed a good kick up the a ** e before he started playing.”
That’s great, tell him he’s Pele and get him back on JOHN LAMBIE, AFTER BEING TOLD THAT STRIKER COLIN McGLASHAN WAS CONCUSSED AND DIDN’T KNOW WHO HE WAS IN 1993