Heady halcyon days at Highbury: Scots McLintock, Wilson and Graham lead the Gunners to glory in the sixties and seventies

As regular readers will know, the unique feature of this ‘Road to Wembley’ is that for each of the competing teams I try to discover and report a Scottish connection. My next match on ‘The Road’ is Arsenal v Lincoln City on the 11^th March. On the 24^th January, when I first hooked up with the Imps, I reported Lincoln City’s rich Scots heritage. Arsenal have been influenced by many Scots over the years and within my lifetime the names of Frank McLintock, Bob Wilson and George Graham spring readily to mind. All three Arsenal legends are now in their seventies and all are still thriving.

Frank McLintock is a Glaswegian who played all of his professional football in England. In 1956 at the age of 17 he signed for Leicester City and served the Foxes with great distinction, playing 168 games for them before he was sold to Arsenal in 1964 for a then Arsenal club record fee of £80000.

Frank by name - frank by nature: Outspoken McLintock in his playing days

It was at Highbury that Frank’s career really flourished. Over the next 9 years he played an incredible 314 times for the Gunners. He was rarely injured and never dropped. It was during his time with Arsenal that he won most of his 9 Scotland caps. He was regarded as a natural leader and an inspirational character. He was club captain for four years between 1968 and 1972. During this time McLintock led Arsenal to victories in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup in 1970 and a League and FA Cup double in season 1970-71. The erudite McLintock was becoming a spokesman for the club and after their fantastic achievement in 1971 he articulately observed that: “The words used to describe us during the 1970–71 season – dull, sterile, unimaginative – reflect the generally dismissive tone levelled at us. Even the compliments we got – well organised, highly efficient, powerful – had the whiff of back-handed tributes”. McLintock was also able to accurately describe why he only played for Scotland 9 times: “The majority of the Scottish press had disappeared so far up the Old Firm’s arses that they could never be objective about English-based players and the Scottish Football Association (SFA) often treated us like the shit on their shoes”. With such a way with words the stylish Frank was destined for a subsequent career in football punditry. Before that however, he completed his playing career with short spells with QPR and Brentford. He also briefly tried his hand at management and bossed Leicester City and Brentford in the seventies and eighties. He arrived at Sky Sports via a dabble with sports agency management work in the nineties.

Frank the erudite pundit: Charlie Nicholas should book lessons from this guy

McLintock also undertook some punditry for the BBC and is highly regarded on the after dinner speaking circuit. These days, at the age of 77, he is tapering down his media and commercial activities.

Bob Wilson is a former Scottish international goalkeeper who played for Arsenal 234 times between 1963 and 1974. Hence, like Frank McLintock, he also won the Inter Cities Fairs Cup in 1970 and a League and FA Cup double in season 1970-71.

Custodian of the Gunners onion bag in the sixties and seventies: Anglo Scot Bob Wilson 

Wilson became the first player born in England to represent Scotland. He became eligible to play for Scotland when the rules were changed in 1970 to allow players to play for their parents' countries of origin, if they had not already played for their own country. Wilson was selected by Scotland manager, Tommy Docherty for his first match in charge, against Portugal on 13 October 1971. His name is writ large in the history of Scottish football as the original ‘Anglo-Scot’. Despite being unfortunate enough to be born in England, Wilson is a very patriotic Scotsman and continues to support the country of his father’s birth. After hanging up his boots, Bob Wilson became the presenter of the long running BBC Saturday lunchtime football show ‘Football Focus’. He anchored this iconic show from 1974 through until 1994.

Wilson still makes occasional appearances on television, on the BBC's Football Focus and Match of the Day 2, as well as occasional work on documentary programmes for Sky Sports. These days the septuagenarian Wilson is best known for his charity work. In February 1994, his daughter Anna was diagnosed with malignant schwannoma, a cancer of the nerve sheath. After a long fight, she died on 1 December 1998, six days before her 32nd birthday. The "Willow Foundation" was set up in her memory in 1999 and operated locally, mainly in Hertfordshire. Wilson relaunched the charity in 2005 with a national remit. The organisation was established in Anna's memory and now helps some of the estimated 12,500 people in the UK, aged 16–40, who are diagnosed every year with a life-threatening illness. In 2007, Wilson was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire(OBE) for his charity work.

