Alan Rough - any use?

Earl of Leven said:
When I watch old tournament footage he stands stock still as shots fly in.

Yet he was around for ages, and had 53 caps. So older bears, was he more than tubby and hopeless?

Played for Michael Jackson FC so....
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When he was on his game, he was a bit like Neville Southall - capable of the ridiculous and unbeatable. Two games when he was in opposition to us stand out: v Hibernian in Feb 87, they scored in their only attack and the prick saved absolutely everything we threw at them, eventually Davie McPherson headed a superb equaliser, but he kept us out as we pushed for the win.

Hogmanay 1988, Douglas Park. Injury hit Rangers, same again, bombardment all game, no breakthrough, 90th minute Derek Ferguson rattled a 20 yard left foot rocket catching him wrong footed (can't recall DF ever hitting a shot left footed) and it sailed into the far corner. We went into the OF game on 3rd Jan boosted and pumped them 4-1

Most of the time, he was a bang average goalkeeper, with an international career way beyond his abilities.

Had a year at the filth after leaving Hibs, IIRC they signed McKnight, Rough, Andrews & Marshall in the space of 18 months to replace Paddy Fumble
 
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IanDurrant said:
How did the Partick Thistle goalie get 50 caps for Scotland? Who did us and them have between the sticks back then? Surely better options than the partick goalie!!
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Football was different back then, many good players spent their whole careers at unfashionable clubs or at least many many years.
 
adamski said:
When he was on his game, he was a bit like Neville Southall - capable of the ridiculous and unbeatable. Two games when he was in opposition to us stand out: v Hibernian in Feb 87, they scored in their only attack and the prick saved absolutely everything we threw at them, eventually Davie McPherson headed a superb equaliser, but he kept us out as we pushed for the win.

Hogmanay 1988, Douglas Park. Injury hit Rangers, same again, bombardment all game, no breakthrough, 90th minute Derek Ferguson rattled a 20 yard left foot rocket catching him wrong footed (can't recall DF ever hitting a shot left footed) and it sailed into the far corner. We went into the OF game on 3rd Jan boosted and pumped them 4-1

Most of the time, he was a bang average goalkeeper, with an international career way beyond his abilities.
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I would add one more. Not 100% sure of the year but round about 1981-82. Thistle beat us 2-0 at Ibrox, one of the goals scored by a young Mo Johnston. How we never scored that day is beyond belief, the main reason was Rough.
 
He was the best of an average bunch. The keepers since have been substantially better. However we are now at this moment in time ,given McGregor has retired with an average bunch again .
 
Not a great goalkeeper but he undoubtedly had his outstanding moments. Overall, just another washed up not-quite-made-it type.
 
Rough was around at the time when Scottish goalkeepers were generally a laughing stock.

Remembered for the save v Wales. But anonymous in other matches. In the 1978 debacle in Argentina, I don’t remember him doing anything apart from picking the ball out from the net.
 
He was outstanding many a time against us
One game at Ibrox stands out for me. Saved absolute everything thrown at him and only took a magnificent Davie Cooper free kick to beat him
 
To sum him up - years ago we played Plastic Whistle at Ibrox (1st Jan - for a few years this was the case). It was 1-1 with about 2 minutes left and Rough had the game of his life, he was saving everything. He then let a trundler in to give us a 2-1 win (can't remember who scored).
A week later on Saint and Greavsie (remember them who used to slaughter Scottish goalies) They showed the goals and had a great laugh at Scotlands goalkeeper. I was angry and remember arguing with the mates at school. I made the point that if you only showed goals conceded which S&G did), every goalie, including Shilton, Clemence and even the great Pat Jennings, would look like a donkey. If they showed only his saves, Rough could be made to look like a worldbeater. Rough was no worldbeater, in fact he wasn't that good, but he wasn't the worst either.
 
Before being displaced by Leighton, Rough was fighting it out with Jim Blyth, JimStewart and George wood.
These guys have 8 caps between them. At his peak Arsenal bought Wood from Everton and he was keeping Pat Jennings out the team for a season or two.
I will have a full understanding of quantum physics before I get my head round that one.
 
Steve Snedden said:
He saw off David Harvey, Bobby Clark, Stewart Kennedy, Jim Blyth, David Stewart, George Wood and Jim Stewart in the mid to late seventies, was still number one ahead of a young Leighton in 1982 and was still number 2 to Leighton in 1986 (famously replacing Leighton when he lost a contact lens the night Stein died in Wales in 85 and played at Wembley against England in 1986.

I thought he was useless against Peru and Iran in 1978 and I was only 5 years old.

I know he's hated on here but Leighton was a significant upgrade.
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Excellent survey, Sir.
 
Thieving mentally challenged bastard, who tried to steal the raffle money
at a charity do in Kirkintilloch Supporters Club.
He got caught, & tried to act drunk even though he was drinking
Irn Bru all night.
 
I thought Hamish McAlpine was better than Rough and you would have thought George Wood and Jim Blyth would have been further up the pecking order considering the opposition they faced week in week out.
 
