Football is Academical
Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
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Barcelona 2006
As I head off on holiday to celebrate my 60th Birthday a look back at 40th trip to Barcelona and the opportunity to take in a game at the Nou Camp.
Ronaldinho opened the scoring after 2 mins with a superb free kick.
Deportivo however recovered and equalised through Juanma after 15mins, and then took a shock lead through Andrade after 28mins.
Barcelona drew level through Henrick Larsson before half time before Samuel Eto’o scored the winner in the second half.
We followed up with a stadium tour the following day.
4th March 2006 –
Barcelona 3 Deportivo La Coruna 2
Jackie McInally & Paul Hegarty
Hamilton Accies 1974/75
My first season as an Accies fan , I witnessed two strikers at the opposite ends of their career spectrums.
JACKIE MCINALLY
Jackie played for Crosshill Thistle and won the Scottish Amateur Cup in 1959 before signing for Kilmarnock.
He was an integral part of the Killie team under manager Willie Waddell between 1960 and 1965 , where they were beaten finalists in Scottish Cup 1960 , League Cup Final in 1961 and 1963.
This Kilmarnock team won the Scottish League in 1965 famously beating Hearts at Tynecastle to snatch the championship from their Edinburgh rivals.
He played for Kilmarnock in a remarkable Fairs Cup game where they lost 3-0 away to Eintracht Frankfurt before going 4-0 down early in the second leg , before going on to win 5-4 on aggregate.
Another memorable European tie at Rugby Park saw Jackie brought down for a penalty against Real Madrid which Tommy McLean converted and although the Spanish giants scored twice , Jackie headed an equaliser to give Killie a creditable 2-2 draw, before losing 5-1 in Madrid.
Jackie scored 86 goals in 212 games for Kilmarnock before moving to Motherwell in 1968.
Jackie scored 37 goals in 134 games for Motherwell helping them win the Second Division in 1969.
Jackie then moved to Accies in 1973 and was part of the Accies team which just missed out on promotion finishing third behind Airdrie & Kilmarnock.
His final season in football saw him team up with a young Paul Hegarty during season 1974/75 before he retired from football.
His son Alan McInally had an illustrious career with Ayr, Celtic , Aston Villa, Bayern Munich, as well as playing for Scotland at Italia 90 and now works in the media.
PAUL HEGARTY
Paul Hegarty signed for Hamilton Accies at age of 17 in 1972 and was part of the Accies team that missed out on promotion in 1973/74. He scored 10 goals in 36 games.
Paul scored 12 goals for Accies in 20 games at the start of the 1974/75 season and this attracted Dundee Utd to sign him as they prepared to sell Andy Gray who would move on to Aston Villa a year later.
Jim McLean then moved Paul from a centre forward to a centre half pairing him with Dave Narey a move which transformed Paul’s career.
DUNDEE UTD
Paul Hegarty
He went to on captain Dundee Utd to their first major trophy the League Cup in 1979 having beaten Hamilton Accies 6-2 in the semi final, then retained the trophy the following season.
He was an ever present in the Dundee Utd team that won the Scottish League Championship in 1983 and featured in many of their famous European adventures.
Overall he made 687 appearances for Dundee Utd and won 8 Scotland caps.
WINTER OLYMPICS
From 1976 to 2026
My first memory of the Winter Olympics was 50 years ago in 1976, this is a look back at the past 50 years as the Winter Olympics has expanded along with Team GB success.
Innsbruck 1976
GB won Men’s Singles Figure Skating Gold, won by John Curry, but my main memory was the downhill skiing won by Franz Klammer
1123 athletes from 37 countries
Lake Placid 1980
GB retained the Men’s Singles Figure Skating Gold , this time won by Robin Cousins.
The highlight of the games was USA mainly collegiate athletes winning the Mens Ice Hockey Gold beating the Russian professionals in the final 4-3, ending the Russian domination having won the previous four editions.
American speed skater broke the Olympic record of most individual Gold medals winning all five men’s speed skating events.
1072 athletes from 37 countries
Sarajevo 1984
GB won Gold in Ice Dancing with the pair of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean at the peak of their careers, with their performance of Balero receiving unanimous perfect scores.
1272 athletes from 49 countires
Calgary 1988
No medals for Team GB in a games where high winds caused major disruption to the outdoor events.
Italy’s Alberto Tomba won two Skiing Gold Medals in the first of his three Olympics.
The games are remembered for the movies Cool Runnings about the Jamaican Bobsleigh team and Eddie the Eagle about British Ski jumper Michael Edwards nicknamed “Eddie” who finished last with a jump of 73.5m
1423 athletes from 57 countries
Albertville 1992
No medals for Team GB and the final time both Winter and Summer Games held in the same year.
Finnish ski jumper Toni Nieminen became the youngest male Olympic champion while New Zealand skier Annelise Coberger became the first Winter Olympic medalist from the Southern Hemisphere.
1801 athletes from 64 countries
Lillehammer 1994
A one off two year gap from the previous Winter Olympics to ensure a Winter or Summer Games each two years going forward.
GB won Bronze medals through Torvill & Dean in Ice Dancing and Nicky Gooch in Short Track Speed Skating.
American skater Nancy Kerrigan was injured on 6th January 1994 in an attack planned by the ex-husband of rival Tonya Harding. Ukraine’s Oksana Baiul won Gold with Kerrigan picking up Silver and Harding out of the medals.
1737 athletes from 67 countries
Nagano 1998
The Final Olympic Games of the 20th century.
GB won Bronze in Four Man Bobsleigh , team of Sean Olsson, Dean Ward, Courtney Rumbolt and Paul Attwood.
United States won Gold in Ice Hockey as the National Hockey League allowed their player to participate for teh first time
2176 athletes from 72 countries
Salt Lake City 2002
GB had a major success winning Gold in Ladies Curling event with the team of Rhona Martin , Debbie Knox , Fiona McDonald , Janice Rankin and Margaret Morton , trailblazing for future GB Curling success
Alex Coomber won Bronze in Women’s Skeleton.
There was major controversy when Alain Baxter finished third for GB in Men’s Slalom Skiing but was disqualified for a failed drugs test due to an over the counter nasal spray having been taken.
2399 athletes from 77 countries
Torino 2006
GB only medal at 2006 Winter Olympics was a Silver medal in Women’s Skeleton by Shelley Rudman
2508 athletes from 80 countries
Vancouver 2010
Women’s Skeleton produced another GB medal in 2010 when Shelley Rudman’s Silver in 2006 , was eclipsed by Amy Williams winning Gold.
Women’s Curling team were skipped by 19yo Eve Muirhead and finished in a dissappointing 7th place
2566 athletes from 82 countries
Sochi 2014
The Winter Olympics of 2014 brought unparalleled success for Team GB with the team coming home with 5 medals.
Women’s Skeleton again produced a Gold Medal as Lizzy Yarnold retained the Gold medal won by Amy Williams.