Like both McLintock and Wilson, George Graham was also a member of the all conquering Arsenal team of the late sixties and early seventies. The man from Bargeddie in North Lanarkshire played for Arsenal 227 times between 1966 and 1972 scoring 60 goals. As with his Caledonian teammates McLintock and Wilson, Graham too was a Scotland international donning the famous dark blue jersey on 12 occasions, netting 3 times for the Scots.

George Graham: One of the most successful Arsenal managers in their history

 However, George Graham is more readily remembered by the Arsenal faithful for his very successful spell as Arsenal manager. He managed the club between 1986 and 1995. During his spell in the hot seat The Gunners won 2 League titles, The FA Cup and 2 League Cups. Halcyon days at Highbury. His place in Arsenal folklore is secure but he will also be remembered for taking on the job as manager of Gunners’ bitter rivals Spurs between 1998 and 2001.

Taking pelters: George Graham pilloried by the Arsenal fans for taking the Spurs job

This is amazing when you consider that George has a brick patio in the shape and design of the Arsenal crest in his back garden! These days Graham does the odd spell as a pundit on Sky TV and he has admitted that the onset of arthritis has ruined his golf and forced him to take up tennis. At 72 ‘Stroller’, as he was known in his playing days, is still going strong.

The Scots had a massive influence on the success of Arsenal in the sixties and seventies and Frank McLintock, Bob Wilson and George Graham were at the heart of it all. More recently the Sky Sports pundit with verbal diarrhea Scot Charlie Nicholas was the last Scotsman to play over 100 games for the Gunners. Champagne Charlie left Arsenal almost 20 years ago. The present cosmopolitan Arsenal squad have no jocks in it. I have a call out to the twitter feed Arsenal Scotland (@ArsenalScotland) to try to find out who the last Scot to play for Arsenal was – so watch this space. It has been a while. 

Meanwhile back in Lincoln, the Imps can not stop winning as they get ready for the FA Cup tie on Saturday week. On Saturday they travelled to the outskirts of the big smoke to take on Boreham Wood in the quarter final of the FA Trophy. Genius manager Danny Cowley made several changes and the fringe squad members stepped up to the plate and the Imps won comfortably 2-0. Yhey are now in the last 4 of the Trophy and one tie away from Wembley in two competitions! Tonight the Imps play host to York City in the Vanarama National League and Sincil Bank is expected to be bursting at the seams for this match.

Will Lincoln City win again? Will the ‘Arsenal Scotland’ twitter feed unearth some more Caledonian Gunners legends? Will I finally get my ticket sorted for the match at The Emirates Stadium on the Road to Wembley from Scotland? Come back here later in the week for the answer to these questions and much more .. and .. keep reading.

Its an Imp-vasion at North Ferriby as Lincoln City continue their winning streak

It is just over two weeks to go until I head to the Emirates Stadium in London for the FA Cup 6^th round tie between Arsenal and Lincoln City on the Road to Wembley from Scotland. The two protagonists have had differing weeks since their round 5 victories last weekend. Arsenal did not have a midweek match. Indeed, the Gunners don’t have a fixture this weekend either and this mini break will allow their squad to rest up before a busy end to the season that will see them trying to finish in the top four in the Premier League in addition to attempting to win the FA Cup. The Imps were in action in midweek. Their success in the FA Cup has caused a fixture pile up and they will play four more times before they play Arsenal in a fortnight. On Tuesday they played away at North Ferriby United in a Vanarama National League local derby fixture.

The tiny North Ferriby ground was packed as the FA Cup heros got back to league business. The capacity crowd numbered 2389 and over 2000 of the fans attending were there in support of the Imps. It is nights such as these that sometimes prove pivotal in League Championship campaigns and the big question was could Lincoln City keep the ‘Lincoln Loco’ rolling in much more modest surroundings compared to the Turf Moor stadium in Burnley. The answer was yes … just!

