From Queen’s to a Euro King
TONIGHT, KIEV, 7.45PM, LIVE ON BT SPORT 2 Andy’s playing Real Madrid and I’m the captain of Pollok but I’m not a bit jealous ... I know how hard he’s worked to get there and he’s exactly same boy who followed me from Celtic to Spiders
AS Andy Robertson did a number on Roma to reach the Champions League Final, Paul Gallacher had a few other tricky figures to contend with. Having heard the semi-final second-leg score on the car radio after a gruelling training session at Pollok, the 26-year-old darted home to watch his former Queen’s Park team-mate book a flight to Kiev.
All it required was a balancing act between TV and laptop as he waded through work for his nine-to-five day job as a chartered accountant.
Both defenders had started out at Celtic before being released at Under-15 level. Both had ended up at Hampden playing in Gardner Speirs’s backline.
That’s where their paths splintered as Robertson went on to Anfield via Dundee United and Hull and Gallacher set up home in the juniors while completing five years’ worth of exams with Deloitte.
But there isn’t even a hint of jealousy in his voice as he recounts the left-back’s tale of success – one he saw the seeds of before becoming Spiders team-mates because of his friendship with Robertson’s older brother Stephen.
Gallacher, who ironically will be in Liverpool with pals this weekend watching the game, said: “There’s a lot of late nights because there’s a lot of deadlines so you find yourself BY ALAN ROBERTSON coming in from football wanting to watch Champions League nights but I need to watch it while I’ve got the laptop out.
“On a Wednesday that would be the routine – you’d be sitting with the laptop out in your house working away watching Andy in the Champions League.
“Obviously everybody would like that to be them, to play at that level. He’s so down to earth and such a good person you just feel happy for him.
“I can see how happy his brother is and think, ‘God, you would be so proud if it was someone in your family.’
“I guess you just feel proud of having played with him – it’s amazing seeing somebody you did play with doing so well.
“If anyone says that should have been me in a Champions League Final they’re off their head.”
Gallacher still remembers the moment Robertson announced himself on the Queen’s Park scene – not on his July 2012 debut against Berwick but weeks before in a bounce game at Lesser Hampden with a 30-yard worldie.
Robertson then spent pretty much every day of the following summer in the gym to hit the ground running on his first day at United.
But despite his meteoric rise, Gallacher admits the 24-year-old hasn’t changed a bit, with kicking a ball about on a Saturday afternoon his motivation over any amount of money thrown at him.
The Pollok centre-back said: “When you hear the Kop singing his name it’s unbelievable – it makes you proud.
“At Queen’s Park you literally didn’t get anything bar travel expenses but they’re based on where you live. I lived in Newton Mearns, Andy lived in Clarkston, so you’re getting £6 for every night that you’re in.
“He came up when he was at Hull and he said to me because I was now playing for Pollok, ‘It must be good to be getting a bit of money.’
“He was genuinely serious. I’m thinking to myself, ‘This coming from a guy who’s making thousands of pounds a week,’ but he wasn’t even saying it as a joke.
“That could be said with sarcasm or trying to take the p*** out of you but honestly it wasn’t at all.
While Robertson was headhunted by Premier League sides, Gallacher arrived at Pollok after emailing the club secretary to tell them he was interested in going junior after his Spiders exit.
In four years he has gone on to skipper the Glasgow southside giants with senior football now far down his wishlist.
He said: “When I joined here I was thinking it might get too much. But I’ve managed to keep it going – I want to for as long as I can if I stay injury-free.
“We’ve got a team that could really go on and do something next year.” Helped Alloa to the Championship earlier this month. Played once more before leaving as work commitments as a postman clashed. Now plays for Rossvale Juniors. Has been at Arbroath since 2013. Returned to the junior ranks with Irvine Meadow in 2014. Now a school teacher. Dundee United, Hull, Scotland and Liverpool. Left Hampden in December 2012 and now in juniors with Linlithgow. Tipped for greatness but left to join junior outfit Rob Roy and no longer in the game. Spiders stalwart who retired in 2016 after 15 years. Lost seven play-offs in a row with Queen’s, Stranraer and Alloa before securing promotion with Stenny this month. Substitutes: Moved to Aberdeen at same time as Robertson went to Tannadice. Never broke through but has just won the League One title with Ayr.
PAUL GALLACHER
Captain of junior side Pollok. (unused) – now works as personal trainer. (unused) – club legend who recently served on the club’s committee. (unused) – only one still at Queen’s however is set to move to Brechin.