The Men’s Curling team skipped by David Murdoch, with Greg Drummond, Scott Andrews, Michael Goodfellow & Tom Brewster claimed a Silver Medal after a thrilling 6-5 semi final win over Sweden before losing the final to Canada 9-3.
The Women’s Curling team skipped by Eve Muirhead, with Anna Sloan , Vicki Adams, Claire Hamilton and Lauren Gray lost the semi final to Canada before beating Switzerland 6-5 to claim the Bronze Medal.
Jenny Jones won a Bronze medal in the Women’s Snowboarding slopestyle.
The Men’s Fourman Bobsleigh team of John Jackson , Bruce Tasker, Stewart Benson & Joel Fearon were awarded the Bronze medal after finishing 5th , when two Russian teams who finished 1st and 4th were disqualified as part of a doping scandal across the Russian team.
2873 athletes from 88 countries
Pyeongchang 2018
Team GB again claimed 5 medals.
Lizzy Yarnold again claimed Gold in Women’s Skeleton with Laura Deas winning Bronze in the same event.
Dominic Parsons won a Bronze in the Men’s Skeleton.
There were further Bronze medals for Izzy Atkin in the Women’s Freestyle Skiing – Slopestyle and Billy Morgan in Men’s Snowboarding – Big Air
In Curling the men’s team were eliminated in a tie breaker 9-5 by Switzerland for a semi final place.
Eve Muirhead in her third Olympics was heartbroken as her team lost the semi final to Sweden 10-5 and then the Bronze Medal match 5-3 to Japan.
2833 athletes from 92 countries
Beijing 2022
Eve Muirhead and her team with Jennifer Dodds , Hailey Duff , Milli Smith and Vicky Wright won GB only Gold Medal.
The team failed to qualify automatically as they had done in the previous Olympics and had to qualify through the 2021 Olympic Qualification Event with an 8th place World ranking , they won the event ahead of higher ranked South Korea and Japan.
GB finished the Round Robin with a 5-4 record level with Japan and Canada but behind Switzerland 8-1 and Sweden 7-2.
GB qualified for the semi final and beat Sweden in a amazing game 12-11 after an extra end.
GB completed their Gold Medal success beating Japan in 9 ends by 10-3.
The Mens’s Curling team of Bruce Mowat , Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie, Hammy McMillan and Ross Whyte also had a successful games and were unlucky to only lift the Silver Medal.
They had a superb Round Robin record of 8-1 only losing to USA
GB then beat USA 8-4 in the Semi Final however they were beaten to the Gold Medal in the Final 5-4 by Sweden.
2834 athletes from 91 countries
Summary
The Games have increased over the year in size in terms of Athlete numbers and countries competing until the plateau , with GB success with lottery funding from the odd medal in the 1970s to multiple success particularly in Curling in recent games. It will be interesting to see how 2026 in Italy compares with the talismanic Eve Muirhead retiring from competitive Curling and the the Team GB Chef de Mission.
WORLD CUP – SPAIN 82 – Part Three
PART THREE – 19TH JUNE TO 25TH JUNE 1982
The Second Group Stage was played as Four Groups of Three teams with the Winners progressing to the semi finals , this was the only World Cup which used this format. The 1974 & 1978 with 16 teams versions saw Two groups of Four teams with the winners progressing to the final. The 1986 version saw 16 countries progress to straight knockout format.
Monday 28th June
GROUP D – AUSTRIA 0 FRANCE 1 – Madrid
A first half goal by Bernard Genghini gave France an opening victory and set them on their way to the semi finals.
GROUP A – POLAND 3 BELGIUM 0 – Barcelona
A superb hat trick by the Polish star Zbigniew Boniek gave Poland a comprehensive win and one foot in the semi finals.
Tuesday 29th June
GROUP C – ITALY 2 ARGENTINA 1 – Barcelona
Italy got off to a flying start to Round Two after their struggles in Round One producing their first win of the tournament as they surprisingly beat holders Argentina 2-1. Marco Tradelli opened the scoring before Antonio Cabrini put the Italians 2-0 ahead. Daniel Passarella’s late goal was mere consolation for Argentina.
GROUP B – ENGLAND 0 WEST GERMANY 0 – Madrid
A stalemate which left the countries to face hosts Spain with all to play for.
Thursday 1st July
GROUP D – AUSTRIA 2 N IRELAND 2 – Madrid
A pulsating game saw Billy Hamilton open the scoring in the first half before an Austrian comeback after half time gave them a 2-1 lead. N Ireland equalised through Billy Hamilton to set up a winner takes all game with France and eliminated Austria.
GROUP A – SOVIET UNION 1 BELGIUM 0 – Barcelona
Soviet Union won 1-0 to knock out Belgium and left them needing to beat Poland in the final game to progress.
Friday 2nd July
GROUP C – BRAZIL 3 ARGNETINA 1 – Barcelona
Brazil continued their impressive World Cup 82 with another stylish demolition of Argentina eliminating their South American rivals and setting up a winner tales all final group game with Italy.
GROUP B – WEST GERMANY 2 SPAIN 1 – Barcelona
West Germany took the upper hand in Group B beating the hosts 2-1.
This left West Germany awaiting the result of the final group game between England and Spain, with both teams needing to win by two clear golas to qualify for the semi final.
Sunday 4th July
GROUP D – FRANCE 4 N IRELAND 1 – Madrid
France blew away N Ireland with two goals each from Alain Giresse and Dominique Rocheteau as the French became the first team to reach the semi finals.
GROUP A – SOVIET UNION 0 POLAND 0 – Barcelona
Poland secured a semi final place with the draw they required.
Monday 5th July
GROUP C – BRAZIL 2 ITALY 3 – Barcelona
One of the greatest World Cup matches which lives long in the memory.
Brazil were hot favourites to win the World Cup but were knocked out by a hat trick from the Italian striker Paulo Rossi, who had just returned to football after a two year long ban for his involvement in a match fixing scandal.
Brazil only required a draw , Italy needed to win, for a semi final place.
He had not scored in the tournament up to this point with question marks over his inclusion in the team.
Rossi opened the scoring with a diving header after 5mins before Socrates equalised for Brazil ,
Rossi intercepted a pass to give Italy a 2-1 half time lead.
Falcao looked to have given Brazil the draw they required when he made it 2-2 after 65mins.
Paolo Rossi however completed his hat trick to carry Italy to an unexpected World Cup semi final after 74mins.
ENGLAND 0 SPAIN 0
England and Spain were eliminated as neither could produce the win required to overtake West Germany. England’s late introduction of the experienced Trevor Brooking and Kevin Keegan did not bring the two goals required.
Thursday 8th July
SEMI FINALS
ITALY 2 POLAND 0 – Barcelona
Paulo Rossi scored a goal in each half to take Italy to the World Cup Final
WEST GERMANY 3 (5) FRANCE 3 (4) – Seville
A superb game of football overshadowed by a terrible foul by the German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher which put French player Patrick Battiston in hospital, as he came out the penalty area to challenge for a through ball which resulted in the goalkeeper’s hip colliding with the Frenchman’s head.
