People died at the Clutha that night. I just happened to be on duty as a firefighter who was playing Clyde the next day
What are my memories of that night? I don’t like talking about it
FRANK McKEOWN would love nothing more than seeing Stranraer record one of the biggest shocks in the history of the Scottish Cup against Rangers on Friday night.
But win, draw or even in the wake of the heaviest of defeats at Ibrox, the 33-year-old Stair Park first-team coach will have no problem keeping football in proper perspective.
In late November 2013, McKeown was part of another team, based at Pollok Fire Station, who were called into action the dreadful night a helicopter landed on The Clutha Bar on Glasgow’s Clydeside, claiming the lives of all three crew members on board and seven patrons of the pub.
Having barely slept, the following day McKeown hit the headlines around the world as he led his other team, Stranraer, out in a Scottish Cup tie away to Clyde that finished 1-1.
Now 33 and retired from playing, he still works as a firefighter and memories of that tragedy will always allow him to place challenging sporting moments in the correct context.
‘I do still get asked about it,’ he nodded. ‘What are my memories of that night? I don’t like talking about it because of what happened. It’s not about me.
‘At the end of the day, people lost their lives. Sadly, that’s what happened that night; I just happened to be working and the following day I had a Scottish Cup tie against Clyde.
‘I can’t actually remember if I got an hour’s sleep before the game but it was not a lot.
‘I’m still in the fire service and I combine that with football. I went back to Stranraer for a third spell — twice as a player and now, since the summer, I am first-team coach.
‘But when you’ve been involved in something like that, football gets put in its real perspective.
‘I think the management team we have at Stranraer are good at keeping football in its proper place. We don’t get carried away with a win and we don’t get carried away with a defeat either.
‘The way we go about our business is we want to develop people — because this is a parttime job.
‘If we get one or two players who make it, then fantastic but, as long as we develop good people, we are on to a winner.’
McKeown has past experience of Stranraer causing an upset at Ibrox. On Boxing Day, 2013, a stoppage-time leveller from Jamie Longworth earned the Stair Park side a 1-1 draw against Ally McCoist’s Rangers, who had started the day with a 100-percent record in League One.
There may have been no prizes for sartorial elegance for the visitors but they left with plaudits and a precious point.
‘I played and I was the captain that day. People still talk about that match,’ smiled McKeown.
‘There was a mix-up with the kit that day and we were going out to play with socks that we weren’t allowed to play in. So Rangers loaned us socks and we went out wearing green tops, black shorts and blue socks.
‘We scored a late equaliser and it was just brilliant. Rangers had won their last 20 games in a row, so for us to spoil the party was excellent. It shows that miracles can happen, absolutely.
‘But, if I’m honest, the team Rangers have got now under Steven Gerrard is different. Rangers are probably playing the best football in Scotland right now, so it’s probably the biggest challenge we could have faced.
‘We are massive underdogs. A club like Rangers should be beating us every day of the week, unfortunately.
‘I wouldn’t say that they have weaknesses. Their full-backs like to play high and we will try and exploit that but we are talking about James Tavernier and Borna Barisic, who are two of the best players in the country.
‘Celtic are probably the only team in Scotland that can punish Rangers. But maybe we can get a set-piece or something.’
Whatever happens when the team propping up the League One table take on the Premiership title contenders, Stranraer will be winners financially.
McKeown said: ‘We’ve probably got the second-lowest budget in Scotland, right down to East Stirling, East Kilbride and Kelty Hearts.
‘All these guys are aiming to be where we are, so to survive, even in League One, is massive for us. Friday night is financially massive. The sort of money this brings to the club will keep us going for two, three or four years, just on one game alone.
‘A few years ago, we had finances available to bring players to the club but now we are about young players making their way in the game. And the experience that they are going to get on Friday night will be incredible.
‘Hopefully it gives the boys a wee taster of what can happen in football. Look at guys like Andrew Robertson going from Queen’s Park to Liverpool. You just never know what is round the corner.’