Triowhocould havehelpedus win the title

THE squad that won the league so dramatically at the end of the 1985-86 season was strong but in the following campaign I highlighted three signings that I felt would give us a rounded and top-class squad.

Danny McGrain was coming to the end of his career and Davie Provan had been diagnosed with ME, which was a huge shame because he had played some exceptional football the season before.

But I felt that Stevie Clarke, who was at St Mirren at the time, Joe McLaughlin and Pat Nevin would strengthen us and keep us in a position to compete with Rangers who had just brought in Graeme Souness.

I felt then – and I still think in retrospect – that we had the makings of a strong squad. Our midfield was Paul McStay, Tommy Burns, Murdo MacLeod and Peter Grant while we had four good forwards in Mo Johnston, Brian McClair, Mark McGhee and Alan McInally. I just felt that the three signings I had targeted would give us some balance and strengthen us but it wasn’t to be.

I seem to remember that Jack (McGinn, chairman) said publicly that if I wanted to bring in Joe McLaughlin then I would be spending the money out of my own pocket. But, I have to stress this, we all make mistakes and would maybe do things differently in hindsight.

I don’t hold any animosity whatsoever about that, to Jack or anyone else. But we finished second and trophyless – and if you finish second to Rangers you lose your job. That’s how it works when you’re Celtic manager.

I do think that squad with those changes could have competed with Rangers, but who is to say? When you talk about what might have been, it is pie in the sky.

It was great to see Rosemary Burns and her family at Sunday’s dinner at Celtic Park. Rosemary made a very generous donation when she handed in Tommy’s SPL 2006-7 championship medal and had it put up for auction. The gong raised £3000 for Celtic FC foundation, something that Tommy would be absolutely delighted with.