Battiston suffered teh loss of two teeth, three cracked ribs and damaged vertebrae.
The game itself saw Littbarski open the scoring for the Germans before Platini equalised before half time from the penalty spot.
The game moved into extra time with the scores still locked at 1-1.
France seemed on track for a place in the World Cup Final when they scored twice in extra time to lead 3-1. West Germany however recovered and made it 3-3 after extra time when Klaus Fischer scored with two remaining.
Germany went on to win the penalty shoot out 5-4 to face Italy in the World Cup Final.
Saturday 10th July
Third Place Playoff
FRANCE 2 POLAND 3 – Alicante
France opened the scoring before Poland went in at half time with a 2-1 lead.
Poland scored at the start of the second half to make it 3-1 before the French scored late on and the game ended 3-2 to Poland. Poland’s third place finish matched their best ever finish in 1974.
Sunday 11th July
WORLD CUP FINAL
ITALY 3 WEST GERMANY 1 – Madrid
Italy in the end were deserved winners of the World Cup with a exciting and entertaining win over the Germans.
Antonio Cabrini missed a first half penalty for Italy before Paulo Rossi opened the scoring taking his tally for the tournament to six goals to end top scorer.
The Italians were in full celebration mode and their a an iconic piece of commentary from BBC’s John Motson as Marco Tardelli put the Italian’s 2-0 ahead after 69mins.
Alessandro Altobelli made it 3-0 beforea late consolation from West Germany’s Paul Breitner made it a final score of 3-1.
WORLD CUP – SPAIN 82 – Part Two
PART TWO – 19TH JUNE TO 25TH JUNE 1982
Saturday 19th June
Group 1 – POLAND 0 CAMEROON 0 – La Coruna
Once again there was a draw in Group 1 , so that each team had drawn their opening two games.
Group 3 – BELGIUM 1 EL SALVADOR 0 – Elche
El Salvador proved a much tougher nut to crack than their opening game and held Belgium to one one goal when Ludo Coeck scored after 19mins.
Group 6 – SOVIET UNION 3 NEW ZEALAND 0 – Malaga
New Zealand were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Soviet Union as they opened up a goal difference advantage over Scotland , meaning they would progress to Round Two with a draw when the two countries met in their final group match.
Sunday 20th June
Group 2 – WEST GERMANY 4 CHILE 1 – Gijon
West Germany bounced back from their embarrassing defeat to Algeria with a thumping 4-1 win over Chile. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge scored a hat-trick to give the Germans a 3-0 lead after 66mins, before Uwe Reinders completed the scoring for them. Chile scored a late consolation.
Group 4 – ENGLAND 2 CZECHOSLOVAKIA 0 – Bilbao
A Trevor Francis goal early in the second half before a Czech defender pushed a Paul Mariner cross into his own net , to ensure England’s passage to Round Two with a game to spare.
Group 5 – SPAIN 2 YUGOSLAVIA 1 – Valencia
Spain went behind to Yugoslavia after 10mins when Ivan Gudelj headed home when unmarked. Spain then levelled from the penalty pot after 14mins, Juanito scoring. Spain would go on to win in unconvincing fashion when substitute Enrique Suara squeezed the ball in at the far post following a corner.
Monday 21st June
Group 2 – AUSTRIA 2 ALGERIA 0 – Oviedo
Two second half goals by Walter Schachner and Hans Krankl gave Austria a comfortable 2-0 win over Algeria and set up a controversial match with West Germany.
Group 4 – FRANCE KUWAIT 1 – Valladdolid
Kuwait in their first World Cup held the French for half an hour before Bernard Genghini opened the scoring. Michel Platini doubled the lead before half time. The game looked over when Didier Six made it 3-0 early in the second half. Kuwait however pulled a goal back through Abdullah Al-Buloushi after 75mins before controversy erupted. France had the ball in the net for a fourth time , however the Kuwait players had stopped claiming they heard the referee’s whistle, but had come from the crowd. Kuwait FA President took to the pitch and threatened to take his team off. The referee disallowed the goal after much discussion. France did score a late fourth goal when Maxime Bossis netted,
Group 5 – N IRELAND 1 HONDURAS 1 – Zaragoza
N Ireland took an early lead through Gerry Armstrong but were pegged back in the second half when Honduras equalised through Eduardo Laing after 60mins.
Tuesday 22nd June
Group 1 – POLAND 5 PERU 1 – La Coruna
Poland won Group 1 with a superb win over Peru, with five goals in a 20 minute spell early in the second half.
Group 3 – BELGIUM 1 HUNGARY 1 – Elche
A draw ensured Belgium would win Group 3.
Group 6 – SCOTLAND 2 SOVIET UNION 2 – Malaga
Scotland needed to win to qualify while Soviet Union only required a draw
Joe Jordan put Scotland 1-0 ahead at half time , but Soviet’s came back with two goals and effectively knock Scotland out before Graeme Souness injury time equaliser.
Wednesday 23rd June
Group 1 – ITALY 1 CAMEROON 1 – Vigo
Italy grabbed second place and a place in round two edging out Cameroon on goals scored after both teams drew all three group games.
Group 3 – ARGENTINA 2 EL SALVADOR 0 – Alicante
Argentina bounced back from their opening defeat against Belgium to clinch second place in Group 3 and into Round Two.
Group 6 – BRAZIL 4 NEW ZEALAND 0 – Seville
Brazil strolled to a 4-0 win and top Group 6 with maximum points
Thursday 24th June
Group 2 – ALGERIA 3 CHILE 2 – Oviedo
Algeria looked to have done enough to progress to Round Two with a 3-0 half time lead , however two Chile second half goals left them with the nightmare position of awaiting the Austria v West Germany result where both countries could go through.
Group 4 – FRANCE 1 CZECHOSLOVAKIA 1 – Valladolid
France scraped into second place ahead of Czechoslovakia courtesy of the draw between the nations.
Group 5 – HONDURAS 0 YUGOSLAVIA 1 – Zaragoza
Yugoslavia appeared to be on course for Round Two , they were waiting on the hosts Spain taking care of N Ireland in the final game of the First Group stage.
Friday 25th June
Group 2 – WEST GERMANY 1 AUSTRIA 0 – Gijon
An early German goal meant the result would put both countries into the next round and neither team tried to find a goal that would put the other out.
Scottish referee Bob Valentine could have been excused for blowing for full time as soon as the Germans scored.
This was a dark day for FIFA and world football and led to simultaneous final group games going forward.
Germany – Austria 1:0 on June 25th 1982.
Germany’s Horst HRUBESCH is scoring the 1:0. (Photo by Werek/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Group 4 – ENGLAND 1 KUWAIT 0 – Bilbao
England claimed top spot in Group 4 with maximum points due to Trevor Francis scoring in the first half.
