How a European hat-trick made Sandy the toast of the valleys
A CARDIFF CITY player can write his name into the club’s record books today.
The Bluebirds play their first home match in England’s top flight for over 50 years.
Grabbing a goal against Manchester City would mark someone down as their first goalscorer in the Premier League, and ensure he never has to buy a drink in the Welsh capital.
Fans love a player who hits the net — and that’s why Sandy Allan will never be forgotten in Cardiff.
The Scot only played a handful of first-team games during a twoyear spell at the club but claimed a unique record.
He became the first player to score a hat-trick with his head in a European competition.
The feat came when Cardiff faced Norwegians Mojoendalen in the European Cup-Winners’ Cup.
He recalls: “I joined Cardiff in 1967 and after three games I broke my ankle.
“When I recovered, we went on a tour of Africa and I scored eight goals in 11 games.
“But I found it hard to get firstteam games because the manager, Jimmy Scoular, thought the club could sell John Toshack and kept playing him.
“But in 1969 we were played together in Europe. I was supposed to play the role Kevin Keegan later had with Toshack at Liverpool — going for his flicks.
“But against the Norwegians he was taken off when we were 1-0 up, and I became the main striker.
“I hit three goals within seven minutes — a header at the near post, one at the far post and a diving header in the middle. If I say so myself, they were all crackers!
“A friend told me recently I was in the Guinness Book of Records for being the first to score three with the head in Europe.”
Born in Forfar, Sandy was brought up in Killiecrankie then joined his father down the mines in Tullibody at the age of 15.
He explained: “I’d only been working for three months when the family moved toYorkshire.
“I played as an amateur with Doncaster and Barnsley and then got a part-time contract with Rhyl of the Cheshire League.”
A prolific goalscorer for the club, Sandy became known as the Boy With The Golden Boots.
His boss realised he had a hot property on his hands.
Sandy says: “The manager was former Everton goalkeeper Albert Dunlop, a controversial character in the Sixties.
“He took me round countless league clubs trying to sell me.
“One day I was approached by an immaculately-dressed chap who turned out to be Tony Kay, the Everton player banned for being caught up in the betting scandal.
“He said Dunlop was trying to flog me and line his own pockets. I decided to go back to Doncaster, where my father said he’d sort things out.
“The Rhyl chairman came on the phone, said they knew what was going on and organised a transfer to Cardiff City for me.”
Sandy went on to play for Bristol Rovers and Swansea before going overseas to Cape Town City.
Although he came back to the UK for a spell, he’s spent most of the last 40 years in South Africa where he runs a joinery business with sons Rory and Brett.