Tiny left Dougan lost for words – and Jim in stitches
With so much noise surrounding the security of his position as Rangers manager, Tynecastle is one of the last places Giovanni van Bronckhorst would want to be visiting on Saturday.
But no matter how his side’s Premiership fixture turns out, there’s no way he’ll find himself in as bad a position as Willie Waddell was almost 51 years ago to the day.
On October 2, 1971, the Ibrox legend took a team to Edinburgh that had lost three of their opening four league games. They left the capital with another defeat, and found themselves second bottom the table.
The scorer of what proved to be Hearts’ winner that day, Jim Brown, recalls the occasion for the anger it sparked in a former schoolmate.
“Andy Lynch had a shot saved by Peter McCloy, and the ball rebounded to me, about 30 yards out,” said Jim. “I sent a lob straight back, and it sailed over everyone’s heads, bounced once, and went into the roof of the net.
“Sandy Jardine, who’d been a year above me at school, dished out pelters to his keeper after that.
“Tommy Murray had given us a first-half lead. Willie Johnston scored a minute after me, we held on for the points – and Tynecastle was rocking.”
No wonder, as it was the Jambos’ first home win over the Light Blues in 12 seasons, and Jim experienced a few such occasions during a dozen years, and more than 400 games, at the club.
A couple, in particular, come to mind, the first the Texaco Cup Final first leg against Wolves just a few months before that win over Rangers.
“When Donald Ford put us ahead early on, things were looking good,” said Jim. “But Mike
Bailey equalised and two goals by Scottish midfielder, Hugh Curran, gave us a mountain to climb in the return.
“What I remember most about that night, however, is a typical piece of officiating from Tiny Wharton, who was a magnificent referee.
“Their big Irish striker, Derek Dougan, was in his ear all night, to the point where Tiny told him he was going to call the Wolves physio and doctor to tend to him on the pitch.
“Dougan was incredulous, as he wasn’t injured. And when the men from the dugout appeared, Tiny said to them: ‘Gentlemen, I fear your No. 9 might have a problem with the colour black’.
“The crowd, and Dougan, didn’t know what was going on, but I was in stitches.”
Despite winning 1-0 at Molineux through a George Fleming goal, the Midlands club took the trophy 3-2 on aggregate.
A happier occasion was the night in 1976 when Lokomotiv Leipzig arrived with a 2-0 advantage, but left with their tails between their legs.
“Yes, that was something else,” agreed Jim. “With us 2-1 ahead, I scored the goal that levelled the tie on aggregate, but people argued whether that was a deliberate chip, or a lucky cross.
“All I know is that Graham Shaw delayed passing to me on the overlap so long, that where it ended up was the only place I could put it!”
Jim proudest moment in maroon had come a few months earlier in the Scottish Cup Final.
“That was odd,” he revealed. “There was me, who had grown up supporting Rangers, tossing the coin at Hampden with John Greig, who had grown up supporting Hearts.
“Bobby Davidson kicked the game off two minutes early, and Derek Johnstone had scored before it was 3pm. Then Alex MacDonald got their second right on half-time.
“As I was passing the ref as we went off at the interval, I heard him say to a linesman: ‘Hearts are still in this.’. I wish he’d come into our dressing room during the break!”
A 3-1 defeat meant more cup final agony for Jim. In 1979, he moved across the city to Easter Road, and it was not the fraught experience some might have imagined.
“When Eddie Turnbull asked you to sign for him, you took that as a compliment, and everyone at Hibs was fantastic towards me in my two years there,” said Jim. “In particular, the fans.”
Two years later, part-time and working as a financial consultant, Jim joined Dunfermline, where his career would end under a cloud.
He suffered a broken leg in a tackle with St Johnstone’s John Pelosi, an incident which ended in an out-of-court settlement.
“That’s over 40 years ago now,” reflected Jim, now 72 and still enjoying golf, despite his handicap rising after once playing off three.
“It wasn’t the way I wanted my career to end.”