Group 5 – SPAIN 0 N IRELAND 1 – Valencia
One of the great World Cup Finals shocks ,a s hosts Spain were beaten 1-0 by ten man N.Ireland. Gerry Armstrong scored the only goal of the game early in the second half before Mal Donaghy was red carded.
N Ireland won the group ahead of Spain, Spain qualified as they scored one more goal than Yugoslavia , as points and goal difference were level.
WORLD CUP – SPAIN 82 – Part One
The 1982 World Cup was a fantastic festival of football but began against the backdrop of the Falklands War.
PART ONE – 13TH JUNE TO 18TH JUNE 1982
Sunday 13th June
Group 3 – ARGENTINA 0 BELGIUM 1 – Barcelona
The opening game took place in the fabulously refurbished Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona. UK Tv did not show live coverage of the game due to Argentina the holders were involved as the Falklands continued. Diego Maradona had recently signed for Barcelona but he was marked out the game by a stubborn Belgian defence. Belgium stunned the World Cup holders when Erwin Vandenberg scored after 64mins to win the game.
Monday 14th June
Group 1 – ITALY 0 POLAND 0 – Vigo
A poor game as neither team was able to score on a hot sunny Spanish afternoon.
Group 6 – BRAZIL 2 SOVIET UNION 1 – Seville
The World Cup came to life with a superb match between two very skilled teams and some great goals as well as superb goalkeeping by the Soviet goalkeeper Rinat Dasayev. A long range shot by Andriy Bal was spilled into his own net by the Brazilian goalkeeper Waldir Perez after 34mins.
Brazil peppered the Soviet goal but it took a spectacular strike from Socrates to level the games after 75mins, as he rocketed a shot into the top corner from outside the penalty area. The Soviet’s Ramaz Shengelia had the ball in the net after 85mins but it was disallowed for offside and Brazil would go on and win 2-1 when Eder scored a spectacular volley from 25 yards after 88 mins.
In other news Argentina surrendered the Falkland Islands to British control.
Tuesday 15th June
Group 1 – PERU 0 CAMEROON 0 – La Coruna
Group 1 continued in tight fashion neither team was able to score on another hot sunny Spanish afternoon , although this more more about a great performance by the Cameroon goalkeeper Thomas Nkono.
Group 6 – SCOTLAND 5 NEW ZEALAND 2 – Malaga
Scotland began with a poor opening until Kenny Dalglish scored after 18mins but by half time they had the game seemingly won when John Wark scored twice to open a 3-0 half time lead. Scotland however conceded two sloppy goals at the start of the second half as New Zealand threatened an unlikely comeback. A superb John Robertson free kick and a goal by Steve Archibald sealed the victory but there was a feeling of a missed opportunity as had been in case against Zaire in 1974.
Group 3 – HUNGARY 10 EL SALVADOR 1 – Elche
Hungary hit an amazing 10 goals on a night when they would make sure if goal difference became an issue they would win hands down.
Wednesday 16th June
Group 2 – WEST GERMANY 1 ALGERIA 2 – Gijon
One of the biggest shocks in World Cup history as African minnows took a 54th min lead through Rabah Madjer and even though Karl Heinz Rummenigge equalised for the powerful Germans , Algeria immediately re-took the lead with Lakhdar Belloumi scoring the winner after 68mins.
Group 4 – ENGLAND 3 FRANCE 1 – Bilbao
England got their World Cup campaign off to a flyer when captain Bryan Robson scored after 28 seconds (the then quickest goal at World Cup Finals) of their opening game. Gerard Soler equalised for France before half time , but England ran out comfortable winners when Robson scored a second and Paul Mariner completed a 3-1 victory.
Group 5 – SPAIN 1 HONDURAS 1 – Valencia
A shock looked on the cards when Hector Zelaya gave Honduras a surprise 8th min lead against host nation Spain. The Spanish however managed to salvage a point when Roberto Lopez Ufarte converted a second half penalty.
Thursday 17th June
Group 2 – CHILE 0 AUSTRIA 1 – Oviedo
A first half goal by Walter Schachner was enough to claim an important win for Austria.
Group 4 – CZECHOSLOVAKIA 1 KUWAIT 1 – Valladolid
A shock result when Kuwait equalised through Faisal Al-Dakhil after the Czechs led at half time with a Antonin Panenka penalty who famously scored the winning penalty at Euro 76.
Group 5 – YUGOSLAVIA 0 N IRELAND 0 – Zaragoza
This game marked the debut of the youngest player in World Cup history when Norman Whiteside played at the age of 17 and 41 days beating Pele’s record.
Friday 18th June
Group 1 – ITALY 1 PERU 1 – Vigo
Bruno Conti opened the scoring for Italy and they seemed destined to win 1-0 until a late equaliser from Ruben Diaz gave Peru another draw.
Group 3 – ARGENTINA 4 HUNGARY 1 – Alicante
Argentina stormed into a four goal lead including two from Diego Maradona as they got back to winning ways before Hungary scored a late consolation.
Group 6 – BRAZIL 4 SCOTLAND 1 – Seville
The night the Tartan Army was born , the thousands of Scotland fans were in Seville to see David Narey hit a long range shot into the top corner to give Scotland an 18th minute lead , with English pundit Jimmy Hill describing the shot as a toepoke. Zico planted a free kick into Alan Rough’s top corner as the South Americans equalised before half time. The Scotland goal seemed to upset the Brazil team who produced a magnificent second half performance overwhelming Scotland in the baking Seville heat. Oscar gave Brazil a 2-1 lead early in the second half with a near post header from a corner before a magnificent chip by Eder made it 3-1. Falcao completed the 4-1 win with an accurate 25 yard strike into the bottom corner.
WIGAN FA CUP WIN 2013
When James McCarthy and James McArthur left Hamilton Accies nobody envisaged them winning the FA Cup with Wigan Athletic. In 2013 I was fortunate enough to travel to Wembley and see them win both the Semi Final and the Final
This all began with a trip to the then DW Stadium to meet the players before a game and present them with a copy of my book – Hamilton Accies Rollercoaster 1985 to 2010.
I visited Anfield on 17th November 2012 where Wigan lost 3-0 and Ben Watson suffered a broken leg
Wigan Athletic’s Cup run began in the Third Round –
THIRD ROUND
5th January 2013 – Wigan Athletic 1 Bournemouth 1
Wigan were drawn at home to League One high flyers Bournemouth and after the south coast side took a first half lead Jordi Gomez equalised to take the game to a replay at Dean Court. Manager Roberto Martinez had given youngster Danny Redmond only his second first time start as well as Roman Golobart who would move to Inverness and 20yo Fraser Fyvie signed from Aberdeen.
13th January 2013 – Replay – Bournemouth 0 Wigan Athletic 1
Wigan ended Bournemouth’s 18 game unbeaten run with a first half long range shot from Mauro Boselli found the back of Eddie Howe’s team’s net.
