John’s Heart-break in the first minute of derby debut
There’s no better way to kick off your career at a club than to star in a derby match.
John Gallacher aimed to make a quick impression when he made his debut for Hearts against Hibs in 1970.
His hopes couldn’t have been dashed any quicker, but he proved to be a man who kept bouncing back from set-backs.
John recalled: “I suffered a broken ankle in the first minute of an East of Scotland Shield Final against Hibs at Easter Road.
“My ankle was stood on by a forward who was running behind me.
“I was advised to stamp on it, and told that I’d get a rest at half-time.
“When I took my boot off in the dressing room, it immediately swelled up. There was no way the boot was going back on and I had to be replaced.”
The injury kept John out of the Hearts’ first team for the next 18 months.
His life away from football probably extended the length of his lay-off.
He said: “I was studying at Edinburgh University, and didn’t have the same training regime as the full-time players.
“There also wasn’t the same rehabilitation that players get now.
“It was also difficult to get into the team because Alan Anderson was extremely consistent in central defence.
“I began to get a regular game in 1974, but suffered another injury.
“It was the last minute of a League Cup quarter-final at Falkirk when I suffered a broken fibia. I carried on running into the opposition penalty area and collapsed in a heap.
“I was waved over to the dugout and asked why I hadn’t run back to stop Falkirk going up the pitch and scoring a winning goal!
“The reason was that I couldn’t walk. I had to limp to Falkirk Infirmary after the game to get an X-ray.”
John’s second comeback was in an Edinburgh derby. On this occasion, Hearts beat Hibs 2-1 to win the East of Scotland Shield.
John played a handful of games for Queen’s Park’s first-team before going to Tynecastle.
He was in the Scotland youth team that beat France to clinch third place in the 1970 European Championships.
The tournament was held in this country and the team included rising stars such as Alan Rough, John Brownlie and Graeme Souness.
Having overcome his second break, John became a mainstay of the Jambos’ rear-guard.
He was in the team that lost 3-1 to Rangers in the 1976 Scottish Cup Final.
John recalled: “It was a great thrill to play in a Final at Hampden but, unfortunately, we lost a goal in the first minute and it was an uphill battle after that.
“I had always been a defender. I had no skill whatsoever, and my natural instinct was to be negative rather than creative.
“Despite the injuries I suffered, I really enjoyed my football career.”
You won’t be surprised to hear that injury ended John’s time at Tynecastle.
“We were playing at Stirling Albion when an opponent jumped and came down on my foot,” he said. “That was my last game for Hearts and it was thought I’d never play again.
“Specialists were unable to get rid of the swelling on my foot. Then I found the cure through a connection with Danny Mcgrain.
“He missed the 1978 World Cup Finals because of a similar injury, and I was cured by the physio that helped him.
“Davie Wilson signed me for Dumbarton, and I hardly missed a game for two seasons.
“We had some really good players at Boghead back then.”
John, now 69, worked as a chemistry teacher during his time playing football, but moved to work in the whisky industry after hanging up the boots in 1982.