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

I like Bett when he played for us a good footballer and as mentioned he seemed to play that extra bit better against us and was a superior player for Aberdeen, they got a lot out of him.

When he played for us he almost made Davie Cooper a happy go looking chap, I always thought he was a miserable git and was prone to being lazy at times. One of those players that could have helped Greig more if he had been more consistent and put in the effort he did at Aberdeen
 
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the_brunton_bear said:
If he had stayed would Ferguson and Durrant have emerged and became first team regulars?
Bett would definitely have blocked one of them.
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He was better than Ferguson but nowhere near as good as Durrant
stuh said:
Meaning what??? He had a brother called jazza so wtf is you point??
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I didn't have a point, Just found it mildly amusing considering both names sound virtually identical.

Nothing to get angry about I wouldn't have thought.
 
Jim Bett was not from Burbank. Like Davie Cooper, he was a Hillhouse man. He was in my wee brother's year at school and was definitely a Rangers supporter as a kid. However, like a lot of talented players, he was more concerned with playing than supporting a team.
He was definitely a very talented player. He was good for us, but better for Aberdeen - probably because he was more experienced and better coached there. It's a shame that his domestic circumstances ruled him out from staying with/returning to us. We shouldn't kid ourselves, he would have been a real asset in this Souness era.
 
Oxfordblue said:
Jim Bett was not from Burbank. Like Davie Cooper, he was a Hillhouse man. He was in my wee brother's year at school and was definitely a Rangers supporter as a kid. However, like a lot of talented players, he was more concerned with playing than supporting a team.
He was definitely a very talented player. He was good for us, but better for Aberdeen - probably because he was more experienced and better coached there. It's a shame that his domestic circumstances ruled him out from staying with/returning to us. We shouldn't kid ourselves, he would have been a real asset in this Souness era.
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Hillhouse/Burnbank....

Its all a jungle to me.
 
I never buy into this patter the wife didn't like Glasgow.
He had a company car and enough money to buy a house in any outskirt he fancied.
Not as if the wife was up at 7 am to go and work in a shop in Saracen Street.

Just like London, Lokeren is just over an hour in a flight.
How many players have we had, when there wives stayed in London or thereabouts?

I always had the impression, he just didn't fancy it.
Bottled it from sitting on the bench due to the team Souness was building.
 
newvalleyloyal said:
What a fantastic midfield that was. Russell, Bett, Redford with Prytz also available. Bett started off in the centre but was equally comfortable on the right or left of midfield. A real pity he wasn’t in the Souness team
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Well on paper it was. Sadly on the grass each Saturday it was diabolical most weeks, hence 9 years without a league win. Never understood why it didn't work better for us, but it really didn't.
 
Loved Jazzer on the park, nearly nutted him off it one day. Walking around the corner from Gordon Street to Buchanan Street one day, and almost collided with a couple going the other way. Heart started racing when I realised it was Jim Bett. I was all of 17 at the time. If I'd known he was jumping ship, I should have flattened him.
 
ontheline said:
I never buy into this patter the wife didn't like Glasgow.
He had a company car and enough money to buy a house in any outskirt he fancied.
Not as if the wife was up at 7 am to go and work in a shop in Saracen Street.

Just like London, Lokeren is just over an hour in a flight.
How many players have we had, when there wives stayed in London or thereabouts?

I always had the impression, he just didn't fancy it.
Bottled it from sitting on the bench due to the team Souness was building.
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I don't understand. He left long before Souness got here.
 
Always played well against us with Aberdeen , always seemed to have an attitude problem against us as well . Hopefully he hates his missus now for making his life a misery.
 
Better was an excellent player but a sour faced cnut looked as if he didn't want to be with Gers.

Maybe that was due to Mrs nipping his head.
 
Tormusk1872 said:
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.
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This is the story I remember.
 
Worthy_Candidate said:
Guys like Steve Nicol, Malpas, Wark and Nicholas sat on a bench respectfully such was the standard on the first 11.
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If Souness had got him that would have been a great midfield of Souness, Bett, Durrant. Agree he was better with Aberdeen. Fergie seemed to get the best out of him as soon as he went up there.
 
Betts wife wore the trousers in that relationship glad the tosser never signed when Souness tried to sign him disliked the blouse with a passion
 
Coops4 said:
If Souness had got him that would have been a great midfield of Souness, Bett, Durrant. Agree he was better with Aberdeen. Fergie seemed to get the best out of him as soon as he went up there.
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We had Derek and Ian Ferguson by that time.
Durrant Ferguson Ferguson and Souness

Who would you drop to accommodate Bett?
Trevor Steven soon arrived.

Just my opinion, I think he was a bullet dodged.
 
Only remember him as an Aberdeen player,playing against us in numerous cup finals.
Which we all won....hehe
 
a good but very inconsistent player for rangers,much better for aberdeen but many players in scotland during the souness era could and would raise their game against the mighty.
 
ontheline said:
We had Derek and Ian Ferguson by that time.
Durrant Ferguson Ferguson and Souness

Who would you drop to accommodate Bett?
Trevor Steven soon arrived.

Just my opinion, I think he was a bullet dodged.
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Well it would need to be one of the Fergusons. As he's not going to get in front of Durrant, Souness.
I know what your saying and by the time Steven arrived he would out for him.
Looking at the national setup back then Souness and Bett played together in midfield. So I think Souness would have dropped Derek Ferguson. Hypothetical obviously.
 
