Tributes pouring in to mourn death of MacLeod

Published on Monday 2 February 2004 00:00

HIBS legend Jimmy O’Rourke today paid tribute to former Scotland boss Ally MacLeod who has died aged 72 after a long illness.

MacLeod spent a short spell at Easter Road but left an ever-lasting impression on O’Rourke who said: "Ally was coming towards the end of what had been a good career with Blackburn Rovers when Walter Galbraith brought him to the club.

"He was a larger-than-life character. There was an enthusiasm and effervescence about him, the sort of guy every dressing room needs, always telling you stories.

"He was the sort of character which is in short supply in the game nowadays, not a stereotype by any stretch of the imagination." But for all his off-field humour, MacLeod was a gifted left winger. O’Rourke, who made his Hibs debut alongside MacLeod at the age of just 16 years and 87 days in a Fairs Cities Cup tie against Dutch outfit Utrecht, said: "He had a long stride and would probably be described as more of a wing-back today."

However, O’Rourke admitted he never thought he’s see MacLeod go on to have a successful career as a manager with Aberdeen, Ayr United and Scotland, taking the national side to the World Cup finals in Argentina in 1978.

He said: "I just couldn’t envisage Ally, being the sort of guy he was, going into management but he did so at the highest level.

"He had the whole of Scotland believing all we had to do was to turn up in Argentina and the World Cup was ours with everyone singing ‘We’re on the March with Ally’s Army’.

"Who else could boast he had 50,000 fans at Hampden just to see the team depart, he had the whole nation bouncing."

Hibs chief executive Rod Petrie said: "Everyone in the world of football has been saddened to hear of Ally’s passing.

"He will be remembered for leading Scotland to the World Cup finals with great enthusiasm and uniting the nation behind the efforts of the football team. He had a distinguished playing career, part of which was at Easter Road. We are very sorry to hear of his passing and our thoughts are with his family and close friends at this time."

Former Scotland international and Liverpool star Kenny Dalglish, whose Blackburn Rovers side played a testimonial game for him in 1993, paid tribute to MacLeod. "Ally was a real larger than life character," he said. "He was somebody who brought a great deal of humour into whatever company he was in. He will be sadly missed by everyone that knew him, not just in Ayr. The game nowadays could certainly do with more characters of his kind."

Former Scotland star Joe Jordan, who scored the opener in the 3-1 defeat by Peru that marked the beginning of the disaster in the 1978 World Cup finals, said he was very sad to hear of MacLeod’s death.

"He was always the optimist," Jordan said. "That’s what I would remember of him. He loved his football. It is a shame. It is very sad to hear of someone who has died at a relatively young age."

Jordan, best remembered for his time at Manchester United, said he first worked with MacLeod when he played for Scotland. "He was a person that never really changed - he was the same," Jordan said. "He only did a little bit during the World Cup in Argentina, when we were all under pressure.

I worked with him in 1978 at the World Cup and in 1977 when Scotland toured South America. I was injured for that tour but Ally still asked me to go anyway."