FOURTH ROUND
26th January 2013 – Macclesfield 0 Wigan Athletic 1
The Fourth Round draw saw Wigan drawn away to non league Macclesfield and it was a tricky tie. Macclesfield included John Paul Kissock who had a brief spell with Hamilton Accies three years earlier.
Jordi Gomez scored a penalty after 6mins of the all North West tie.
FIFTH ROUND
17th February 2013 – Huddersfield 1 Wigan Athletic 4
Wigan fielded a stronger team than in previous rounds with James McArthur in midfield and produced a great performance with Callum McManaman opening the scoring before Arouna Kone doubled the half time lead. The lead was extended early in the second half when James McArthur drilled home.
Lee Novak pulled a goal back for the home side before Kone scored a fourth for Wigan to ensure a comfortable passage to the Quarter Final for the first time in 26 years.
QUARTER FINAL
9th March 2013 – Everton 0 Wigan Athletic 3
Everton were without goalkeeper Tim Howard and he was replaced by Slovakian Jan Mucha , who would spend a brief spell with Hamilton Accies 5 years later.
Wigan with James McCarthy in place of James McArthur took a shock lead against Davie Moyes side when Maynor Figueroa headed in at the far post from a corner which Mucha had conceded saving from McCarthy.
Wigan then doubled their lead almost immediately when Phil Neville;s poor pass set Callum McManaman to score.
Incredibly Wigan raced into a 3-0 lead with all the goals coming in a four minute spell when Jordi Gomez netted from 18 yards in the 33rd minute to book a place in the Wembley semi final.
SEMI FINAL
13th April 2013 – Millwall 0 Wigan Athletic 2
Wigan were fortunate to draw Championship side Millwall and avoid the big guns of Chelsea and Manchester City.
Wigan wore an unusual all red kit.
Wigan opened the scoring with a great volley from a right wing cross by man of the match Shaun Maloney after 25 mins.
Wigan second goal came when Jordi Gomez slipped in Callum McManaman to round the goalkeeper and send Wigan Athletic into their first FA Cup Final.
FA CUP FINAL 2013
11th May 2013 – Manchester City 0 Wigan Athletic 1
There were 86,254 fans at the game with the unusual 5.15pm kick off time.
Wigan lifted the FA Cup in sensational fashion after Manchester City were reduced to ten men late in the game. Pablo Zabaleta’s second yellow card saw him dismissed after 84 mins, and gave Wigan the belief they could go on and win the game.
The game entered injury time and Wigan won a corner which Shaun Maloney delivered on to the head of substitute Ben Watson to head the winner and complete the fairytale of his return after his leg break at Anfield.
Hamilton Accies 2007-08 Part 2
PART TWO – JANUARY TO MAY 2008
January 2008
A month which saw one of the most extra ordinary games in Accies history.
Accies opened 2008 without Simon Mensing with his loan expired although he sat in the stand alongside new signing Gary Twigg. Fellow new recruit Xavier Barrau was on the bench. James McArthur headed home the only goal of the game to give Accies a 1-0 win over a stuffy Queen of the South.
This extended Accies lead to three points as Dundee could only draw 1-1 at St Johnstone.
Accies were going through a bit of a dry spell in front of goal with Richard Offoing picking up an injury in the warm up , his place was taken by Gary Twigg. Stirling Albion who were bottom of the table were delighted to leave with a point from a game which was hugely disappointing for Accies ending in a goalless draw. Dundee also had the same 0-0 scoreline at home to Dunfermline , so Accies three point lead stayed in place although it should have been extended.
Accies problems in front of goal continued with a 0-0 Scottish Cup home draw with Brechin.
A trip to Firhill and Accies were thumped 3-0 by Partick Thsitle. as they took advantage of Tom Parratt’s lack of height.
Dundee also hit a bump in the road with their third consecutive draw when they scored a last minute equaliser away to Clyde through Milan Palenik, however this reduced Accies lead to two points.
Dundee signed two forwards Colin McMenamin and Mickael Antoine- Curier.
Accies travelled to Clyde on an afternoon which would go a long way to deciding the destination of the League Title.
Hamilton got off to a poor start when Clyde’s Gary Arbuckle scored after a defensive mistake by Accies after 3mins.
Clyde’s Dougie Imrie scored a terrific free kick to the give the home side a shock 2-0 early lead. Colin McMenamin gave Dundee a 1-0 lead at Dens Park to effectively put them top of the league.
Accies sent on flu stricken substitute James McArthur after 35mins and he set up Richard Offiong to pull a goal back before half time.
Simon Mensing drew Accies level at 2-2 while at Dens Park , Queen of the South brought their game with Dundee level.
Accies fans were delighted to here news of Queens taking a 3-1 lead as Richard Offiong put Accies 3-2 ahead.
Late drama followed with Colin McMenamin pulling a late goal back for Dundee but they lost 3-2.
Accies survived a late scare when Clyde were awarded an injury time penalty but it was saved by Accies keeper Bryn Halliwell.
This would move Accies from being potentially one point behind Dundee at half time to five points ahead in 45mins of football.
In the end Accies left Broadwood with a five point lead before Monday’s Scottish Cup Replay at Brechin.
Accies lost 2-1 at Brechin but after an appeal Brechin were removed from the Scottish Cup after the clubs were initially ordered to replay the game, for fielding two ineligible players, as January ended in crazy circumstances.
February 2008
Accies travelled to Pittodrie and were unfortune to exit the Scottish Cup 1-0.
Accies returned to New Douglas Park and produced an impressive performance against Dunfermline Athletic. Richard Offiong scored a first half kat trick as Accies won 3-0. Once again the striker gave Sol Bamba a tough afternoon.
Dundee’s 1-1 draw at Livingston increased Accies lead to seven points.
Accies then faced the tricky trip to McDiarmid Park to face St Johnstone.
Mark Gilhaney gave Accies a first half lead but St Johnstone bounced back with two second goals to defeat Accies 2-1.
Dundee’s home 2-0 won over Morton cut Accies lead to four points with Accies still to travel to Dens Park on the final day , many including BBC Radio Scotland’s reporter at Dens Park saw this is a major turning point in the title race in favour of the Dark Blues.
This no doubt inspired Dundee to beat Strling Albion 6-1 at Forthbank however Accies held their nerve and produced a strong performance to beat Livingston 3-1 at home to maintain the four point lead. This was the second time in the season Livingston scored at New Douglas Park where Accies ended with an incredible gaols against of only three goals conceded at home all season in the league. Dunfermline were on the opening day were the team team other then Livingston to breach the home Accies defence.
March 2008
Accies opened March with new signing James Grady starting and Andy Waterworth on the bench , as Billy Reid tried to improve his attacking options for the run-in as they faced Queen of the South at Palmerston.
Dundee faced a tricky match at home to third place St Johnstone.
James Grady opened the scoring for Accies after 21mins but the home side quickly fought back and two goals Stephen Dobbie gave the Doonhamers a 2-1 half time lead,
Dundee took the lead at Dens Park shortly before half time as Curier netted.
