Aidan Smith: John Brownlie just edged it over Danny McGrain

Two of our finest right-backs spark intriguing debate

John Brownlie in Scotland colours. Picture: SNS

I might have written about Kyle Walker here but what a waste of words that would have been. The Manchester City and England defender has been dubbed football’s biggest “Covidiot” and a “lockdown clown” for forgetting there’s a global pandemic and flouting the stay-at-home rules to drive 40 miles to his sister’s house for a party and, at one of four addresses he’s visited recently, hosting a – woops – orgy.

But we’re going to travel - legitimately and decently - from orgy to Oggi. Then from Oggi to Onion. Two other right-backs are more worthy of your attention and – what’s this? – they’re both Hibbies.

John Ogilvie, who helped provide the bedrock for Hibs’ Famous Five to soar, has died from coronavirus aged 91. Of all the interviews I did for my book on the smashing of the Scottish Cup curse, Oggi was the funniest. Every tackle was a war for the fellow I reckoned to be the club’s oldest cup campaigner, having been part of the squad for the 1947 final. Wingers ended up in a heap, on the cinder track or the other side of the wall.

Onion is John Brownlie, pictured, still with us, and still with cheerleaders who believe him to have been peerless in his position.

My colleague Andrew Smith wrote recently that Danny McGrain was the best. This argument was a feature of our sports department’s Christmas night out when two much-missed colleagues, Ian Wood (Brownlie) and Glenn Gibbons (McGrain), would illustrate their men’s attacking prowess by shuffling around the condiments.

Before I could challenge Andrew, two letters arrived in our mailbox. As they rightly pointed out, Onion edges it because he scored goals.