WHERE’S MY FAME NOD?

ANDY GRAY has waded into the growing row over Scottish Football’s Hall of Fame. Gray admits he was personally stung by the move to induct Paul

Gascoigne. Former Scotland striker Gray has spent more than 40 years in the game as a player and pundit but has yet to have his name added to the illustrious list of Hampden royalty.

Gascoigne though was set to have his place confirmed until organisers pulled the plug on the move on Thursday after a massive backlash and the threat of a boycott by members of the SFA board.

Now Gray, the first man to be crowned England’s Player and Young Player of the Year in the same season – a double matched only by Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale – has admitted to being hurt by the decision to leave him locked out.

Speaking as part of a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Record Sport, he said: “It does hurt when I see people like Paul getting voted in.

“Now I love Paul. And I could not lace his boots as a footballer. I couldn’t.

“But I’d like to think me actually being a Scot might have had added a bit of weight to my case. Maybe as much weight as inducting Paul for his short spell in Scottish football.

“It is supposed to be the Scottish Football Hall of Fame isn’t it? It’s supposed to be about what you did as a Scot. I like to think I represented Scotland as a footballer and as a broadcaster as well as I could.

“If that’s not good enough to get me in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame that’s fine. It wouldn’t bother me.

“But I’m at the age now where I’m not going to be here forever. I would like my kids and grandkids to say, ‘Oh look, there he is!’ I’d love them to see my name in something as worthy as the Scottish Football Hall of Fame but it’s not for me to bestow that upon myself.

“If the judge and jury of that business don’t think I’m good enough, fine. There’s nothing much I can do about it.”

The furore over Gascoigne’s nomination and subsequent U-turn has raised questions about the criteria for entry to the Hall of Fame.

The former Rangers star was accused of domestic abuse during his time at Ibrox as well as sectarian behaviour and has also been fighting a long-running battle with alcoholism.

Gray was involved in a high-profile scandal in 2011 when he was sacked by Sky TV after being accused of sexism.

He said: “I would hate to think it has something to do with what happened at the end of my time at Sky TV.

“There are a lot of people in sport who have committed crimes or done things far worse than what I was guilty of. But they’ve been forgiven and have carried on.

“If they are judging me on what happened at Sky against what I did during my football career I would be staggered by that. I would hope they are not so narrow-minded.”

Gray’s PFA awards double from 1977 is actually on show inside Hampden’s own museum.

He added: “About 15 years ago I was asked if I’d donate the awards so they could put them on show.

“I was proud to do so and said they could have them as long as they liked.

“I didn’t know anything about the Hall of Fame but my son likes to look into stuff like that. About 18 months ago he phoned and said, ‘Do you know you’re not in the Hall of Fame dad? You should have a look, I think you’ll be really disappointed.’

“I wasn’t going to throw my toys out of the pram because that’s not the way I am. But I was then told I had been nominated once. It was just a really strong year.

“If I hadn’t contributed anything as a Scottish footballer, if I hadn’t won anything, if I hadn’t represented my country at every level from schoolboy to senior level it wouldn’t bother me. But I have done all of that.

“If it happens one day I’ll be proud as punch. If it doesn’t I’ll go to my grave a little disappointed I wasn’t deemed good enough to make Scotland’s Hall of Fame.”