Dangerous Duncan and prison

Former Scotland footballer Duncan Ferguson spoken about his time behind bars in a rare interview, claiming he should never have been sent there.

The ex-Rangers striker became the first and only professional player in Britain to be jailed for an on-field offence after he headbutted John McStay, the Raith Rovers defender, during a match at Ibrox in 1994.


The following year he was convicted of assault at Glasgow Sheriff Court and sentenced to three months.

He spent 44 days in the city's Barlinnie prison before being released.

However in a rare interview, Ferguson has described the headbutt as "nothing" and claimed he should not have been made an example of.

He was jailed only five months after winning the FA Cup with his new club Everton and the 47-year-old said letters from the Merseyside club's fans helped him get through his time locked up.

He said: "It was wrong me being there, it wasn't fair.

"I shouldn't have been in there and I think a lot of people understood that.

"It's not as if I was in for doing anything bad really. My God, it was nothing.

"The fans got me through it, a lot of them wrote to me. It was unbelievable all the letters and the support that I got.

"I got all the letters when I was in there and obviously you have got a lot of time on your hands when you're in there to read through them all.

"It definitely gets you through it and you never forget those things."

Duncan Ferguson became became the first and only professional player in Britain to be jailed for an on-field offence.

Speaking to Everton fans' channel Toffee TV, Ferguson said he grew a beard at the time as he wanted to look "tough" during his stint in the notorious Glasgow jail.

He added: "It made me look tough. When you're going to one of they hotels up there you've got to look tough."

Ferguson, who is now a coach at Everton and does community work for the club, also said his hardman reputation was unfair.

He said: "You get a reputation and you can't shake it off. It follows you around and it follows you around.

"I don't see myself as that person. I see myself as the person I see off the field and I try to give as much back as I possibly can to the city because it's gave me so much."

His prison sentence was for his third conviction for assault and saw him banned for 12 games by the Scottish Football Association(SFA) - leading him to refuse to play for the national team again.

Ferguson was born in Stirling and began his career with Dundee United, before moving to Rangers in 1993.

He arrived at Everton in 1994 and won an FA Cup medal the following year when they beat Manchester United 1-0.

Despite a career disrupted by injuries he was a cult hero on Merseyside.

In the interview, he blamed his injury-plagued career on breaking his big toe during a pub fight in Dundee when he was aged 18.
He said: "The first injury I ever had was when I broke my big toe.
"I broke it in a fight in a pub called The Rock in Menzieshill in Dundee.
 
Ferguson was going to jail at some point unless he wisened up. His antics in Stirling many weekends were of an arsehole.

Ridiculous that the authorities got involved with this incident but it probably made him grow up a lot sooner than seemed likely.
 
Club didn’t come out of it well as the media were pushing the bad boy image every chance they could get if I recall correctly.
not saying he was an angel by any means but FFS jail time.
 
He was on probation/suspended sentence at the time (can't recall whcih) for his previous assault conviction.
 
I was at the game and if I remember correctly, he wasn't even booked. S.F.A. tried and convicted him before it went to court. Discraceful
 
A vindictive prosecution by the PF's office - 25 years ago which shows nothing changes in Scotland.

The SFA banned him for 12 games only for Lord Justice McFadyen to state that they had 'acted outside their powers' - another thing that never changes in Scotland.

It must also be said that the response of David Murray and the Rangers board was pathetic and a capitulation.
 
I've posted this before, why was there not more made of McStays' part in all of that?

Why did DF react? Look closely at the video and you'll see McStay elbow DF in the stomach, that's why he reacts.
 
Taki said:
A vindictive prosecution by the PF's office - 25 years ago which shows nothing changes in Scotland.

The SFA banned him for 12 games only for Lord Justice McFadyen to state that they had 'acted outside their powers' - another thing that never changes in Scotland.

It must also be said that the response of David Murray and the Rangers board was pathetic and a capitulation.
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I'm sure Big Dunc was banned by the SFA before he'd even been found guilty in Court. The media would have drooled over Ferguson if he'd been a Piggery Peasant, guaranteed.
 
The Dude said:
Apart from not being a Rangers player at the time and the conviction that saw him on probation when he butted McStay came when he was a Dundee Utd player.
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He was a Rangers player when the PF's office acted against him for an offence on the pitch. Players do not get arrested for offences on the pitch. This one did. Oh, and Chris Woods and Terry Butcher. How odd.
 
