|
Tam Mc Donald
Lanark's manager- ex Auchinleck legend Tam Mc Donald- took time out to speak to the website this week [Nov 2005]. Tam won an astonishing 41 winners medals (30 as a player) in his 18 years as player, coach and manager of a dominant Talbot side of the 80s/90s. He was also capped twice by Scotland at junior level. He was sacked by the Beechwood park outfit in August 2004 after Talbot lost their opening few league games- which probably constitutes a crisis by their standards- but was quickly snapped up by Lanark and steered the Moor Park men to the central district second division title by a country mile as well as capturing the Evening Times cup winners cup, a fantastic achievement in his first season in charge.
Site Ed: Did you need much persuading to join Lanark?
Tam Mc Donald: "No, they were a sleeping giant, hopefully myself, John [Gibson, asst manager], Stevie [Pillans, coach] and Jack [Steele, goalkeeping coach] can bring them forward. I brought John and Jack in, Stevie had left the club we invited him back for his knowledge of the local football. Jack's been a great find as he's made Alan [Smith] lose two stone and a far better keeper."
Ed: The Evening Times cup- were you surprised to win it?
T McD: "Obviously, but with the calibre of player we've brought to the club we like to win things. That's what we're trying to breed, we're trying to bring professionalism to the club and with that you can get a wee run if luck's with you. I think we deserved it the way we played that week."
Ed: Did you get any extra pleasure by beating Talbot along the way?
T McD: "Not at all. They were just another premier league club. You deserve all the praise you get when teams from lower leagues beat premier teams. I've not got a bad word to say about anybody at Auchinleck, I had a great time there. I would recommend the club to anyone to go there, wholeheartedly."
Ed: What are your aims for this season?
T McD: "Consolidate in the league, have a good run in the Scottish, a good run in the West. Try to excite the village a wee bit to get more supporters to come to the games."
Ed: Do you think we're on course from what you've seen?
T McD: "I think so, hand on heart, yes. You've seen the last few games the way we're going in the right direction. Nobody's just turning up and getting a game now. They're all putting pressure on for a jersey and perform better under a wee bit of pressure. I'm always looking for players, if someone better comes in I'll ask one of the lads to leave. First and foremost they've got to be able to play football and be friends after it. They all know what we're there to do, to work hard and get a result on the Saturday."
Ed: What are your long term aims for Lanark?
T McD: "To get them into the premier, to me where we deserve to be especially with that surface [at Moor Park], to me it's second to none. And with the committee we've got it's unfair on them to run a club in that division, to me they're a premier league committee."
Ed: Excluding Lanark, who would you fancy for promotion?
T McD: "I liked Cumbernauld, I liked Clydebank but I'll wait and see EK, Glencairn and Yoker. But they're the two teams I've liked, they're quite good, quite compact."
Ed: You're not the type to rant and rave at players from the touchline, but do you get tore into them in the dressing room?
T McD: "Behind closed doors I'm a different cookie. It's a game you've got to play very carefully, you've got to be a psychiatrist with everybody as manager. They've all got their faults and their pluses you've just got to deal with them."
Ed: The committee- are they okay when you need money to make new signings?
T McD: "They haven't said no yet."
Ed: Your best signing for Lanark?
T McD: "John Gibson, best number two anybody could ever have. Not far behind are Stevie and Jack and the rest follow suit."
Ed: Best player(s) at the club, attitude-wise?
T McD: "Your Gary Shearer, Gary Mc Grotty, Craig Stark. Total professionalism we're trying to breed through the whole team."
Ed: Do you support any other team?
T McD: "No, my heart's all into Lanark. Couldn't give two fv^%s about Rangers, Celtic, Auchinleck, Cumnock. I'm a Lanark fan."
Ed: Would you fancy managing a senior team one day?
T McD: "Obviously if it came around you'd like to try it but it won't happen. I'm a juniors man through and through."
Ed: Should the juniors be allowed into the Scottish cup and the league?
T McD: "I think they deserve to get a wee run in the Scottish. The league, no.The financial package is too dear for junior clubs they couldn't afford it."
Ed: Your favourite ground?
T McD: "Playing surface or what..? When I played it would be Cumnock because I liked the hostile atmosphere and all that. As a manager, it would be Pollok's park which was quite nice. But the surface at ours is second to none."
Ed: It must've been pretty hairy in those Cumnock games, what was it like to play in them?
T McD: "Cumnock was the nearest you'd get to playing in a Rangers-Celtic game. We played them in an Ayrshire cup final once and there were more arrests at our game than the old firm one, down to the hostile hatred between the two villages. If anyone gets the chance to sample these games jump at it."
Ed: Did you get into bother in those games?
T McD: "Me? No, I was a touch player!"
Ed: Best goal you scored?
T McD: "Probably Petershill when Talbot won the Scottish cup 1-0. I scored against Pollok in '96 as well."
Ed: What was it like to score the winner in a cup final?
T McD: (Tam said something about a male body part that can't be repeated on a family site!) "That's what I said on radio, and got sine die-d from the radio for it."
Ed: Most memorable game?
T McD: "Playing in- Talbot v Hill of Beath, quarter-final Scottish cup at Hill's park. We drew two each at Beechwood we went down to nine men when Kenny Paterson and Ian Dick got sent off I was just coming back from injury and we won 5-0."
Ed: Best player you played with?
T McD: "Too many, couldn't single one out."
Ed: Your hero as a boy?
T McD: "John Wark, Alex Mac Donald because they scored goals from midfield."
Ed: Finally, highlights of your career?
T McD: "Winning the Evening Times cup with Lanark as manager, managing Auchinleck in a Scottish cup final and playing in five [Scottish] finals with Auchinleck."
-----
Many thanks to Tam for his time and for agreeing to answer the questions. After an indifferent start to the season we're in the third round of the Scottish and the West, and picking up in the league so perhaps Tam and his assistants can bring more glory to Moor Park this season... | 
