Football Hall of Fame: Pat Stanton and Gordon McQueen among five new inductees

Stanton was one of three ex-Scotland central defenders honoured, with Gordon McQueen and Frank McLintock joining him. There was also a long overdue induction of legendary former Rangers and Scotland striker Bob McPhail, while the Hall of Fame class of 2012 was completed by Andrew Watson, who became the world’s first black international footballer when he played for Scotland in 1881.

Stanton’s award was presented to him by his old Hibs team-mate Alex Cropley at the Hilton Hotel function, while former Rangers winger Davie Wilson accepted the honour on behalf of Ibrox icon McPhail, who died in 2000. Richard McBrearty is the curator of the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden where the Hall of Fame is located.

Inaugurated in 2004, the Hall of Fame now has 82 members, but remarkably, there is still no place in it for the peerless former Hearts and Scotland forward Bobby Walker who in the early part of the 20th century was regarded as Europe’s greatest player.

Here’s a look at the 2012 inductees:

PAT STANTON

Steeped in Hibs tradition, as the great, great nephew of the Easter Road club’s first ever captain, Michael Whelahan, Stanton was one of the finest and certainly most popular players in their history. He also served Scotland with distinction and finished his playing career with a brief but successful spell at Celtic.

Edinburgh-born Stanton joined Hibs in 1963, having played for Bonnyrigg Rose, and quickly established himself as a first-team player. Equally accomplished in midfield or at the back, Stanton went on to make 617 appearances for Hibs, scoring 78 goals.

A key component of the outstanding Hibs side who were a major force in Scottish football under Eddie Turnbull’s management in the 1970s, Stanton led them to trophy success in 1972 when they defeated Celtic in the League Cup Final at Hampden. He was capped 16 times for Scotland, captaining the side on three occasions, between 1966 and 1974.

In 1976, he joined Celtic in a swap deal which took Jackie McNamara to Hibs. In Stanton’s first season at Parkhead under Jock Stein, he completed the set of major domestic honours as he helped Celtic win the Scottish Premier Division and Scottish Cup double.

After just one appearance in 1977-78, injury forced Stanton to retire and embark on a managerial career. After a spell as assistant to Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen, he became a manager in his own right at Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline and then Hibs from 1982 to 1984. Now 68, Stanton remains a welcome presence at Hibs on home match days.

BOB McPHAIL

One of the most prolific and successful strikers in Scottish football history, Barrhead-born McPhail began his career with Pollok Juniors before being signed by Airdrie in 1923. The following year, aged just 18, he helped an Airdrie side which also included the brilliant Hughie Gallacher to lift the Scottish Cup when they defeated Hibs 2-0 in the final at Ibrox.

That stadium would be the base for the greatest years of McPhail’s career as Rangers signed him for £5000 in 1927. In his 12 years with the club, he was a member of 12 title-winning sides and lifted the Scottish Cup on another six occasions. He scored 276 goals in 443 appearances for Rangers, setting goalscoring records which stood until Ally McCoist eclipsed them in the 1990s.

McPhail also enjoyed an outstanding international career, winning 17 Scotland caps in an era when far fewer representative fixtures were played. He scored seven goals for his country and helped achieve four victories in five appearances against England. McPhail’s finest hour came when he scored twice in Scotland’s 3-1 win against the Auld Enemy at Hampden in 1937.

After hanging up his boots in 1940, McPhail had a spell as reserve team coach for Rangers. He remained a regular attender at Ibrox for much of his life, passing away in August 2000 at the age of 94.

GORDON McQUEEN

For Scotland fans of a certain vintage, former Leeds United and Manchester United star McQueen will always be remembered for his towering headed goal in the famous 2-1 win over England at Wembley in 1977, which sparked the delirious post-match invasion of the pitch and dismantling of the goalposts.

It was one of five goals McQueen scored for his country in 30 appearances, although injury sadly denied Scotland his services at the 1978 World Cup finals in Argentina, where many believe his presence on the field may have prevented the calamitous outcome for Ally MacLeod’s squad.

A commanding centre-half,  Kilbirnie-born McQueen began his senior career at St Mirren before being signed by Don Revie’s Leeds United for £30,000 in September 1972. A League Championship winner at Elland Road in 1974, he missed their European Cup final loss to Bayern Munich the following year because of suspension.

In 1978, McQueen was sold to Manchester United along with compatriot Joe Jordan for a then massive £495,000 fee. He collected an FA Cup winner’s medal with the Old Trafford club in 1983. He had a spell in coaching and management, in charge of Airdrie and then as a coach at both St Mirren and Middlesbrough. He has also been a regular Sky Sports pundit. Now 60, McQueen has happily recovered from cancer of the larynx, with which he was diagnosed last year.

FRANK McLINTOCK

Raised in the Gorbals district of Glasgow, McLintock was playing for Shawfield Juniors when he was spotted by Leicester City and joined the Midlands club on his 17th birthday in 1957. A tenacious and intelligent centre half or midfielder, he made his first team breakthrough two years later and was part of the team still regarded by many Leicester fans as the finest in the club’s history. McLintock was part of two FA Cup final losing sides with the Foxes, in 1961 and 1963, during a spell when they were consistent contenders for major honours.

In October 1964, he was sold to Arsenal for a then record fee of £80,000 and enjoyed a highly successful nine years at Highbury. As captain of Arsenal, he led them to a Fairs Cup final triumph over Anderlecht in 1970 and then to the League and FA Cup double the following year when he was named Footballer of the Year in England.

McLintock left Arsenal in 1973, making the short move to Queen’s Park Rangers where he narrowly missed out on another League title success in 1976, when they finished just a point behind champions Liverpool.

He was capped nine times by Scotland, captaining his country once. After retiring as a player in 1977, McLintock had spells as manager of Leicester City and Brentford before becoming a media pundit. Now 72, last night saw him complete a double honour after also being inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame three years ago.

ANDREW WATSON

The son of a sugar plantation owner, Watson was born in what was then known as British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1857. He was educated in London before moving to Scotland to study engineering at the University of Glasgow.

After playing for Maxwell FC and Parkgrove FC, Watson joined Queen’s Park in 1880 and helped the country’s then pre-eminent club add to their haul of Scottish Cup triumphs.

In March 1881, Watson was selected by Scotland and became the world’s first black international player. His debut was a triumph as he helped Scotland crush England 6-1 away from home. He was a member of the side which defeated Wales 5-1 the following week, before winning his third and final cap in 1882 when Scotland inflicted another  beating on England, this time 5-1 at Hampden.

Watson moved to England, where he played for Swifts and Corinthians, before emigrating to Australia. He died there in 1902 at the age of 44.