A feature of Lincoln City’s FA Cup campaign has been the innovation and superb execution of their set piece plays. One well worked corner was enough to see off North Ferriby. A well placed corner kick was headed in by the Imps ‘captain courageous’ Luke Waterfall.

As beautiful as Niagra: Waterfall head the Imps winner on Tuesday

The Imps ran out deserved 1-0 winners and tomorrow they visit Boreham Wood in the quarter final of the FA Trophy and who knows they could be visiting Wembley twice in two different competitions. Following the visit to Boreham Wood they then entertain York City in the Vanarama League on Tuesday night in a match which is expected to attract a full house of over 10000 fans to Sincil Bank.

My own week also featured a midweek match. My un-blogged ‘Road to Hampden’ following my beloved Hearts came to sad end when the Jambos lost 3-1 to bitter local rivals Hibs in a Scottish Cup 5^th round replay at Hibs Easter Road ground. Hearts unusually have a 30 year old head coach, Ian Cathro, a man who has never played football at a high level himself. Cathro was appointed when the successful Robbie Neilson left Hearts for Milton Keynes Dons in late November, a move that coincided with my bromance with the MK Dons on the Road to Wembley from Scotland. The fashionable phrase used during young Cathro’s tenure has been that ‘the jury is still out’. On Wednesday night the verdict, in the words of a foul-mouthed Hearts fan two rows behind us, was delivered with some force. With Hearts 2-0 down late in the first half and being comprehensively outplayed by Hibs he bellowed: “Cathro ya cunt. Are you fuckin watching this? Get a fuckin subby oan ya wee knob”. The language may have been more colourful than many of the Hearts supporters would have used but the heckler expressed the collective disdain of the Hearts support. Either my beloved Hearts are heading for troubled times or Ian Cathro will be dismissed soon – or both.

Not got a scooby! Little boy lost Cathro in the Easter Road dugout on Wednesday

Also in midweek I spotted this photo featured on the excellent Non League Magazine twitter feed (@thenonleaguemag). The photo is taken at a non league game somewhere in England I know not where.

It is funny what you find on the web! Non league football is for super-heros

Clearly, as Lincoln City have demonstrated, the non league scene is the environment for super-heros. Will the Imps use their super powers to beat Boreham Wood to reach the semi final of the FA Trophy tomorrow? What will ex-Arsenal Scots pundit Charlie Nicholas say on Soccer Saturday on Sky TV tomorrow? Will I manage to get my ticket for the FA Cup tie at the Emirates sorted. Come back here on Monday for an update and keep reading! 

Its Arsenal v Lincoln City next: Will Sky TV ask ex Arsenal Scot Charlie Nicholas to commentate on the match?

On Sunday the draw for the FA Cup quarter finals was made and amazingly Lincoln City were included. When all the balls had been drawn out of the famous plastic drum the Imps were paired with either Sutton United or Arsenal. Last night Arsenal eliminated the plucky non leaguers from south London and hence on Saturday the 11^th March the Imps will visit the Emirates Stadium to take on the mighty Gunners. The FA Cup tie between Arsenal and Lincoln City will be stop number 15 on the Road to Wembley from Scotland.

The Emirates Stadium: Next stop for Lincoln City

I guess all readers will know by now that the unique feature of this ‘Road to Wembley’ journey is that for each match I look for a link between the competing clubs and Bella Caledonia. Arsenal have benefited from the influence of famous Scotsmen in the past and within living memory I can recall Frank McClintock being an iconic club captain for the Gunners in the sixties and seventies and George Graham managing the team with great success in the eighties and nineties. Much more about Frank and George and other Scots who have served the Gunners well in a later post. At present the Arsenal squad does not feature any Scots and indeed it is now a good few years since a Scotsman played for Arsenal. One of the last to do so was ‘Champagne’ Charlie Nicholas. The 55 year old Glaswegian played 151 times for Arsenal between 1983 and 1988 and scored 34 goals.