I was a kid at the time but from memory he appeared to be quite a cultured player who would probably do very well in today’s game.
He scored some absolute screamers but I could never really take to him because he looked like an utterly miserable bastard and a bit of an outsider.
When I look back I don’t think I have ever seen him interviewed or even heard him speak and I feel quite shocked to hear he is/was a Bluenose.
Needless to say I absolutely hated him when he came back to Aberdeen :D
 
TNT said:
Something tells me that Andy Roxburgh would play him wide on the right to accomodate Celtic defender Roy Aitken in midfield?
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The midfield duo when we gubbed Iceland and Spain at Hampden circa 1985 was Souness and McStay.

Bett played wide right and Coop played wide left.

Bett swung in a peach of a cross for Mo Johnston to score a beautiful glancing header for the second goal against Spain.

That game is better remembered for Dalglish's curler for the third.
 
Remember we were giving him pelters from the Enclosure, this will be 90/91 season.

He had just turned us down again and the bears gave him some abuse, think this is when McCoist came off the bench and scored two crackers. Trevor Steven got injured early.

The abuse we gave Bett appeared to spur him on and he played a blinder. Ended a 2 - 2.

Always a player I rated but a dick for not coming back.
 
ontheline said:
We had Derek and Ian Ferguson by that time.
Durrant Ferguson Ferguson and Souness

Who would you drop to accommodate Bett?
Trevor Steven soon arrived.

Just my opinion, I think he was a bullet dodged.
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Trevor Steven arrived two/ three years later. I assume Souness would've played him on the right hand side of midfield instead or in the Ray Wilkins role as mentor to Durrant and Ferguson's.

You're kidding yourself if you don't think Bett wouldn't have done a good job for us at that time.
 
ontheline said:
I never buy into this patter the wife didn't like Glasgow.
He had a company car and enough money to buy a house in any outskirt he fancied.
Not as if the wife was up at 7 am to go and work in a shop in Saracen Street.
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Believe it, it's real.

May 20th 1983

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ENdAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=naYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4444,3409837

"I miss being at home in Iceland....the language is so ugly....I would like to leave Glasgow...I hate it here....I find it so unfriendly."
 
Worthy_Candidate said:
The midfield duo when we gubbed Iceland and Spain at Hampden circa 1985 was Souness and McStay.

Bett played wide right and Coop played wide left.

Bett swung in a peach of a cross for Mo Johnston to score a beautiful glancing header for the second goal against Spain.

That game is better remembered for Dalglish's curler for the third.
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Who was up front with Dalglish that night? Remember Johnston and Dalglishs goals as if it was yesterday but the rest is a bit of a blur.
 
Jazzer is a year younger than me but I'm sure I played against him a couple of times in Hamilton Grammar v Earnock High school games.

Met him and his pal (possibly nicknamed Kerso?) at a house party in Earnock, Hamilton one night. I'm sure both of them were on S Forms with Dundee at the time

Probably because of this I always liked him at us but I did think he was a bit lazy.

Much better all round player when at Aberdeen and would have liked to have seen him under Souness.

WATP
 
So we have a guy that played very well against us, got coached better (by opinions on this thread) at Aberdeen and played regular first team football.

Would that have anything to do with his refusal to return as opposed to him being a shitebag, a blouse etc.?

Just a thought......
 
Barryhopez said:
So we have a guy that played very well against us, got coached better (by opinions on this thread) at Aberdeen and played regular first team football.

Would that have anything to do with his refusal to return as opposed to him being a shitebag, a blouse etc.?

Just a thought......
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No, because he know what both his wife and the Rangers manager at the time said.
 
Taki said:
No, because he know what both his wife and the Rangers manager at the time said.
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How do you know he just didn't tell her to suck it up and get on with it and that folk are really more raging as he was a good player who left, was settled at another club and then never returned. I suppose you could always ask Jazzer or Jazza? :D
 
Taki said:
Believe it, it's real.

May 20th 1983

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ENdAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=naYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4444,3409837

"I miss being at home in Iceland....the language is so ugly....I would like to leave Glasgow...I hate it here....I find it so unfriendly."
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That's nothing I can do much better than that.
From a Bear born in Hamilton, who knew what the Club and the support was all about came out with this pish.
The way he rants you would think there were no kafflick and divided schools in Aberdeen at that time.
Do Aberdonians speak a different language?

He turned Rangers down after speaking with his wife but admits the uglier side of life as an Old Firm player had a major influence on his decision.
He said: "I was never into that and when you have young kids you don't want to bring them into that kind of environment.
"As a dad, where you bring your kids up is the main thing you think about. It was a really good contract and better than I was getting at Aberdeen but your family has to come first.
"If your family are there watching you at games they are also going to hear all the sectarian stuff.
"It hasn't changed for years and I can't see it changing, sadly.
 
Too young to remember him properly playing for Rangers (I was 4 when he left) but he always looked like a very good player with Aberdeen.
 
Bett improved considerably as a footballer at Aberdeen to the extent that he would have been an excellent addition to our side in the early days of NIAR.

I never held it against him when he opted to return to Scotland and Pittodrie - they were after all the best side in the country at the time - but I certainly did when he rejected the opportunity to rejoin us under Souness.
 
ontheline said:
He said: "I was never into that and when you have young kids you don't want to bring them into that kind of environment.
"As a dad, where you bring your kids up is the main thing you think about. It was a really good contract and better than I was getting at Aberdeen but your family has to come first.
"If your family are there watching you at games they are also going to hear all the sectarian stuff.
"It hasn't changed for years and I can't see it changing, sadly.
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It's possible he was always susceptible to Dorothy Grace-Elder Syndrome (named after the twat who said on TV that her children, in Glasgow, support Aberdeen because of the 'terrible bigotry' in Glasgow) but I get the feeling his wife also wore him down here. Things you do for a quiet life.
 
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