Happy 60th birthday, here’s hoping for more reasons to celebrate
WHEN Gordon Strachan started his trade as a teenager at Dundee 45 years ago, nobody in their wildest dreams could have predicted what lay ahead.
He could play alright but wasn’t too keen to listen to anyone.
By his own admission, Strachan was too opinionated and thought he knew best.
Yet here he is on the eve of his 60th birthday on Thursday – still at the top as Scotland manager. So where did it all go right? Probably getting drunk with one of his idols, Jimmy Johnstone.
Dundee manager Tommy Gemmell signed his former Celtic team-mate Johnstone right at the end of Jinky’s career and he and Strachan hit it off right away.
However, a long boozy lunch together when both were injured soon saw Strachan change his ways.
Gemmell treated both Strachan and Johnstone like men and wasn’t too heavy with the repercussions after catching them in full flow. Something which struck a chord with Strachan but, of course, was too late in Johnstone’s career.
Since that day alcohol has rarely passed Strachan’s lips. When it has, it’s been in moderation.
He really did turn himself into the model pro.
My own 60th birthday arrived when I was flying back to Glasgow with Celtic from a Champions League game in Donetsk.
Although Strachan’s side had just lost 2-0 in to Shakhtar he brought a bottle of champagne and joined me at the back of the plane to celebrate the occasion.
It goes without saying who enjoyed most of the champers.
Celtic recovered from their bad start in Ukraine to qualify for the last 16 from a group that also included AC Milan and Benfica.
They eventually lost 4-2 to Barcelona on aggregate.
Strachan drew the ultimate compliment from chief executive Peter Lawwell after the tie in the Nou Camp. Lawwell claimed Strachan was the best Celtic manager since Jock Stein.
Now Strachan has to produce another run of Stein-like results if Scotland are to recover from a dreadful start to the current World Cup qualifying campaign.
If anyone can achieve this, it’s Strachan. He’s turned proving people wrong into an art form.
After his infamous lunch with Johnstone, it’s been nothing but success. Firstly as a player with Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United, Coventy City and Scotland.
This carried on into management, especially at Coventry, Southampton and Celtic.
So happy birthday when it comes, Gordon. And lets hope Scotland’s next six qualifiers provide more cause for celebration.