'Yer talking shite pal': Champagne Charlie in his Arsenal days

Nicholas is now better known as the Sky TV pundit who consistently gets his words wrong. He had a cavalier style as a footballer and he does not take the safe route in the TV studio either. He has an uncanny knack of mixing up well known phrases and sayings and coming out with complete gibberish. Here are 20 of his very best:

20. “What Newcastle lack is a lack of pace.”

19. “It's all very well batting from the same hymn sheet.”

18. “If they can take Chelsea’s scalp, it will give them unbelievable belief.”

17. “They’ll try to get a good feel factor.”

16. “Paul Jewell’s sides are always hard to break down, although Manchester United have a habit of breaking his sides down pretty easily.”

15. “I’ve had a broken leg and it’s painful.”

14. “That’s why the captain is there, to take profile off the manager.”

13. "Mancini's got to nail this in the bud.”

12. “You’d need Medusa to predict that.”

11. “I will say right here and now that his world should be brought to an end today.”

10. “Carlton Cole gives you length.”

9. “They get to about 30 yards out and then everything goes square and a bit pedantic.”

8. "I'm a strong believer that if you score goals, you win matches.”

7. “Zola can relieve himself now he’s 3-0 up.”

6. “It's imperable that they get off to a good start.”

5. "Barcelona is the only club I can see players going from Arsenal to Barcelona to.”

4. “Every time they attacked we were memorised by them.”

3. “Nani knows he can’t be inconsistent one week, good the next.”

2. "Scottish football needs a kick in the arm.”

1. “James McFadden is Scotland’s Taliban.”

Champagne Charlie the pundit: prefers red wine these days

As the big match in March approaches, Sky TV will no doubt ask the ex Arsenal pundit for his view on the contest. I for one will be watching with great interest to find out what his words of wisdom are.

Tonight it is back to reality for the gallant Imps. They make the short journey to the northern side of the Humber Bridge for a Vanarama National League fixture against North Ferriby United. As Charlie Nicholas might have said: “It might be a short journey but the Imps have come a long way”. Will Lincoln City be able to do to North Ferriby what they did to Burnley on Saturday? Will Charlie Nicholas be asked by Sky to describe the Imps FA Cup run? Come back here later in the week to find out … and … keep reading.

The Imp-possible dream is still alive and Barton is no Matt-ch for Rhead

Saturday the 18^th February 2017

FA Cup Round Five

Burnley 0 Lincoln City 1

Yesterday I saw a new chapter in the history of football written right in front of my eyes. Lincoln City of the Vanarama National League knocked Burnley of the Premier League out of the FA Cup. Lincoln City are in the quarter finals and have become the first non-league side to reach this stage of the competition for 103 years. It is the first time in their long and not so illustrious history that the Imps have reached the last eight. The Imp-possible dream has become a reality. A hard working and determined Lincoln City team out-muscled their famous hosts. The match was epitomised by the contest between Matt Rhead of Lincoln City and Burnley’s Joey Barton where the former JCB worker Rhead got the better of the Clarets’ talisman.

Are you alright darling? The Big Man shows concern for the stricken Barton

It was fantastic to share the day with some old friends and also get the chance to meet up with Cliff Vagnioli the grandson of Joe McGhie, the Scottish Brighton and Hove Albion full back from their 1910 Charity Shield winning team. This is how the day panned out.

Pre Match Communications: I joined a couple of Lincoln City facebook fans forums soon after the Imps became my current team on the ‘Road’. The contributors to these pages have been very generous in keeping me up to date with developments at their club. In truth I did not contact Burnley direct but I have been impressed by their twitter feed and web site 7/10

Pre Match Pint: Burnley FC seem to have an agreement with Burnley Cricket Club where the BCC club facilities are made available to visiting supporters. A great idea and it ensured that although the match kicked off at 1230 it was still possible to catch a pre match pint.

Drinking at 10.45 am - I love it. Imps fans enjoying pre match refreshment

The Cricket Club opened three bars and despite the fact that all three were absolutely rammed and queuing at the bar was a problem I still managed to knock down two pints of Guinness. A pre-match libation also gave me the chance to meet up with some old pals from Lincolnshire Jim Morrison, Gail Rivett, Kevin Oliver and Kev’s nephew Alan.

