Jim Bett - why did he turn his back on Rangers?

[Drumchapel]

Souness rated Bett because he played with him for Scotland.

I remember the qualifying group that included Spain that Souness was the main man in.

Team was usually

Leighton
Gough Miller McLeish Albiston
Bett Souness McStay Cooper
Johnston Dalglish

Hardly any wonder that Souness tried to sign a fair few (and did) of that side.

Would Souness have tried to sign Dalgleish

 

[Willem Bear]

Jim Bett, always reminds me the joke (which I cant remember properly) about the 3 players in Scottish football connected with the gambling trade, as far as I remember it was:
Name 3 player connected to gambling, Jim Bett, 2nd I cant remember then Mixu Put-a-line-on!

Campbell Money, St Mirren goalkeeper

 

[JerseyLoyalist]

Both played for Scotland schollboys under 16`s coached by Jimmy Maxwell deputy head at Earnock , John Kerr as you say was the higher rated of the two at that time but Jazza had so much natural ability - John Kerr died some years ago sadly

I’m sure I worked with John in the early 80s.
He always spoke well of Bett,must be the same guy.

 

[gartsherrie]

Sounds like you were my year - Watty used to go on the Lariat bus (Hillhouse Rangers) -Its a supermarket now !

The Lariat was the first Rangers supporters bus that I was on - I remember being told that Jock Stein went to Rangers games from the Lariat when he was young.

 

[woodieblue]

The Lariat was the first Rangers supporters bus that I was on - I remember being told that Jock Stein went to Rangers games from the Lariat when he was young.

Cant confirm but it would have been a short walk from the Jungle along Hillhouse Rd

 

[RabSpackman]

Souness rated Bett because he played with him for Scotland.

I remember the qualifying group that included Spain that Souness was the main man in.

Team was usually

Leighton
Gough Miller McLeish Albiston
Bett Souness McStay Cooper
Johnston Dalglish

Hardly any wonder that Souness tried to sign a fair few (and did) of that side.

That was some team for Scotland - some fantastic players in there.

A real shame that the current choices for the national team are so far short of that level.

 

[woodieblue]

I’m sure I worked with John in the early 80s.
He always spoke well of Bett,must be the same guy.

John played a first team game for Airdrie when they were in the top division - he must have been 17

 

[RabSpackman]

Would Souness have tried to sign Dalgleish

It wouldn’t have been a goer at Dalglish was a player/manager by that time.

Dalglish signing for Rangers as a player in 1986? Now there’s something that would have shaken things up even further. I think Souness and Dalglish would have both went for it... but Dalglish’s position at Liverpool made it impossible.

 

[Johansen]

Would Souness have tried to sign Dalgleis

Only thing is that Dalglish was 36 when Souness became our manager. However if Souness was prepared to sign Johnston then any player was there for Souness to try and sign. He was in for Ray Houghton when Houghton was at Oxford before he looked to sign Mo Johnston

 

[Luca Stroppi]

Better off asking a poet mate, they'll have a definitive answer for you probably involving religion, like Sir Alex Ferguson's missus.

What’s a POET?

 

[JerseyLoyalist]

John played a first team game for Airdrie when they were in the top division - he must have been 17

Definitely the same lad,he was a character.

 

[Royal Burgh Bear]

Jim Bett, always reminds me the joke (which I cant remember properly) about the 3 players in Scottish football connected with the gambling trade, as far as I remember it was:
Name 3 player connected to gambling, Jim Bett, 2nd I cant remember then Mixu Put-a-line-on!

Tommy Coyne

 

[1BrianLaudrup]

Jim Bett, always reminds me the joke (which I cant remember properly) about the 3 players in Scottish football connected with the gambling trade, as far as I remember it was:
Name 3 player connected to gambling, Jim Bett, 2nd I cant remember then Mixu Put-a-line-on!

My dad told me that when I was about 9. Didn't get it until about 5 years later.

 

[Mr. T.]

Bett was from Burnbank, his parents were fond of a Wee Swally.

His Icelandic wife did not get on with them, she was desperate to leave Glasgow area. His move to Belgium, then Aberdeen suited her, because she was well away from her alcoholic in laws.

That’s definitely the story going round at the time.

 

[HillsBill]

My recollection is that there were various reasons given for him leaving - wife didn't settle, sectarianism, family etc. I think it was more simple than that - it was down to success or otherwise!

It greatly pains me to say this, but whilst John Greig was one of the greatest Rangers players ever, his record as manager was really poor though the resources made available to him by the board were pretty modest. In his 5 years or so as manager, from 1978 to 1983, he never won the league. In fact, his record was 2nd, 5th, 3rd, 3rd and 4th. Bett was a great footballer but not the kind of player to drag that team up by its bootlaces. After Greig stepped down, Rangers league performances continued to be poor - 4th, 4th and 5th in 83/84 through to 85/86.

Bett joined Aberdeen in 1985 when Rangers were still just as poor as they had been when he played for them. I'm not surprised that he chose an Alex Ferguson led Aberdeen over Rangers of that era. Souness, like Greig, was untried as a manager, when he joined in 1986 (after Bett had gone to Aberdeen). Having already played under an inexperienced and unsuccessful manager in Greig, why would he risk doing so again? Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the Rangers team (and club) inherited by Souness was simply awful. Looking back, Bett probably knows he missed out but looking forward at the time, how would he know that Souness would reverse nearly 10 years of neglect so successfully?

In truth, as good a player as he was, Bett probably wouldn't have been a first pick in the team put together by Souness.

 

[Wugs]

His wife sounds a real hoot.

 

[Orangie]

sounds like we lost a bett

 

[WilkinsBullet]

I knew a lot of guys who played with and against Jazzer. Most said he was good but not great as a youth.
I believe his wife is/was Icelandic (from his short time with Valur) and preferred Belgium to Scotland from his time with Lokeren, hence his return to Belgium after his stint with Rangers. Financially, it made sense for him to return to Scotland and he chose Aberdeen because he believed they were the better side. Ultimately he was proven wrong.

I remember reading somewhere he refused to leave Aberdeen for a second stint due to him not wanting his kids to go to school in the West of Scotland.