Alan Rough - any use?

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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He never saw off David Harvey who was a top class goalkeeper for Leeds he retired before Rough got the shout ! We had tried a succession of dummy’s such as Kennedy Blyth and Stewart before settling on Rough he wasn’t the best to be honest but he wasn’t the worst
 
Gee said:
He never saw off David Harvey who was a top class goalkeeper for Leeds he retired before Rough got the shout ! We had tried a succession of dummy’s such as Kennedy Blyth and Stewart before settling on Rough he wasn’t the best to be honest but he wasn’t the worst
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Point still stands though.
 
He was always always good at picking the ball up out of the net and blaming whatever defence he had for losing a goal .....Now he's just an overweight beetrootfaced nonce
 
Only decent save he ever made was in the WC Qualifier at Anfield against Wales in 78 (if memory serves) other than that......nothing else springs to mind.
 
Gee said:
David Harvey???
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See he had 16 caps and a decent record... 8 wn 4 dr 4 dfts.
Gives Jim Leighton a run for the looks right enough. :)
OIP.IMrOa4-zJawgPcWVMonV0wHaJ_
 
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1982 Testimonial: Scotland XI v IRA FC.

He might have attended the right school but this surely ends the "good guy v wank" debate.
 
MearnsUnionist said:
Never saw him play live, but I've seen the howlers and the Toshack save.

I know Derek Johnstone and Derek Parlane both thought Peter McCloy was a far better keeper than Rough.
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The Gas Meter had his moments of folly as well but was a better Goalkeeper than the failed thief. Although McCloy was not a regular international he did play at a very high level through his Vast European experience and regular silverware, something that was alien to Rough.
 
stonewall Jackson said:
The Gas Meter had his moments of folly as well but was a better Goalkeeper than the failed thief. Although McCloy was not a regular international he did play at a very high level through his Vast European experience and regular silverware, something that was alien to Rough.
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Parlane was a speaker at our supporters club dinner last May and he said McCloy had some blinding games against the mentally challengeds, particularly the 73 SC Final.

Was also outstanding in Munich in the 72 semi final too, he said.

DJ spoke at a Lodge dinner I was at and he said the Gas Meter was the best keeper in Scotland when he played.
 
MearnsUnionist said:
Parlane was a speaker at our supporters club dinner last May and he said McCloy had some blinding games against the mentally challengeds, particularly the 73 SC Final.

Was also outstanding in Munich in the 72 semi final too, he said.

DJ spoke at a Lodge dinner I was at and he said the Gas Meter was the best keeper in Scotland when he played.
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McCloy is so unfairly remembered, his mistakes were quite rare but he unfortunately made some real horror ones.
I still think the Stewart Kennedy pre Wembley 1975 was better though.
 
MearnsUnionist said:
Parlane was a speaker at our supporters club dinner last May and he said McCloy had some blinding games against the mentally challengeds, particularly the 73 SC Final.

Was also outstanding in Munich in the 72 semi final too, he said.

DJ spoke at a Lodge dinner I was at and he said the Gas Meter was the best keeper in Scotland when he played.
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i was present alongside 3,000 other bears in the rheinstadion in dusseldorf in 1979,to myself that was big peter"s finest hour and a half,was outstanding that night,even though he played a good part of the game with one eye closed over
 
dh1963 said:
McCloy is so unfairly remembered, his mistakes were quite rare but he unfortunately made some real horror ones.
I still think the Stewart Kennedy pre Wembley 1975 was better though.
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Well you're certainly far more qualified than me to make that judgement mate. :))
 
I thought he was an absolutely shite goalkeeper. How he has a professional career and played so many times for Scotland is beyond me. I remember seeing him in Sauchiehall Street one day dressed like a big jessy and with his hair all primped. I thought be looked a right state; ugly bastard as well. Wasn’t his wife one of the Tennents lager girls?
 
dh1963 said:
McCloy is so unfairly remembered, his mistakes were quite rare but he unfortunately made some real horror ones.
I still think the Stewart Kennedy pre Wembley 1975 was better though.
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Kennedy after 1975 was a great keeper
Part of the treble in 78had some great games
 
I don’t really remember him playing, I only really remember Leighton as Scotland goalie when I was young.
 
An utter c unt of a man.
The very tired and almost daily "smear shite on my face" FF advice was genuinely used on Rough approximately 30 years ago.

My old man was a driver for East Renfrew cleansing and him and his crew done a big favour for Rough which involved a big clear out of rubbish in exchange for 2 celtc v Rangers tickets at the Reekoh Arena for his two mentally challenged crew and a bottle of whiskey for my old man and the other bear in the crew.
After doing what was required of the cleanny men, the celtc game had came and gone and Rough reneged on the deal.
No match tickets and my old man and his buddy only got half bottles.

One of the Tim crew, well you know the rest.
 
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yosser hughes said:
i was present alongside 3,000 other bears in the rheinstadion in dusseldorf in 1979,to myself that was big peter"s finest hour and a half,was outstanding that night,even though he played a good part of the game with one eye closed over
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Yip this ^^^^ some unbelievable saves from Fortunas centre Klaus Allofs that night , the Gas Meters best game ever

has thee ever been any tv coverage of this game out there ?
 
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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Fkn useless part time player for partick in 70s fkn joke of a goalie
 
My memory of Rough is him being a steady generally reliable keeper best remembered for a wonder save from JohnToshack in the World Cup Qualifier against Wales at Anfield.
 
