GERS WERE OFF COLOUR BUT WE STILL PARTIED
Hegarty so proud of medal that marked first step on Journey back
IT was a result that probably summed up life in Scottish football’s bottom tier – Montrose 0, Rangers 0.
And the title celebrations that later followed on the road back from Angus epitomised a surreal season.
The Ibrox giants competing in the Third Division was never likely to be anything other than unusual.
The campaign wasn’t without its difficulties which was highlighted by that Links Park stalemate seven years ago today.
Yet it proved enough to clinch the title and complete the first step of The Journey.
Having kicked off early for live TV coverage that day it was only when news of Queen’s Park’s defeat at home to Elgin filtered through that they were confirmed champions.
Ally McCoist ordered the team bus to stop and the players piled into the Smiddy Haugh Hotel in Aberuthven near Gleneagles to toast their victory with the locals.
“It was hilarious,” said McCoist at the time. “We stopped off right on the final whistle of the Queen’s ParkElgin game when we knew we had won the title.
“But when we got into the pub there were two punters at the bar and they quickly shouted to the owner of the place to remind him of his strict rules about having no football colours!
“With 20 Rangers players standing there in their tracksuits it was very funny and we stopped there for half an hour or so for the boys to have a celebratory drink which was well earned.”
Having been booed off after a scoreless home draw against Stirling Albion the previous week it wasn’t the best way to seal the league but it was job done after the trauma of liquidation.
Names such as Emilson Cribari, Sebastien Faure and Anestis Argyriou might bring back painful memories for Gers fans but they all played a part in winning that title.
Chris Hegarty still looks back with pride at the small part he played helping put his boyhood heroes on the road back to the top.
The defender, 27, is now in his native Northern Ireland with Crusaders. And as he reflected on that campaign Hegarty said: “It wasn’t always pretty football that season but we had a winning mentality.
“I played alongside Lee McCulloch quite a bit and you had Lee Wallace and Neil Alexander too.
“The senior players made you feel comfortable. You knew you had to win no matter what but Ally was good at keeping the pressure off us and if you made a mistake he didn’t hammer you. I’m proud to say I played a small part and I mean small. I’d never say I was an unbelievable addition to the squad, I just played my part and did my part for the club.
“A lot of boys came through – Fraser Aird, Andrew Mitchell and Barrie McKay and we enjoyed it.
“You went out to play in front of 50,000 at Ibrox and we learned the game playing alongside top pros.
“When we clinched the league we stopped the bus and went into the pub. The gaffer was delighted, as was Ian Durrant, Kenny McDowall and Jim Stewart.
“It was quality to win the league but on a personal level it was upsetting I was injured the day we were presented with the trophy against Berwick. My medal is still sitting in my spare bedroom along with all of the shirts I’ve gathered over
Ally was good at keeping the pressure off us CHRIS HEGARTY
the years.”
Last week Hegarty was asked to post a goal on social media and found footage of his strike against Brechin at the start of 2013-14.
That it was on the eve of his 21st and the day the Third Division flag was unfurled by late legend Sandy Jardine made it more special.
He added: “It was a back post tap-in in the second minute but it meant a lot to me. I’d love to go back to Ibrox but I haven’t had the chance.”