IT’S PILGRIM UP NORTH .. DEL GIVES V SIGN AFTER DINGWALL DING-DONG
Adams sinned by lamping angry striker
Faith helped shape Derek Adams’ career as a gaffer but he came over a bit too fire and brimstone when Sean Higgins felt his wrath.
The former Ross County boss has always cut a curious figure in the cut- throat world of football, a devout Christian who doesn’t swear and never touches the demon drink.
But any notion of him being the Ned Flanders of Scottish footbal l disappeared the moment a referee blew his whistle to signal the beginning of hostilities.
The late Neale Cooper, who took Adams to Dingwall as a player, recalled how “one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet” became a different person – “aggressive and passionate” on the football field.
His unbreakable will to win “could get him into bother” and that was definitely the case when he clashed with Higgins in December 2008.
County had just lost 2-1 to Morton at Cappielow in their final game before Christmas and the atmosphere was far from festive.
Adams accused his players of lacking heart, a jibe that rankled with second-half sub Higgins.
The striker recalled former boss John Robertson taking a similar potshot during his brief Staggies reign, with No. 2 Donald Park then slaughtering the players for failing to stand up for themselves.
“If someone questioned my heart, I’d knock him out,” Park told them, words that would spark flying fists a few years later in the dressing room.
It all kicked off when Higgins told
Adams to get
“the f*** out my face”, the
County boss responding by striking said fissog with what the striker deemed
“a two-handed keeper’s punch”.
Winger Michael Gardyne stepped in as peacemaker, only to end up being hit by the weak retaliatory blow a stunned Higgins aimed at his gaffer.
All this took place just hours before the squad headed to Newcastle for a festive boozeup, with Higgins left to ponder questions about his Staggies future in the Bigg Market.
He attempted to talk things through with Adams on his return to the Highlands.
Yet the Dingwall boss refused to broach the subject, insisting it was in the past having already apologised to Higgins in the immediate aftermath. The only option left to Higgins was police action, something he instantly rejected, and it looked like the final six months of his County deal would be spent in sporting Siberia.
Yet to ever yone’s amazement he wa s handed a starting jersey for the next game at Partick Thistle and responded by netting both goals in a 2- 0 victory.
Adams even offered the striker a new deal after he had helped County stay in the Championship but too much damage had been done to th e i r relationship. Higgins jo ined Dundee on a Bosman that summer, with County and Adams reaching the Scottish Cup Final the following season, memorably beating Celtic in the semis.
After a brief spell as Hibs No.2, Adams returned to lead the Staggies to the land of milk and honey as he won promotion to the top flight.
He took them to within a point of a Euro place before perhaps finding his true calling in 2015, becoming a Pilgrim as manager of Plymouth Argyle.