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In redmatchdaymagazine issue 20 there is a feature interview with Jonny Hayes.
“I then had a lot of scouts offering me trials – I went to some and not others. Cherry Orchard has a partnership with Manchester City so they had first refusal, but I ended up going to about twelve different clubs on trial, playing games and then narrowed it down. I actually did not want to go to Reading – I remember the night before I went over thinking it would be between Spurs and Celtic but I went over anyway and I met Brendan Rodgers. He was the Academy Director at Reading and I spent six days in London with him. When I left to return home, I had made up my mind, I was going to sign for Reading. Brendan was brilliant. He went out of his way to make me feel welcome. He is one of the nicest guys I have come across in football. They offered me a deal at the end of the six days, but I played it cool and said I wanted to go home and discuss it with my parents, but I had already made up my mind. I was due to go on trial at Sunderland and Leeds but I did not want to go anywhere else. I had my heart set on playing at Reading with Brendan.
“…..Martin only lasted a few months in the job at Leicester before Gary Megson arrived, then he went to Bolton after about six weeks. Ian Holloway then came in and he was brilliant. You see the quotes he comes out with in the press, that is what he is like in real life. The first day he walked in and said we were not allowed to call him boss or gaffer, we have to call him Ollie because he was our mate. His enthusiasm was second to none.”
With the 30th anniversary of Gothenburg just around the corner, this week’s Former Players interview with a player who was a youngster at Pittodrie back in 83 – Willie Falconer.
What was the build up like for the ECWC final?
Sir Alex and Archie looked after the whole club from players, wives, girlfriends down to every member of the staff who worked behind the scenes, by taking them all to the final. Unfortunately myself and Ian Porteous had been picked for Scotland U18s to play in the European Championships down in England. We could not believe the timing, the same week as the final. We watched the game in our hotel room. I was gutted at missing out and knew I would have to listen to every celebration story when the guys returned.
The club have always had a great youth policy and with guys like Teddy Scott around, you must have felt right at home?
Teddy Scott was beyond his time, so much knowledge and he knew how to nurture young footballers through the ranks at high speed but still keep their feet on the ground. Ted was the buffer between the management and the younger players – he saved us from a few hair dryer moments from the manager and Archie! Teddy’s training methods were different every day, keeping it fresh and alive, although climbing trees in Seaton Park would not go down well nowadays with the health and safety!
Domestic success would follow the European trophies with league titles, Scottish Cups and a League Cup as Aberdeen proved they were the top dogs. The manager continued to build new teams but nothing lasts forever – did it come as a shock when Sir Alex left Aberdeen to go to Manchester United?
Sir Alex’s stock was rising as a manager, but it still came as a shock when he left to go to Manchester United. The younger players would be out at Seaton Park most afternoons with Archie, working on our game. Then this one afternoon, the manager’s wine coloured Mercedes pulled up, Archie disappeared inside it for about an hour. That was obviously the conversation about leaving Aberdeen, because a couple of days later, he was away.
Plus all the usual features, articles and columns from all our football correspondents.
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