Jim and Gail - over from Lincs for the Big Match

Kev and nephew Alan in the bar at Burnley CC

Kevin and Alan were also featured on the TV coverage later

A face in the crowd: Kevin Oliver, Alan and Lincoln City faithful

No hand pulled beer but the Guinness was acceptable although inevitably it was served in a plastic glass. 8/10

Programme: The programme is a wee gem. 64 pages full of interesting stuff. Good coverage of the Lincoln City squad and some great articles including a blow by blow account of the events of the 9^th May 1987 when Lincoln City were relegated out of the football league and Burnley only just survived. I particularly like the cover design too.

As well as having loads of well written articles the programme also features high quality photography. My only slight tiny wee grumble is that there is not much that is FA Cup specific. Given that Burnley are former winners of the most famous football competition in the world this is a surprising oversight. That aside, my congratulations to everyone involved in producing this mag. Given the result of the match it is sure to become a collector’s item 9/10

Ground: The ground is a decent Premier League ground. It has a capacity of just over 21000 and although this is small by Premier League standards it is probably just about right for the club as Burnley is a relatively small town. Peter Tissington and I were in the James Hargreaves stand and had a great view of the action

Peter Tissington (fellow 'Road to Wembley-er') in the James Hargreaves stand

The James Hargreaves stand is the biggest of the four stands and as we were in the upper tier the wind whipped in towards us from the Penines. A real February football-watching experience.  7/10

Atmosphere: I have a feeling that had we been in the Lincoln City end I would be reporting full marks for atmosphere. Certainly the David Fishwick stand where the Imps fans were housed seemed to be bouncing up and down. The vocal encouragement that Lincoln City received from their travelling support was fantastic. Song after song was belted out with great gusto. When Lincoln City scored the late winner the joyous celebration seemed to be tinged with a sense of total disbelief.

Meanwhile back in the David Hargreaves stand, the atmosphere was a lot more subdued. Not much singing and prolific use of the phrase “give over ref” from the local fans. When the ball crossed the line for the only goal of the match the Burnley fans got up and left en masse. The match was very close to being a total sell out with 19185 in attendance 8/10

Scottishness: Unfortunately Lincoln City do not have any Scots in their current squad. Clutching at the tiniest of Caledonian straws I can report that they brought on a player with a very Scottish name. Jamie McCombe was introduced from the bench for the final minutes of the game.

Burnley have Scots international George Boyd and Scott Arfield from West Lothian in their ranks. Both featured yesterday but neither set the heather alight. Indeed, Arfield in particular was off form and probably should have been substituted. Ex Glasgow Rangers midfielder Joey Barton also played and much more about him later. 5/10

Entertainment:

In my final post before the match with tongue firmly in cheek I asked rhetorically ‘will Matt Rhead flatten Joey Barton?’. I figured this was improbable with centre forward Rhead and midfielder Barton likely to occupy different areas of the pitch. However, I did not have to wait long for it to happen. After only 8 minutes the raging bullock Rhead and the confrontational Barton went up for a loose ball. There was only ever going to be one winner.

One for the ladies! Matt tantalisingly reveals a glimpse of his rippling torso

A split second after the above still was captured Joey Barton was lying stricken on the ground having felt the full force of the usual ‘firm but fair’ Matt Rhead challenge.

Flattened! Barton in the aftermath of a Matt Rhead challenge

The spat between the Big Man and the Marmite Man was to last all afternoon and their contest was the football match in microcosm. Time after time the silky Barton tried his luck with agricultural Rhead and time after time the Burnley midfield man came off second best. Rhead had a very good game and Barton had a frustrating and ultimately disappointing afternoon.