The news from Dens Park improved during the second half when Jody Morris equalised for the Perth Saints before McMenamin restored Dundee’s lead.
The Accies fans were then given more hope when Andy Jackson made it 2-2 at Dens Park.
Accies also made it 2-2 at Palmerston when James McCarthy netted in 89mins to give Accies a share of the points.
A late Colin McMenamin goal at Dens Park gave Dundee a 3-2 win and cut Accies lead to two points.
Accies returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 3-0 home win over Morton where David Graham scored his first home goal before Tony Stevenson converted from the penalty spot in the second half. The scoring was rounded off by substitute James Gibson.
Accies lead was extended to five points but Dundee had a game in hand as they were playing in the Scottish Cup. Dundee lost 2-0 at Palmerston and were knocked out the Scottish Cup.
Accies went to Dunfermline in midweek and drew 1-1 , while Dundee beat Livingston 2-0 with Curier scoring a double reducing Accies lead to three points but having played a game more.
This set up Accies v Dundee at New Douglas Park as probably the most crucial game of the season.
A record crowd of 5,078 saw Accies the better team and took the lead on 18mins when a Tony Stevenson free kick was headed on by Alex Neil. The Dundee goalkeeper Craig Samson produced a great save but the ball fell to James McArthur to score. Accies goalkeeper Tomas Cerny was caught late by Colin McMenamin and in the ensuing melee , Mickael Antoine Curier was booked. Accies were helped when he picked up a second yellow card early in the second half. Accies held out for the 1-0 win to go six points clear having played one more game.
James McCarthy scored an early goal in a 1-0 win against Stirling at Forthbank where future England International Jay Rodriguez started for the home side on loan from Burnley.
Dundee also won 1-0 at Dunfermline to keep the gap unchanged at the top.
Accies ended the month with a frustrating 0-0 home draw with Partick Thistle. Partick goalkeeper Johnny Tuffey was in superb form to stop Accies from scoring.
Dundee beat Clyde 2-0 at Dens Park to reduce Accies lead four points ahead of their game in hand against Partick Thistle at Firhill.
April 2008
The league table going into April showed
Accies P 32 Pts 66
Dundee P 31 Pts 62
Dundee were still due to play Accies at home on the final day so their game in hand at Firhill was crucial for the destiny of the league title.
I was in the crowd at Firhill as was Accies manager Billy Reid and his Assistant Stuart Taylor.
Dundee opened strongly in the first 45mins with Derek Lyle who had signed a pre contract agreement to join Accies in the summer prominent for Dundee.
Partick Thistle were awarded a penalty in the second half but their joy was short lived as the referee changed his mind.
Dundee looked to have dropped two point in their efforts to claw back Accies lead but worse was to follow for the Dark Blues when Partick’s Mark Roberts scored after 88mins to win 1-0 and Accies stayed four points ahead with four games to play.
This meant if Accies won their next three games they would be Champions before they arrived in Dundee in the final day.
Accies beat St Johnstone 2-0 at New Douglas Park with Tony Stevenson scoring direct from a corner and David Elebert heading from from another of his corners.
Dundee maintained their challenge winning 2-1 away to Morton but their was nothing they could do if Accies won their next two games.
Accies took a massive travelling support to Almodvale as Accies produced one of the best performances of the season to beat Livingston 3-1.
Richard Offiong gave Accies an early lead and went into half time 2-0 ahead when James McArthur scored an excellent team goal. Simon Mensing scored at the start of the second half and seal the victory before Livingston scored a late penalty.
Dundee kept up the chase four points behind with two games remaining when they beat Striling Albion 3-0.
Hamilton Accies clinched the First Division Championship in front of 4,940 fans when they beat Clyde 2-0 with Tony Stevenson netting from the penalty spot before Richard Offiong capped a fine season scoring a second before half time. Dundee lost 1-0 against Queen of the South.
The final day saw Dundee play a young Accies team where Andy Waterworth;s goal was cancelled out in the final minute by Colin McMenamin,
Accies gave a debut to Grant Gillespie and Gary Gow.
Hamilton Accies 2007-08 Part 1
PART ONE – AUGUST TO DECEMBER 2007
Accies won the First Division Championship in 2007-08 , this is a look back at another successful season.
August 2007
Accies began the 2007/08 season with a home league match against Dunfermline Athletic.
In front of a bumper crowd in the summer sunshine of 3,383. Dunfermline had been relegated from the Premier Division and were on the back of losing the Scottish Cup Final 1-0 to Celtic in May.
Accies began brightly and opened the scoring after 4mins through Stuart Taylor.
Dunfermline fought back and equalised before half time through Mark Burchill
The Second half saw Dunfermline’s Phil McGuire and a penalty netted by Accies Richard Offiong gave Accies a 2-1 win.
Accies had a 2-1 midweek win over East Stirling.
Richard Offiong and Paul McLeod scored. before a trip to Broadwood would see Billy Reid’s team win 2-0. Clyde’s Neil McGregor was sent off for a last man challenge and Richard Offiong again netted from the penalty spot , before David Elebert sealed the victory with a looping header.
A much changed Accies team were knocked out of the Challenge Cup 2-1 by Ayr despite an early Stuart Taylor goal.
Normal service resumed in the league when a Richard Offiong goal after 17mins gave Accies a 1-0 home win over Queen of the South.
A visit to Greenock saw Richard Offiong score twice including another penalty to win 2-0 over Morton and maintain Accies 100% league record in August and stay 2pts ahead of Dundee.
The League Cup continued with Accies winning 3-2 at Berwick despite going behind early on David Winters equalised before Brian Wake put Accies 2-1 up. Berwick equalised at 2-2. Accies won when Brian Wake scored to make it 3-2.
September 2007
Accies began September in devastating fashion when Richard Offiong scored a quickfire double midway through the first half at Firhill against Partick Thistle and Accies headed into the international break with a 3-0 victory when Stuart Taylor scored early in the second half.
Accies returned from a week’s rest to face Stirling Albion at home. Captain Alex Neil’s 26th min free kick found it’s way into the net before Mark Gilhaney scored a spectacular second early in the second half. The winger then had a shot blocked but the rebound fell to teenager James McCarthy to net the third. Accies sealed a 4-0 win when Brian Wake scored with 5mins remaining.
Accies had a maximum points tally of 18pts from their first six games and led Dundee by 4pts.
Accies would drop their first points of the season when they drew 1-1 at home to Livingston. Accies led at the interval with Stuart Taylor heading in at the far post from a corner. Livingston equalised when a Graham Dorrans shot was parried into the path of Stephen Craig who netted.
Dundee also drew, a surprising 2-2 score at Forthbank against Dundee allowed Accies to maintain their 4point lead.
Accies followed this up by beating Premier League Kilmarnock in the league Cup at Douglas Park where James McCarthy and James McArthur scored and made national headlines for the first time.
Accies then travelled to Perth to visit St Johnstone a ground where Accies have a terrible record and this proved to be the case again. Accies suffered their first defeat of the season. An early goal by Stuart Taylor gave Accies a great start but the midweek efforts took their toll as St Johnstone fought back and ran out 4-1 winners.