Firhill early 70s he kept everything out, called him for everything till 90 mins when we finally scored, can't mind who.
 
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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The most famous partner in his marriage was his missus.

She was a Tennants Lager girl back in the day.

To think he had basically the same amount of Scotland caps as George Young sums this sh1thole up.
 
Rough at the time was the best of a mediocre selection Scotland had for most of his career, but I think you have to judge goalkeepers against others of their era.

The difference between Rough's generation and the keepers immediately after him is huge as specialised training really took hold. Only the very best like Shilton survived that evolution with their reputation intact.

I don't think any position in sport has changed as much in the past 30 years. Goalkeepers have grown about 4" on average but have gotten more nimble and their reflexes are off the scale compared to when I started watching the game. And that's before the impact of the pass back rule forced them to become footballers. Plus referees have decided that any contact on these giant prima donnas nowadays is a foul whereas 70s keepers still needed eyes in the back of their heads for some of the challenges that were allowed.
 
dh1963 said:
McCloy is so unfairly remembered, his mistakes were quite rare but he unfortunately made some real horror ones.
I still think the Stewart Kennedy pre Wembley 1975 was better though.
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I think McCloy was at Rangers too long. He was very good up until he lost his shirt to Kennedy, good when he re-established himself in the late 70s but was pretty much a very tall traffic cone who could kick the ball a long way through the last 4 years of his career. If McCloy had left in 79 or 80 his reputation would be pretty much unblemished.

After 1980 his inability to catch absolutely anything without parrying it with his chest or a juggle made me think his eyesight had gone or he wore his gloves doing engine maintenance on his car, and he had a technique for diving that was more bending slowly from an upright position and then collapsing straight down like an unsupported bridge. He was as big a factor as any in that early 80s team being pure pish. I could never work out how we kept signing keepers like Stewart and Walker before invariably ending up back with McCloy.

Kennedy got really good really quickly, had his confidence destroyed at Wembley, came back and had a few good games as a back up before disappearing to Forfar where he looked like one of those keepers who've been reliable servants in the lower leagues for decades. Even facially he looked like he was scarred by Wembley. He looked pretty normal in the early 70s but post Wembley he always looked like his face was in a permanent grimmace.
 
Chris the Bandito said:
Rough at the time was the best of a mediocre selection Scotland had for most of his career, but I think you have to judge goalkeepers against others of their era.

The difference between Rough's generation and the keepers immediately after him is huge as specialised training really took hold. Only the very best like Shilton survived that evolution with their reputation intact.

I don't think any position in sport has changed as much in the past 30 years. Goalkeepers have grown about 4" on average but have gotten more nimble and their reflexes are off the scale compared to when I started watching the game. And that's before the impact of the pass back rule forced them to become footballers. Plus referees have decided that any contact on these giant prima donnas nowadays is a foul whereas 70s keepers still needed eyes in the back of their heads for some of the challenges that were allowed.
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Good post and some interesting and pertinent observations about how the game has changed over the years. That’s one of the reasons I don’t get involved in the greatest players type threads. You can’t start to compare Pele to Messi for example when one of them played most of his games in an era where brutality was a big part of the game versus one who will get a foul if he’s blown on from a close distance. Never mind the technology improvements in equipment.
 
Chris the Bandito said:
Rough at the time was the best of a mediocre selection Scotland had for most of his career, but I think you have to judge goalkeepers against others of their era.

The difference between Rough's generation and the keepers immediately after him is huge as specialised training really took hold. Only the very best like Shilton survived that evolution with their reputation intact.

I don't think any position in sport has changed as much in the past 30 years. Goalkeepers have grown about 4" on average but have gotten more nimble and their reflexes are off the scale compared to when I started watching the game. And that's before the impact of the pass back rule forced them to become footballers. Plus referees have decided that any contact on these giant prima donnas nowadays is a foul whereas 70s keepers still needed eyes in the back of their heads for some of the challenges that were allowed.
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You forgot to mention that goalkeepers at that time were generally developed from being the fat kid who was unfit & shite outfield and could only get a game in goals.
 
Texas ranger said:
Good post and some interesting and pertinent observations about how the game has changed over the years. That’s one of the reasons I don’t get involved in the greatest players type threads. You can’t start to compare Pele to Messi for example when one of them played most of his games in an era where brutality was a big part of the game versus one who will get a foul if he’s blown on from a close distance. Never mind the technology improvements in equipment.
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You did miss out a pertinent point though.

Messi is the greatest of all time.

No need for capital letters.
 
Steve Snedden said:
Jim Stewart went to W Germany as 3rd choice keeper in 74 whilst at Killie. He played for Scotland at my very first football match, 1978 v Norway. A 3-2 victory and Stein's first game in charge. Stewart was at Middlesborough and was part of a team that consisted solely of english based players.

He never played for Scotland again. I thought he was brilliant when he signed for us, particularly in the 81 SC Final, the first game, when Redford missed a penalty.

I was about 8 though, so I'm not sure my views are that credible.
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Although if you ask me I'll say David Cooper was my first hero there are pics of me kicking about in a Rangers goalie kit as a 5 year old bring a huge fan of Jim Stewart
 
Never thought that Rough’s ability to make the occasional spectacular save compensated for him mostly being bollocks. Leighton was a significant step-up in quality when he replaced him for Scotland.
 
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