80W said:
Thieving mentally challenged bastard, who tried to steal the raffle money
at a charity do in Kirkintilloch Supporters Club.
He got caught, & tried to act drunk even though he was drinking
Irn Bru all night.
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WTF was an ex Celtic player doing in the KSC?
 
Steve Snedden said:
He saw off David Harvey, Bobby Clark, Stewart Kennedy, Jim Blyth, David Stewart, George Wood and Jim Stewart in the mid to late seventies, was still number one ahead of a young Leighton in 1982 and was still number 2 to Leighton in 1986 (famously replacing Leighton when he lost a contact lens the night Stein died in Wales in 85 and played at Wembley against England in 1986.

I thought he was useless against Peru and Iran in 1978 and I was only 5 years old.

I know he's hated on here but Leighton was a significant upgrade.
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Did West Ham not have a Scottish keeper in the 70s prior to Mervyn Day?
 
Never seen him have a bad game against us , fuxs sake he saved thistle and Hibs many times against us - we should have signed him !
 
Saudiger said:
Never seen him have a bad game against us , fuxs sake he saved thistle and Hibs many times against us - we should have signed him !
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sure he said years ago that he was due to sign for us then John Greig got sacked and the deal fell through
 
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Blue Phoenix said:
H

Hate to suggest that accolade goes to our very own Stewart Kennedy after the 5-1 drubbing to England.
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Always thought Kennedy was better than gas meter until Wembley finished him. As for Rough, like all Scottish keepers at that time he was prone to some howlers.
 
Blue Phoenix said:
H

Hate to suggest that accolade goes to our very own Stewart Kennedy after the 5-1 drubbing to England.
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Don't remind me, what a horror show, ruined my weekend. Had the piss taken out of me for what seemed like an eternity by English mates when I used to care about the national team.
 
Keltygeorge said:
He was outstanding many a time against us
One game at Ibrox stands out for me. Saved absolute everything thrown at him and only took a magnificent Davie Cooper free kick to beat him
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Sounds like the Hibs game where we were 2-0 down from the game at Easter Road- League Cup Semi final where it was played in two legs? We only won 1-0 that game Rough saved everything.
 
Earl of Leven said:
When I watch old tournament footage he stands stock still as shots fly in.

Yet he was around for ages, and had 53 caps. So older bears, was he more than tubby and hopeless?

Played for Michael Jackson FC so....
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decent, the game v wales at Anfield in 78 he was absolutely brilliant, but he was very inconsistent, he could pull of an outstanding save then drop a bollock at the next shot, would have been a very good keeper if he had worked harder and got fitter.
 
always played well against us, as previously said that game in Souness's 1st year he was a brick wall untill big Slim popped up late on to salvage a draw.

Did big Gas Meter play for Scotland?
 
Until Leighton came to the fore there was a dearth of decent Scottish goalkeepers from the mid 70s to early 80s (and even Leighton was a bit suspect).

Rough was pretty much the best of a bad bunch, and even that’s up for debate (McCloy? Jim Stewart? George Wood? Hamish McAlpine?)

I’ve heard it said he was a good shot stopper, but poor positionally and at crosses.

Remembering him rooted to the spot as Cubillas rattled a couple past him in ‘78 and the Brazilians having a field day with him four years later, that’s maybe a fair point.
 
dougsdir24 said:
I've been in his company socially and he's a really decent guy
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I'll second that, nice big guy. Played 5's with him many moons ago, great feeling scoring into him

Always seemed to play well against us for Hibs, but always looked shit for Scotland
 
surprised to hear people saying he is a mentally challenged, i knew his recently deceased uncle malkie ,and he is anything but a mentally challenged,indeed a finer loyalist you would be hard to find
 
gartsherrie said:
Sounds like the Hibs game where we were 2-0 down from the game at Easter Road- League Cup Semi final where it was played in two legs? We only won 1-0 that game Rough saved everything.
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That games always stuck in my mind for him having a great game and Coopers free kick.
 
SA Bear said:
Never a poet, always talks fondly of playing for the BB, only went to the scum as back up at the end of his career.
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Correct, he went to our school.

Although he must have picked his ground meat shoplifting habit up from somewhere else.
 
I remember watching the 1982 Brazil game and thinking how small he was. Even after finding out he's actually 6'1", I still think he looks small when I watch those world cup games. He really does look like an optical illusion
 
Davidsmith1 said:
We had McLoy who was better, Kennedy also better but he was hung out to dry aftet the England game he still was a big part of our treble 3 years later, Jim Stewart
They had Latchford ( English ) for years and Bonner ( Irish)
Aberdeen had Clark Dundee Hibs had McAlpine.
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From what I've seen on tv, and a few games live rough was a better keeper than those mentioned
 
Imperfect but pulled off some fantastic saves in qualifiers and home internationals. Was the main keeper for a Scotland squad that was light years better than what we have now. Better keeper than his predecessor in the Scotland jersey Stuart Kennedy. Not a patch on his successor Goram
 
On his day (especially against the Gers) a very good goalkeeper.
Would probably be a top performer in today's game with the onus on fitness and working on a daily basis with a goalkeeping coach.
 
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