Dundee’s 2-1 win over Morton reduced Accies lead to 1 point at the end of September.
The two teams would face off at New Douglas Park the following week for the first time in the season.
October 2007
Accies opened October with a home game against title rivals Dundee.
Accies lead had been cut to one point but Dundee led third place St Johnstone by seven points and the title even this early in the season looked a two horse race.
The game was deadlocked until the 83rd minute when a free kick was lofted into the penalty area by David Winters on to the head of Mark McLaughlin who bulleted a header into the net. Paul McLeod added a second goal for Accies late in the game to seal a crucial 2-0 win and re-open Accies four point lead over the Dens Park men at the top.
Accies fans travelled to East End Park with some trepidation as the newly relegated Dunfermline would be out for revenge following their opening day 2-1 defeat at New Douglas Park.
It was however Accies who came out of the blocks and a nightmare day for Dunfermline Athletic’s Sol Bmaba. The defender was caught in possession after 4mins by James McArthur who ran on and scored. His midfield team-mate James McCarthy then doubled the lead after 17mins, when he latched on to a short headed pass back by Bamba to round the keeper and score.
On the half hour mark Richard Offiong picked up a loose ball in midfield , flicked it over the head of a defender before unleashing an incredible 25 yard dipping volley into the net to give Accies a 3-0 lead. The goal was sensational and drew applause from some Dunfermline fans due to the quality of the goal.
The game was over 13 seconds into the second half when David Winters robbed Sol Bamba of the ball and chipped it over the advancing goalkeeper to make it 4-0 to Accies. Accies eased off for the rest of the match and ran out deserved 5-0 winners when they broke away and David Winters scored his second of the match.
This maintained Accies four lead as Dundee beat Livingston 4-1.
This was an outstanding Accies performance which lives long in the memory.
Accies then beat Morton 1-0 in a controversial match at home. James McCarthy scored early but Morton appeared to equalise late. Chris Templeman knocked the ball into the net and although the referee awarded the goal initially. The Accies players were incensed surrounding the standside linesman, The referee had a long discussion with the linesman and eventually the goal was ruled out, as it had ben punched into the net.
This extended Accies lead over Dundee to six points as they drew 1-1 with Partick Thistle at Firhill.
Accies ended October with a 3-1 defeat to Dundee Utd in the League Cup Quarter Final at Tannadice, where Barry Robson set up each goal as Noel Hunt netted a hat trick. Richard Offiong’s penalty was a mere consolation for Accies.
November 2007
Accies went to Dumfries and opened the scoring through James McCarthy but a poor second half saw Bryn Halliwell spill the ball and it bounced off Mark McLaughlin into his own net, before a shot hit the post and rebound in off Halliwell to give Queen of the South a 2-1 win. A late Kevin McDonald goal at Dens Park gave Dundee a 2-1 win over St Johnstone and halved Accies lead back to three points.
Accies returned to New Douglas Park to face Partick Thistle and opened the scoring with a great shot by Richard Offiong. Chris Swailes headed in from a corner after 77mins to give Accies a 2-0 win.
Dundee played bottom of the table Clyde and Dens Park the following day and a late Paul Dixon own goal gave Clyde a surprise win and left Accies six points ahead at the top of the table.
The top two met at Dens Park the following week with on loan Falkirk striker Roman Wallner making his debut.
Dundee took the lead after 12 mins when Scott Robertson scored from close range. Richard Offiong missed from the penalty spot in the second half to compound Accies misery , losing the game 1-0. Accies lead was now down to three points going into December.
December 2007
December began with a trip to Stirling Albion and Accies added to new players to the squad with the loan signings of Simon Mensing from Motherwell and David Graham from Gretna.
Simon Mensing opened the scoring on his debut , with Roman Wallner scoring his first Accies goal to give away side a 2-0 deserved half time lead.
Former Accies striker Colin Cramb came on as substitute at half time for Stirling and quickly reduced the deficit before Richard Offiong put Accies 3-1 ahead.
Simon Mensing scored with a volley to make the game safe for Accies before another former Accies man Chris Aitken converted from the penalty as Accies won 4-2. Dundee won 1-0 at Dunfermline so Accies lead remained at three points.
Accies would then suffer a massive blow in the season when they lost 2-0 to a very good Livingston side at Almondvale.
Two second goals by Robert Snodgrass gave the home side a very much deserved win, as Dundee beat Stirling Albion and reduce Accies lead at the top of the table to goal difference.
Even this early in the season , eyes were beginning to look towards a potential final day decider with Accies due to travel to Dens Park.
Accies beat St Johnstone 1-0 at New Douglas Park, when good play by James McCarthy after 11mins , allowed James McArthur to score the only goal of the game. Dundee won 2-0 away to Morton and Accies lead was now only 4 goals.
Roman Wallner returned to Falkirk.
Boxing Day brought a visit of lowly Clyde to New Douglas Park and a very difficult afternoon ensued with Accies unable to breakdown the Bully Wee defence and the game ended 0-0.
Dundee had Derek Lyle sent off as they lost 2-1 to Queen of the South in Dumfries , to allow Accies to move one point ahead.
Accies ended the year with a trip to Cappielow to face Morton and Richard Offiong’s early goal was soon cancelled out by an equaliser from the home side.
David Graham netted his first goal before Simon Mensing made it 3-1 to Accies before half time.
The second half was a bit of a non event.
A last minute Kevin McDonald goal gave Dundee a 1-0 home win over Partick Thistle , so Accies moved into 2008 with a one point lead.
Sadly Scottish Football was stunned to hear of the sudden passing of Motherwell player Phil O’Donnell during their game at Fir Park.
B&Q CUP
Accies Winners 1991 & 1992
The Scottish Football League marked their Centenary by creating the Centenary Cup in 1990 , which was played by lower division clubs on a knockout basis with Dundee beating Ayr Utd at Fir Park 3-2.
It was then decided to continue the competition with the backing of sponsor B&Q – Hamilton Accies were the first winners and retained the trophy despite it being stolen from the Douglas Park boardroom.
1991/92 Season
The 1991/92 First Division Championship was one of the tightest in history as the background to the B&Q Cup. Hamilton Accies missed out on promotion by 1 point from Champions Dundee and on Goal Difference by 2 goals from second placed Partick Thistle
First Round
Hamilton Accies opened their campaign with a strong performance beating Alloa Athletic 5-1 at Douglas Park , with two goals apiece from Craig Napier and Trevor Smith with a goal from George McCluskey
Accies team – Ferguson , McKee, Miller , Millen, Weir, Napier, Harris, Reid, McCluskey, Smith, McDonald – Subs – Hillcoat, McAneney.
Ayr Utd gained revenge for their previous season final defeat with a 2-0 win over Dundee at Dens Park.