Happened right in front of me in the West Enclosure, a young Kenny Clark should have sent him off and that would have been the end of it.
 
Horrendous that! Even if it was his third conviction for assault they should never have been allowed to charge him. Otherwise you’d expect every headbutt or punch on a football pitch is treated the same.
 
Taki said:
He was a Rangers player when the PF's office acted against him for an offence on the pitch. Players do not get arrested for offences on the pitch. This one did. Oh, and Chris Woods and Terry Butcher. How odd.
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Ferguson was done for a breach of his probation. The guy had a reputation for acting like a thug, done it one time too many and got what was coming his way. Had he not been a footballer, his second assault conviction would've likely seen him jailed never mind waiting until his third.

I'm not sure there are many other examples of footballers on probation for assault then committing an assault in front of 44000 people.
 
Craigie said:
Ferguson was going to jail at some point unless he wisened up. His antics in Stirling many weekends were of an arsehole.

Ridiculous that the authorities got involved with this incident but it probably made him grow up a lot sooner than seemed likely.
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Said it before and I’ll say it again the big man was not some big bad bully type , he was brought up and told to stand up for himself which he did on many an occasion when required. I have been on numerous days and nights out with him and he was always a true gent and generous. Let’s remember he was a young man who had just been labelled the UK’s most expensive football player and had just signed a decent contract after years of low wages and fines at DU. The type of friend you want by your side..
 
The Dude said:
Ferguson was done for a breach of his probation. The guy had a reputation for acting like a thug, done it one time too many and got what was coming his way. Had he not been a footballer, his second assault conviction would've likely seen him jailed never mind waiting until his third.
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He did not 'get what was coming his way'. The police do not, and did not, regard violent conduct on the pitch (players fighting, headbutts, etc.) as grounds for prosecution. They did in this case. Therefore, Ferguson is not 'on probation' on the pitch. He has the same freedom as every other player on the pitch. At least that's what should have happened. The police and the PF tried to be clever by lifting the veil on the sporting arena, getting 'their man', and then putting the veil back. It doesn't, or shouldn't, work like that. All equal under the law and all that.

The Dude said:
I'm not sure there are many other examples of footballers on probation for assault then committing an assault in front of 44000 people.
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His probation is irrelevant. See above. He was not on probation on the pitch. If he'd broken someone's leg in a bad tackle, would they have charged him with GBH?
 
Taki said:
A vindictive prosecution by the PF's office - 25 years ago which shows nothing changes in Scotland.

The SFA banned him for 12 games only for Lord Justice McFadyen to state that they had 'acted outside their powers' - another thing that never changes in Scotland.

It must also be said that the response of David Murray and the Rangers board was pathetic and a capitulation.
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Its a tradition. Take the easy way out and point the finger at others.
 
hhss said:
I've posted this before, why was there not more made of McStays' part in all of that?

Why did DF react? Look closely at the video and you'll see McStay elbow DF in the stomach, that's why he reacts.
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Indeed. It was him going down like he's been shot that always stood out for me. As you say he was quite happy to throw his own hands/arms about but throws himself to the deck at the slightest touch back.

Duncan should've walked for the incident btw, but that's it. How the sfa could justify a 12 game van for that is quite something. Prison time is just laughable.

Complete stitch up from start to finish.
 
monkey magic said:
I'm sure Big Dunc was banned by the SFA before he'd even been found guilty in Court. The media would have drooled over Ferguson if he'd been a Piggery Peasant, guaranteed.
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Correct. The media create the conditions wherby its ok to hate and victimise anyone connected to Rangers. That's why its foolish to ignore them.
 
Davidsmith1 said:
He shouldn't have been sent off. He never headbutted him.
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My seat at the time was in the Main Stand Front and I agree with you assertion, McStay was later treated for a cut lip, how, if big Dinc headbutted him, did he mange to miss his forehead and nose on the way to McStay's lip is beyond comprehension. McStay made the most of it to get a fellow professional sent off.
 
hhss said:
I've posted this before, why was there not more made of McStays' part in all of that?

Why did DF react? Look closely at the video and you'll see McStay elbow DF in the stomach, that's why he reacts.
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Story going about at the time was that McStay did not wish to press charges but he was doorstepped by members of the police force and "invited" to make a complaint. Allegedly
 
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