Big Jock always delivered on his promises
Scotland midfielder John McGinn will be returning from international duty to find a new manager in charge at Aston Villa. Dean Smith is now the man tasked with trying to take the club back to the top flight. It’s now unusual for players to go straight from Scotland to a leading club in England. In October. 1962, Villa paid nearly £25,000 for Dunfermline full-back, Cammy Fraser. It was a substantial fee at the time, and it’s often said the money paid for a new main stand at East End Park. Cammy loved his time with the Pars but couldn’t resist the chance to join a side in the top half of the English First Division. He said: “I’d had a number of clubs from England interested in me before, but my father always advised me to turn them down. “He had been a professional footballer and didn’t want me to move to a higher level until I’d achieved something in the game.” Cammy was one of the men responsible for a massive achievement in the history of Dunfermline. At the age of 19, he was the youngest player taking part in the 1961 Scottish Cup Final against Celtic. The Pars lifted the trophy for the first time when they won 2-0 in a replay after the first match was drawn 0-0. Cammy went on: “I was signed by Andy Dickson, but Jock Stein brought a new sense of professionalism to Dunfermline. “We really felt part of a team and he gave us a new sense of belief that we could achieve things in football. He was a great man.” A series of fine performances saw Cammy capped at Under-23 level by Scotland. He was called up a second time shortly after moving to play in England. He said: “Derek Dougan put his arm around me and helped me settle in at Villa. “We were both in the same digs – rooms above a pub in Birmingham. “The landlady, Mabel Troman, was like a second mother to us. She made sure we weren’t allowed down to the pub and stayed upstairs. “Villa had a lot of Scots on the books at that time. There was George Graham, Bobby Thomson, Charlie Aitken and Ron Wylie. “We reached the 1963 League Cup Final, but lost out to Birmingham over two legs.” Cammy’s manager at Villa Park was Joe Mercer. Having played under Mercer and Stein, he is well placed to compare two famous managers. “There was no comparison for me,” said Cammy. “When Jock Stein promised you things, he always delivered. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same at Aston Villa. Joe Mercer promised me things that never materialised. “After a season-and-a-half, I went before the board to ask for what I felt I was due. “They decided to support their manager and that led to me walking out on them and moving to London. “Tommy Docherty wanted me to train at Chelsea but Villa refused to let that happen. “That was disappointing. I thought Tommy was a great motivator and I’d have enjoyed playing for him. “I did have a trial with Crystal Palace, but after nearly a season out of football, I was sold to Birmingham City for about a third of the fee Villa had paid Dunfermline. “I enjoyed my time with the Blues. The manager, Joe Mallet, was a coach who’d studied football in Spain and brought a different dimension to things.” Cammy turned out in 39 league matches for Birmingham before injury curtailed his career. He later joined Falkirk in an attempt to regain his fitness, but was unable to turn out for them. Life after football saw Cammy work for the computer division of a bank before spending several years in Singapore with an oil company. Now 77, he lives in Edinburgh with Moya, his wife of 54 years.