Fergie's Shire - Shaken, Stirred and Successful


By bobmcp
March 22 2016

In "Showing in Black & White Only", East Stirlingshire's centenary bruchure, author Alan McMillan describes the 1974 arrival of new manager Alex Ferguson in the following terms:

It wasn't until June 27 - and in the face of mounting criticism from anxious supporters - that Shire eventually got someone, Ayr United striker Alex Ferguson. He arrived on the advice of his manager, Ally MacLeod, who had phoned the Shire specially from Germany, where he was watching the World Cup. The fact thet he wasn't first choice did not worry the former Rangers star who was keen to get himself into a boss's chair.  But when he got to Firs Park he must have wondered what he had let himself in for. Shire had no goalkeeper - Bert Archibald had been freed - and only a handful of outfield players. If ever a rebuilding job had to be done, this was it.
 
Fergie set about the task with a will, signing players right left and centre in a bid to get a reasonable squad together. Ahead was a season in which teams would be fighting for a place in one of the three new leagues to be formed in Scotland - the Premier Division, the First Division and the Second Division. As members of the old Second Division, Shire could win a place in the new First Division, or middle league as some called it, by finishing in one of the top six places.
 
It was a tall order in the circumstance, but Fergie was nothing if not confident. "I'm a bad loser," he told the fans, "I'll give you a winning team." He was as good as his word. Despite having to sign players who had been discarded by other senior outfits - people like George Adams, Jimmy Mullin, Tom Gourlay and Billy Hulston (his second time at Firs Park) - a successful unit was moulded. And when the old enemy, Falkirk, were beaten 2-0 at Firs Park early in the season with goals by the tiny Mullin and Ian Browning, Fergie had truly arrived in the eyes of the fans,
 
Midfield player Jim Meakin had constantly been barracked by the fans - partly because he was a local boy and partly because he was (Director and previous manager) Bob Shaw's son-in-law - but under Fergie he turned the boos to cheers. Fergie converted him to a striker and played him alongside Mullin. This "Little and Large" duo hit it off instantly and the goals flowed. So much so that Shire jumped to fourth in the League and looked good enough for one of the six promotion places at the end of the season.
 
Things were going too well by Shire standards - something had to happen. Happen it did. Fergie had only completed about four months in the job when St. Mirren, impressed by his superb start in management, asked him to take over the Love Street hot seat from Willie Cunningham. At first he wanted to say "no". He was a beginner and he wanted to finish the job he had barely started at Firs Park. But in the end it was an offer he could not refuse and he left for Paisley. (Shire Physio Ricky McFarlane was later to follow him). This was the start of a tremendous success story which saw Fergie build a fine St. Mirren team and then take over Aberdeen who he led to to a Premier League title in 1980.
 
Shire chairman Willie Muirhead described his leaving as "a tragedy for the club". In the space of a few weeks, Fergie had given the Bainsford faithful a winning team, crowds were up to the 1,000 mark regularly and the black and whites were no longer in the shadow of neighbours Falkirk. Shire were on the way to big things - or so they thought. Fergie's parting gesture was to recommend his successor - former Arsenal, Manchester United and Scotland centre half Ian Ure. It was one of the few mistakes he made as a Shire employee.
 
The above is an excerpt from "Showing in Black & White Only" the East Stirlingshire FC centenary brochure written by Alan McMillan and published in 1981. 
 
 

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Fergie's Shire - Shaken, Stirred and Successful
Discussion started by The Shire , 23/03/2016 10:41
The Shire
23/03/2016 10:41
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