Job done! The Big Man allows himself a wry smile as Barton is prostrate on the grass

In the wider context the skillful Burnley footballers tried to find a way past the dogged, belligerent Lincoln City players and consistently they failed to do so. Imps manager Danny Cowley must have acknowledged in his preparations that if the Imps tried to match Burnley pass for pass and flick for flick then inevitably Burnley would win. Hence Lincoln adopted a more attritional style and it worked a treat. As the match wore on Burnley and their fans became increasingly frustrated. Things boiled over in the 62^nd minute when the experienced Barton, who really should know better, tried a disgraceful trick to try to get the Big Man sent off. Firstly he petulantly stood on Rhead’s foot and then ran deliberately into Rhead’s outstretched arm and fell over as if he had been shot by a sniper. Thankfully the referee was not conned by this outrageous gamesmanship.

Later Barton was booked for a separate event when he pathetically clutched at the face of Imps’ Hawkridge. In the final minutes Matt Rhead was given a standing ovation from the Lincoln City fans when he was substituted. These two incidents sum up how the contest panned out for the Burnley and Lincoln City teams.

In the 89^th minute the well organised and disciplined Lincoln City team won the match with a goal straight off the training ground. From an Imps corner Captain Waterfall peeled off to the back post and found himself in splendid isolation. He carefully nodded the ball back across the six yard line. His centre back partner Raggott then met the headed cross with a well placed header of his own. The Burnley keeper tried to keep the ball out but goal line technology confirmed that the ball had crossed the line. Burnley 0 Lincoln City 1 and football history was being written.

This morning as I write this post Joey Barton is being pilloried for his indiscipline and Matt Rhead has become a media darling and an international superstar.

Matt Rhead striker supreme - needs to work on that hair style

Just one work of advice for the lion hearted Rhead. It is time to admit that you are going bald and drop the 1960s Bobby Charlton comb-over arrangement. The Lincoln City fans will still love you! Entertainment value 9/10

Match Day Catering: The pies on offer inside Turf Moor were all produced and supplied by Holland’s pies of Lancashire. Four different fillings on offer and all pies priced at £3.00. I opted for the peppered steak pie and I can safely say this is the best pie I have had on ‘The Road’ since Dunston. It was absolutely delicious. The pie is described as ‘chunks of tender diced steak slowly cooked in a rich dark creamy peppercorn sauce wrapped in Hollands unique shortcrust pastry’. A description that I can now endorse. Superb.  9/10

Value for Money: The admission price of £10 was tremendous value for an important fifth round FA Cup tie played in good surroundings. A great pricing gesture from the home club. Burnley should be lauded for keeping the cost down so that his historic match was accessible. Top marks in the value for money category. 10/10

The je ne sais quoi factor: As regular readers know I always try to find a link with Scotland to the match I am attending. Back in December I found out I was heading for Brighton. I then discovered that when Brighton and Hove Albion won the FA Charity Shield in 1910 they had a Scottish left back – Joe McGhie. By the wonders of the internet and a useful signpost from my friend William Yaris I was able to contact Joe’s grandson Cliff Vagnioli now living in Lancashire. Cliff and I are now friends on facebook. Yesterday I was able to meet up with Cliff at the Burnley Cricket Club just before the match.

Your blogger with the memorabilia pack from Cliff Vagnioli (right) at Turf Moor

It was all a bit rushed but it was great to hear that Cliff too had been a more than useful footballer and that he played non league for Vauxhall Motors. He is rightly proud of his Scottish ancestry and very proud of his grandfather’s achievements. Cliff very generously donated some fantastic memorabilia to this project and much of this will be used when this blog becomes a book in the summer. One of the photos Cliff gave me was a lovely snap of Joe in his later years with his wife by his side.

Joe McGhie and Cliff's Gran and the Charity Shield medal as a bracelet

The bracelet that Cliff’s grandmother is wearing on her right hand contains Joe’s Charity Shield medal! I now have a sneaky wee hope that Lincoln City will be drawn away to the winners of the Manchester United v Blackburn tie so that I can return to Lancashire and continue the chat with Cliff. Thanks again Cliff for all of your help and all of the memorabilia.  9/10

Overall Road to Wembley from Scotland Rating 79/100

At this point I have to bid farewell to Burnley. In truth I never really got to know Burnley as a football club but I enjoyed the visit to Turf Moor and to the town … and your pies are outstanding! Good luck with the remainder of the league season in the Premier Division.

