[Player Pics]

Early Career

I WAS brought up in the Ibrox area and as a youngster I used to go along and watch Rangers.

In those days, you were allowed into the ground for free in the last 20 minutes and I used to take advantage. That was where I had my first taste of real football.

However, my family were all Celtic supporters and I soon became an ardent fan myself.

I started to go and train with Queen's Park on a couple of nights a week when I was around 13 and their coach at that time was the former Gers player, Harold Davis. He was always pushing me forward and taking time out to help me.

I started playing junior football for Rob Roy and there were soon a lot of senior teams showing an interest. I received quite a few offers. But when Hearts came to me their chief scout said there was a vacant berth in the first team in my position that needed to be filled. So I signed for them aged 18 in 1969.

Looking back, I think that was just a ploy to get me to sign. But the manager, John Harvey, was true to his word. Within about six weeks I was in the side.

Joining Celtic

I THOUGHT I may have to go to a club in England. But then Celtic came in. It had always been an ambition of mine to play for them and I was delighted to sign at the start of 1973. There was no wrangling over conditions or wages. After a fee of (pounds) 35,000 had been agreed I just joined. Jock Stein was manager and he told me what my pay was. End of story.

I joined a team filled full of my heroes. Many of the Lisbon Lions were still there and a lot of good youngsters were also starting to emerge.

Stein said nothing was expected of me for the rest of that season. But during the next pre-season I played well and everything appeared to be going great. Then, for no apparent reason, I was kept out of the team. I was on the sidelines for a season and a half in what was a very frustrating period. I still have no idea why.

Becoming A Left-Back

I HAD been signed as a left-winger but I eventually got into the team at left-back. I was so happy to get back into the side the change of position was not a problem. I would have preferred to play at winger but playing for Celtic meant so much to me and I'd have been devastated if I had been forced to leave having not made it.

Fortunately, things worked out well after that. I won championships and cups and went on to captain the club for two years. Bizarrely enough, that was under Jock. He just said: ''You're taking over.'' The captain had been Danny McGrain. But he was put out of the game for a long, long time with a serious injury.

I was an attacking player who moved to the back. That meant I could go up the line and make crosses into the box. I prided myself on my fitness. I also found it fairly easy to defend. It suited Celtic to have somebody like that in the team.

On Scoring Two Own Goals in One Match

AS we were closing in on the League Championship in 1977 I scored two own goals against Motherwell in one of our final league matches. The first one was a mix-up with our replacement goalkeeper Roy Baines. The second one went in off me after a free-kick.

I very nearly put another one into my own net late on in that game and we ended up losing 3-1. But immediately after the final whistle, Big Jock came up to me and said: ''I thought you had scored a hat-trick there.''

In the next match we had a chance to win the league and travelled to play Hibs. I was pretty nervous. But when I came on to the park the fans chanted my name. It made me feel so much better. I set up our goal then headed the ball off the line to ensure we won the game 1-0 and with it the league. Since then, whenever I have been coaching kids I tell them that story to ensure they don't get too down.

On the 4-2 Game in 1979

RANGERS were always our main rivals for titles when I was at Celtic. I loved Old Firm games. I'm not sure if that was something to do with the fact I was from Glasgow and was a Celtic supporter. Some players dreaded them. But the home grown players were different.

My most memorable Old Firm game has to be the League Championship decider in 1979. There had been a lot of games called off that season due to the weather and the papers were focusing on Rangers, Dundee United and Aberdeen. Nobody was giving us a mention. But we went on a great run and put together a lot of results to set up a match with our old enemy.

With the score 2-1 I can remember seeing Roddie Macdonald, who was particularly good in the air, before a corner and shouting: ''Make sure you bloody clear it!'' He did that and it fell straight to Bobby Russell 25 yards out. He did that wonderful wee shimmy of his, made space for himself and then hit the ball through a melee of about 20 players. I just heard this thud on the old metal goalposts and saw the ball nestle in the net.

Rangers only needed to draw that match and I thought that was it. But we went right back at them and Colin Jackson scored an own goal - I'm sure he'll thank me for reminding him about that one - and then Murdo MacLeod got the winner to give us a 4-2 victory. It was an incredible night.

Becoming The Penalty Taker Before The 1977 Cup Final

BEFORE the Scottish Cup Final against Rangers in 1977 we were at Seamill. Kenny Dalglish had missed a couple of penalties in matches before that so we'd a spot-kick tournament in training on the Friday. I won it.

When we went back to get changed, Kenny said to Jock: ''That'll be Andy taking penalties then.'' I said: ''Now hang on! Wait a minute!'' I had never taken a penalty before in my life. Jock simply looked at us and said: ''I wish it was me taking penalties!'' It was a cunning bit of psychology. He turned the situation around to make it seem like a great honour.

But I still went to bed that night thinking: ''There won't be a penalty.'' The next day we went for a meal and Kenny, who was captain, pipes up: ''If there's a penalty who'll take it?'' I volunteered as I had got into that way of thinking. Lo and behold, after about 20 minutes we were awarded one.

It seemed to take an awful long time for the ball to get to me and there was enormous pressure on us. But, when it did, I put it away in what was to be the only goal of the match. I went on to take penalties regularly after that for the rest of my career and missed only one.

Leaving Celtic

After being at the club for about eight years I'd hoped to get released. But, Celtic being Celtic, they gave me a transfer. I moved to play in America and joined Philadelphia in 1980.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, playing against some world class stars. In my first game I was man-marking Johan Cruyff. I must have done well as he was subbed. I also played against Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller. Pele was also involved but he was just finishing his career.