Alex announced he was glad to be invited to the evenings
events as he'd been looking forward to being present. Certain words have
been altered to save the faint hearted and their blushes, plus no responsibility
can go to how genuine the stories were, but they were terrific.
As
Alex recalled the Speakers received some welcome first thing said to him was
"Stuffed you last Wednesday", followed by "stuffed you yesterday Tam".
When he was a 15 years old and playing for the Scottish Schoolboys, this was an
exciting time in his life, as he went to Arsenal and Manchester United with his
father, but he signed for Liverpool simply because of Bill Shankly, he was a
Legend. Ian St. John had signed in June, Alex signed in July and Ron Yeats
signed in August at this time Liverpool were still in the 2nd Division.
Bill
had a habit of taking the younger players to big games and so himself and Tommy
Smith were taken to Highbury for a crunch League match and they were sitting
with the ground staff. It was 0-0 with 2 mins to go and as Big Ron Yeats
was about to clear the ball, he got a shout from Tommy Lawrence and the ball
went through Tommy's legs and Liverpool were beaten 1-0.
Tommy
was dejected and ran off the park without speaking to anyone, when he got into
the dressing room Shanks was standing there waiting for him like Cagny. Tommy said
"I'm sorry boss I've let you down all my team mates, the whole Club, I should
never have opened my legs".
"Don't worry Tommy
I don't blame you, I blame your mother for opening her legs".
Shanks signed Tony Hately 6' 4" for £100,000 and after a month he dropped him. Tony went to see why he had been dropped.
Shanks replied "You can't kick a ba wie your left foot, you can't kick a ba wie your right foot and you cannae trap a ba.
"Wait a minute though boss, I'm good in the air". Replied Hately.
"Douglas Badder was good in the air and had twa better legs than you".
Alex then went on to remiss about his days in football and how you always realise you'll be brought down to Earth very quickly. Wullie Cunningham had signed him for Dunfermline and Falkirk. Years and years later whilst he was at Aberdour with his family he spotted Wullie on the beach, so told his kid. "Listen I'm away to speak to Wullie he signed me twice, I'll be a while".
"Boss it's great to see you"
He said "It's gits like you that got me the sack"
Needless to say Alex was back speaking to his young lad sooner than expected. Another of his tales was when he signed for Alloa his final team as a player at the age of 33. Frank Connor was the Manager. Of course Alex was curious to know how things were with his new club.
"You'll love it here the with the scenery of the Ochil Hills, the undulations and the greenery".
"No I mean the team"
"Oh them they're blooming hopeless".
In 1983 Alex was Manager of Falkirk when Jock Wallace asked him to become his assistant and he went on to have 3 happy years at Ibrox, he did remember on his 2nd day there, Jock took him to see the first team versus the reserves so he could see all the players.
Jimmy Nicol flighted a free kick to Robert Prytz who brought it down on his chest and rifled the ball into the top corner past Peter McCloy, best goal Alex had seen. Jock ran onto the park I thought to pat him on the back, but he picked Prytz up off the ground and shouts. "Don't make a fool of the blooming goalkeeper".
When Graeme Souness came to Rangers "he only had two words to say to me"!!!!!!!!!!!
So when Alex moved onto St. Johnstone, he spent five and a half eventful years there, he believes it was one of the best Clubs he'd been Manager with. He'd taken them from the 2nd Division to the Premier League in 3 Seasons and they had built a new Stadium.
Whilst there he signed Stewart Kennedy and they were playing Motherwell Tam Cowan's team and a guy shouted.
"Hey Kennedy I saw every goal that flew past you at Wembley".
Quick as a flash Big Stewart replied. "You were blooming lucky I never saw one of them".
The Saints also signed Sergi Balatacha the Russian Internationalist with 70 caps. It was during the signing on talks with himself and Geoff Brown that they finally hammered out a pay deal and signing on fee, then Sergi hit them with a bombshell he wanted a car. Geoff thought "Oh no, I bet it's a top of the range Mercedes".
Sergi wanted a Lada, Geoff replied "Phew how many you wanting"?
Football's a funny old game, in 1991 Alex was the Manager of the year in Scotland when Davie Cooper won player of the year. In 1992 he got the sack. He remembered leaving his home and reaching McDairmid and got out the car and stood in a dog sh*t with a nail in it, he just knew it wasn't going to be his day.
Geoff goes "I'm no selling houses Alex".
Our current form was one defeat in eight games and 7th in the League we'd just been to Hampden after playing Rangers and made a lot of money.
Geoff says "We've got to part company"
"I wouldn't do that Mr Chairman you're doing a great job".
"I wiznae meaning me I mean you".
Alex had always supported Falkirk as a wee boy and in 1957 they won the Scottish cup, he'd gone to all the games and it was brilliant. In 1997 they reached the Cup Final which was another tremendous occasion. Alex received a lifetime achievement award from the fans which he is very proud of, as you get a medal and there aren't too many of them going about.
In the 5 and a half years of being in charge of Falkirk they were Runners up to Dundee who haven't looked back. They've finished 3rd twice, now can't go up because they don't have a Stadium. It's going to come now, which is great and he's now Director of Football which Alex thoroughly enjoys as they have a lot of good youngsters coming through and that's what gives Alex the most satisfaction.
When he was at St Johnstone he signed Callum Davidson when he was only 14 years old who's now gone on to play in the English Premiership and play for Scotland. It's the same with the Mark Kerr's and Lee Miller's coming through at Falkirk, it's more satisfying than signing a 25 year old.
After Alex left Liverpool, he ended up in Dundee, Eddie Turnbull almost signed him for Aberdeen, but Bob Shankly really impressed Alex so he signed for Dundee in 1964. Bobby Cox was still there and the nucleus of the Championship winning side.
After 4 games with the reserves Alex made his first team debut with Ally Donaldson and Jocky Scott and they stuffed Motherwell 6-0 on the Wednesday, as he turned to Tam Cowan and said. "It was blooming great". On the Saturday they played Rangers and won 4-1. Then they repeated the feat against United too. The headline which Alex still remembers most was "Dundee's merited win could be placed by the great defensive trio Hamilton, Ryden and Totten, he'd never forget that as it was brilliant.
Hammy gave Alex his Cup Final jersey after the Rangers game and since then Alex has donated it back to Dundee where it's proudly displayed in the Alex Hamilton Lounge, another thing Alex is proud of.
Alex finshed off by saying he was glad he was able to give Lee Mair and Lee Wilkie their chance when Wilkie was going nowhere. At this point Alex gave Lee a hug and he genuinely wishes Dundee go on and win the Cup.