Second Round
Accies were given a tough draw away to fellow First Division promotion hopefuls Partick Thistle. A Billy Reid first half goal gave Accies the half time lead but it took a late George McCluskey goal to seal a 2-1 victory.
Accies team – Ferguson , McKee, Miller , Millen, Weir, McKenzie, Harris, Reid, McCluskey, Smith, Stark – Subs – Cramb.
Raith Rovers won on penalties away to Clydebank after a 1-1 draw, while Queen of the South also progressed on penalties after a 3-3 home draw with Striling Albion.
Ayr Utd had a comfortable 2-0 win at Stenhousemuir.
Quarter Finals
Accies travelled to Methil to face East Fife and after 40 seconds Trevor Smith scored for the Lanarkshire men. East Fife were to go 2-1 ahead for a long spell until late goals from George McCluskey and Andy Millen sealed Accies place in the Semi Finals.
Accies team – Ferguson , McKee, Miller , Millen, Weir, McKenzie, Harris, Reid, McCluskey, Smith, Stark – Subs – McGuigan, Cramb.
Ayr Utd had the relatively comfortable task of defeating Stranraer 2-0 at home while Gordon Dalziel scored a hat trick as Raith Rovers won 3-2 away to Morton.
The other Quarter Final was an incredible with Montrose and Queen of the South locked at 3-3 at 90 minutes , extra time produced a goal rush the the Dumfries side running out 7-4 winners.
Semi Finals
Accies suffered a major injury blow at Firhill on the Saturday before the semi final when goalkeeper Allan Ferguson suffered a serious knee injury which ruled him out for the season. Gordon Dalziel scored a penalty for Raith Rovers before late goals by Colin Miller and Jim Weir gave Accies a 2-1 home win and a place in the final.
Accies team – Monaghan , McKee, Miller , Millen, Weir, McKenzie, Harris, Reid, Clark, Smith, McGuigan – Subs – McCluskey, Stark.
The other Semi Final saw Ayr Utd beat Queen of the South 3-2 at Somerset Park.
The Final
The final was played at Fir Park , Motherwell between Hamilton Accies managed by Billy McLaren and Ayr Utd managed by George Burley in front of 9,663 fans on Sunday 8th December 1991.
Accies won the match 1-0 when a Colin Harris free kick evaded Ayr goalkeeper David Purdie and nestled in the keepers bottom left hand corner. Many Accies fans were surprised to see Harris start the game having limped out of the midweek win over Meadowbank where he scored with his last touch before being substituted.
Accies team – McCulloch , McKee, Miller , Millen, Weir, McKenzie, Harris, Reid, McCluskey, Clark, McDonald – Subs unused – Stark , Hillcoat.
1992/93 Season
Accies manager Billy McLaren departed after the failure to win promotion and he was replaced by Iain Munro
First Round
Accies began the defence of the trophy with a strong 3-0 win at Dumbarton.
Accies team – Ferguson , Hillcoat, Miller , Millen, Weir, Napier, Clark, Reid, Harris, Smith, McDonald – Subs – Cramb, Ward
Alex Mathie scored a hat-trick at Forfar as Morton won 5-2
Second Round
Accies were given another away draw however it was a fairly routine 2-0 at Albion Rovers, in a Lanarkshire derby.
Accies team – Ferguson , McKee, Hillcoat, Millen, Weir, Napier, Clark, McEntegart, Harris, Smith, McDonald – Subs – McKenzie, Ward
Meadowbank won 4-3 on pens after a 0-0 draw in Kirkcaldy against Raith Rovers.
Montrose won 4-0 at Cowdenbeath while Morton squeezed through 2-1 at Brechin.
Quarter Finals
Accies produced a strong home performance to romp past Berwick Rangers 5-2 at Douglas Park, with Gary Clark netting twice.
Accies team – Ferguson , McKee, Hillcoat, Millen, Weir, McEntegart, Ward, Reid, Harris, Clark, McDonald – Subs – Smith, Waters
Montrose won a tight game at Stirling 1-0 with Meadowbank beating Queen of the South 3-2 at home.
The big game of the round saw Kilmarnock host Morton with the Greenock side coming out on top 2-1. Alex Mathie opening the scoring before Tommy Burns equalised for Kilmarnock in front of almost 5,000 fans. A late Derek Lilley gola won the tie for Morton.
Semi Finals
The first semi final was played at Cappielow between Morton and Montrose.
Montrose managed by Jim Leishman took a shock lead through Stewart Forsyth after 6 minutes, however Alex Mathie equalised before half time. The second half produced no more goals. Extra Time saw Morton triumph 3-1 with goals from Rowan Alexander and Alex Mathie.
The second semi final was at Douglas Park 24 hours later and produced an astonishing ending.
In a poor game Stuart Wilson scored for the visitors after 4 minutes and they defended for their life’s even after Paul McDonald equalised from the penalty spot early in the second half.
The game was decided by a bizzare penalty shoot-out.
Accies Colin Harris had the first kick saved by Steve Ellison , but Allan Ferguson saved from Gordon McLeod.
The second Accies kick was taken by Kenny Ward but again the Meadowbank goalkeeper saved. It would be Alan Banks of Meadowbank who would score to put the visitors 1-0 ahead in the shoot out.
Paul McDonald levelled for Accies and Allan Ferguson saved from Ian Little to bring the shoot-out level.
Amazingly Trevor Smith for Accies and John Coughlin failed to convert as did Andy Millen and Paul Rutherford, so the score remained at 1-1 after the regulation penalties and the game went to sudden death.
Steve Ellison saved from Craig Napier and took the 6th Meadowbank kick to put them in the final , but missed.
Billy Reid scored Accies 7th penalty before Meadowbank’s Malcom Murray hit the base of the post and Accies progressed to their second successive final.
The Final
The final was played at Love Street , Paisley between Hamilton Accies managed by Ian Munro and Morton managed by Allan McGraw in front of 7,391 fans on Sunday 13th December 1992.
Morton took the lead after 11 minutes through Rowan Alexander headed home a Derek McInnes free kick. Accies equalised almost immediately, Gary Clark was brought down in midfield by Martin Doak. Paul McDonald’s free kick was headed towards goal by Colin Harris, but David Wylie could only palm the ball out to Gary Clark to equalise. It was Gary Clark who put Accies ahead 2-1 at half time.
Referee Joe Timmons took unwell and was replaced by Hugh Williamson.
Morton pressed for an equaliser but Accies looked to have won the cup when Gary Clark broke upfield and released Chris Hillcoat on the right to make it 3-1.
Rowan Alexander scored his second goal of the match but Accies held out win 3-2.
The competition continues sponsor and format changes with the finals played at different times of the year , but Accies fans will always have great memories of these two finals in December 1991 & 1992.
Accies lost the final in November 2005 to St Mirren 2-1 at Airdrie and in April 2012 to Falkirk 1-0 at Livingston.
Hamilton Accies however were cup winners again in March 2023 defeating Raith Rovers 1-0 at the Falkirk Stadium.
Football is Academical 