CURBISHLEY LET ME GO AFTER TOP SCORING FOR RESERVES
THEY say life begins at 40, but for Scott McGleish it shows no signs of stopping. Still playing for Conference South side Wealdstone, the striker brings new meaning to the term evergreen.
Incredibly last season he won his first outright title as the Stones topped the Ryman Premier.
It all started for McGleish 20 years earlier, just a flick-on away at Edgware Town.
There he was spotted by Charlton before going on to have a goal-laden 18-year career in the Football League at the likes of Barnet, Colchester United, Northampton, Wycombe Wanderers and Leyton Orient.
McGleish found the back of the net 248 times before coming full circle and returning to his Non-League roots. And he’s even had time to appear in a television advert for Nintendo DS.
FIRST CLUB Edgware Town. I played in their reserves before I broke into the first team when I was about 18. That was when I played up front for the first time. I usually played right midfield. They had no forwards and my dad, Jock, who was a coach, said to the manager, ‘Play Scott up there, he does a job for us on a Sunday morning’.
That was Lithgow Boys Club in Camden Town. My dad had been associated with them for 25 years and I turned out for them on a Sunday since I was 16. I still played right midfield but if they were struggling, being the young boy, they’d put me up front.
So I went up front for Edgware and scored 41 in 47 games. I had trials at Gillingham, Cambridge United – among others – but I scored three goals in four games for Charlton and they took a gamble on me.
BEST MANAGER Colin Calderwood at Northampton. I was pretty good in the air so I had to do a lot of the jumping, flicking on and things like that. But Colin said to me,‘I just want you to score goals. Stay between the goals and score. Don’t worry about the other stuff’. I still did everything I did before – the jumping, harrying – but he instilled a little bit more belief in me, even at the age of 30, that he just wanted me to be a goalscorer.
In my first season I scored 17, but was injured from February onwards. My second season I scored 24 and we got promoted. I had some of my most productive years from then on.
BEST TEAM-MATE It’s a toss-up between two exceptionally talented players. I had Martin Smith at Northampton and Darren Currie at Barnet. Both wingers and they’d put the ball exactly where I wanted it. Neither were blessed with pace but they didn’t need it.
I knew if Martin had half a yard, he’d put it in. I knew if Darren had half a yard he’d check back and beat the defender again. And he could.
FUNNIEST PLAYER Karl Duguid at Colchester. I’ve known him since we were 17 and we were always mucking about together. He was always up for a laugh and doing stupid things. If there was anything going on in the changing room he would be involved whether he was playing or injured. It was nothing harmful, all just to get the team spirit going.
FUNNIEST INCIDENT Northampton v Stevenage in the 2005 FA Cup – eye-poking-gate. Lionel Perez, the goalie coach of Stevenage, was face-to-face with the goalkeeper coach of Northampton, Dave Watson, now the England coach. And Perez poked him in the eye
We drew 2-2. So when I scored in the replay I came running over to the dug-outs with Ian Taylor and we pretended to do the eye-poking incident as our goal celebration.
The ref didn’t see the funny side of it. He said I incited the crowd and booked me, even though everyone in the ground was laughing – even the Stevenage fans! It was worth a booking.
FIRST PROMOTION With Northampton in 2005-06 when we came second in League Two. Before winning the Ryman Premier with Wealdstone last season it was my only one.
We did it on our last home game of the season against Chester. We’d been on a good run and we felt it coming but it was fantastic when we finally got there.
BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT My longevity. I was 20, playing in the Ryman League Second Division and I left work to take a year’s contract at Charlton. I ended up having an 18year professional career.
From changing everything for that one-year contract to lasting so long is my biggest achievement. Why did I last so long? I probably did everything they said you shouldn’t! But I think the style of my game helped. I was never blessed with pace but I could adapt my game. If you’ve got pace at the start, eventually you’re going to slow down.
I knew where the net was and as long as I was fit, I could work as hard as I always did throughout my career.
LOWEST MOMENT At the time it was getting released by Charlton. I’d given up everything to go pro and I felt I deserved another year’s contract. I’d finished the season as the reserves top goalscorer.
When I came out of that meeting with Steve Gritt and Alan Curbishley I felt like everything was gone.
Luckily Keith Peacock, the reserve manager, pulled me to one side and said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve had lots of phone calls from clubs, you will be ok.’
I’d failed my final electrics exam when I turned pro. So when I was released by Charlton I paid for it all myself and took it again. I passed and thought, ‘Right, I’ve got some- thing to fall back on if this happens again. But I’m going to do everything possible to make sure it doesn’t.’
TOUGHEST OPPONENT Chris Morgan, the old Sheffield United centre-half. He let me know I was in a game every time I played against him. It didn’t matter if the ball was into my feet, into my chest, he made his presence felt.
He was a good, tough, old-fashioned defender. If I gave him a little bit back there would be no questions asked. He’d get on with it, have a good battle and shake hands after.
TOUGHEST PLACE TO GO Hartlepool – usually on a windy Tuesday night! It was always tough. The
fans were always right behind them. I remember one time a 14-year-old girl spat towards our manager. The dad patted her on the back as if to say, ‘Well done darling’.
FAVOURITE PLACE TO PLAY The Emirates was my all-time favourite when Leyton Orient played there in the FA Cup. I’m an Arsenal fan, as are my kids, so that was great.
I enjoyed playing at Torquay for some reason. I think I scored virtually every time I played there.
GREATEST GOAL For Colchester against Cambridge. It fell to me right on the corner of the 18-yard box. I just walked on, hit it on the half-volley with the outside of my left foot and it bent around the keeper, which happened to be Lionel Perez again, into the far side netting. Dean Morgan was next to me and as soon as I hit it we were off and celebrating.
AMBITION Management and coaching. I put my name in for the Wycombe Wanderers job before Gareth Ainsworth got it and I was interested in the Enfield Town job.
While I’m playing I suppose it’s a bit difficult but I’d be willing to give that up for the right opportunity.
Wealdstone have asked me to step into their coaching side in the last couple of weeks and the boys seem to enjoy it. I’ve got a lot of managers to draw from but I’d be my own man.