News
EX-CELTS IN THE MEDIA PART 4 – MURDO MACLEOD
By David Potter
It would have been hard to imagine a more whole-hearted Celtic player than Murdo MacLeod. Not without cause was he nicknamed “Rhino”, for he was tough and thick-skinned with a murderous, crunching tackle. And he could play too.
Murdo MacLeod was a brilliant passer, a tenacious ball-winner and a fine distributor of the ball. He had a great shot as well, and was one of the best kickers of a dead ball the Celtic support had seen for many years. The chant “Murdo! Murdo!” would appear whenever Celtic were awarded a free kick outside the box.
His position? Midfield, but he could defend as well on both sides of the field and could also score goals.
What more does one need in a player? Not really very much, and clearly Billy McNeill thought so when he bought him from Dumbarton in early November 1978. By the end of the season, a difficult topsy-turvy season punctuated with bad weather and loads of postponements, Murdo had settled into the Celtic team and had won a Scottish League medal. This being achieved on the never to be forgotten night of May 21st 1978 when “ten men won the League” in that great 4-2 win over Rangers. No-body who was there will forget Murdo's sensational strike that settled the issue.
Yet, ethnically and in other ways, Murdo was not one of those born “Celtic minded”. He soon however became a true Celt, and it was remarkable that while others of a given religion were occasionally chided by the none too bright for not being “Celtic minded”, no-one ever said that of Murdo. He very rapidly became “Celtic minded” in every possible sense of the phrase. Celtic fans can always spot a trier and a talented player. Murdo was both.
Celtic were always among the honours in the those days and Murdo won 4 League Championships, 2 Scottish Cups and 1 League Cup. But there was never total domination for this was the era of two fine teams from the East of Scotland in Dundee United and Aberdeen who challenged hard.
Celtic never really made much of an impact on Europe in those days (losing to Real Madrid, Juventus, Notts Forest and Real Sociedad) and it was this that perhaps persuaded MacLeod to leave the Club that he now loved to try his luck in Europe with Borussia Dortmund in 1987. But he never really left Parkhead.
Even when Dortmund put Celtic out of Europe the following season, he was given a great greeting by his fans. And once again on Boxing Day 1987, when he appeared at Tannadice Park to see Celtic, a murmur of appreciation was soon heard among the Celtic fans and the chant of “Murdo! Murdo!” rang out. Then in April of that season, when Celtic landed the Scottish League as part of their Centenary celebrations, Murdo, working this day for a radio station in the Main Stand, was seen to join in the “Celtic Song” as the trophy was being paraded before the fans.
His playing days (which included 20 Scottish caps) over, Murdo turned to coaching and management with teams like Hibs, Dumbarton, Partick Thistle and of course with Celtic themselves, as assistant to Wim Jansen in that famous 1997/98 season when Celtic won the League and stopped Rangers' ‘in a row'.
But Murdo caught some of the flak that came in the aftermath of that memorable but strange season, and very soon turned to the media. He writes for the Daily Record (Boo! Hiss! – Ed), but it is with BBC Radio Scotland that he does a great job as a co-commentator and summariser. His opinions are trenchant, well expressed, and above all else, contain loads of sense. Just like they way he played, in fact.
Murdo remains a great Celt.
David Potter
|
|