So, Lincoln City amazingly continue to be my team on the Road to Wembley from Scotland. For the Imps the FA Cup run has been a chance to put their club on the map. They have certainly done that and the whole world seems to be talking about the manager Danny Cowley and the swashbuckling centre forward Matt Rhead. The Lincoln Loco rumbles on and the question must now be asked – could Lincoln City possibly reach the semi final of the FA Cup? Keep reading ….

Miles on the clock for this match 402

Total Miles on the Road to Wembley from Scotland so far 6903

Rhead em and weep! Matt ready to Bash Burnley?

Stop number 14 on the Road to Wembley from Scotland is on Saturday when Burnley play host to Lincoln City in round 5 of the FA Cup at Turf Moor. There are two individuals that I am particularly looking forward to seeing strutting their funky stuff in Lamcashire. Joey Barton of Burnley is a mercurial and controversial character and it will be great to see the ‘Marmite Man’ live. The other player I am looking forward to seeing in action again is Matt Rhead of Lincoln City.

Burnley Beware! Rhead will be seeking another Matt finish on Saturday

I first watched Lincoln City as part of this project when I watched them on TV winning their 3^rd round replay against Ipswich. At this stage I was waiting to see who Brighton would be playing in round 4. I was awe-struck by the huge Imps centre forward who was six foot four inches tall and appeared to measure about the same around the waist. He looked for all the world like a Sunday League player but he played like a Premier League player. As the old saying goes he has a good touch for a big man. I have seen him on telly a couple more times since but of course I saw him live on ‘stop 13’ at Sincil Bank a couple of weeks ago. He really is a fearsome sight but he does the most important thing in football (i.e. scoring goals) with regularity and aplomb. Last Saturday he weighed in with a double against Woking and he is no doubt relishing the prospect of terrorising the Burnley back four on Saturday.

Matt, who hails from Stoke, has not always plied his trade in the spotlight and for many years was a part time footballer while working full time for JCB. The early years of his career saw him representing less glamorous teams including Kidsgrove Athletic, Eastwood Town, Nantwich Town and Congleton Town.  His big break came when he signed for Mansfield Town in January 2012 at the age of 27. Mansfield were then a non-league team but with Matt’s help won promotion to the Football League. He was offered the chance to go full time and gave up his job as a team leader at JCB in July 2012. He has been a full-time footballer ever since but still plays with the joy of a man who knows that football is not the be all and end all. His physique is such that he can take some rough treatment but he can also give it out in equal measure. An old fashioned centre forward and his play is so impressive and combative that I feel sure that he must have some Scottish ancestry! Matt Rhead is the epitome of the lower league footballer and represents so much that is good in the beautiful game. If I find out that Matt is a clean living lad who never drinks and always goes to church on Sunday then I will be most disappointed.

The big match is now only three days away and the anticipation was heightened when I found out that these little beauties had arrived this morning.

Just the ticket! Thanks again to Peter Tissington

It is going to terrific at Turf Moor on Saturday. Will Premier League Burnley be the team to finally put the upstarts from Lincoln in their place? Will the Imps rise to the occasion again and become the first non-league team in football history to reach the quarter finals of the FA Cup? Will Matt Rhead flatten Joey Barton at some stage during the match. Return here on Sunday to find out … and … keep reading!

Blues blunted and Woking walloped as the Clarets and the Imps get ready for the big one

The next match on the Road to Wembley from Scotland will take place next Saturday when Burnley play Lincoln City in round 5 of the FA Cup. There have been four previous FA Cup meetings between the two clubs, with Lincoln City winning on the first occasion in 1904-05, but Burnley winning through on the following three times. Lincoln City are into the last 16 for the fourth time in their FA Cup history, the first being 130 years ago in 1887. However, the Imps are yet to make the quarter finals. Burnley have won the FA Cup once, in 1914, but they have not gone beyond the fifth round for 14 years. Over the last two days the modern day Imps and Clarets were in league action as they completed their preparations for the big match next weekend.

In Lincolnshire yesterday the Imps won 3-2 against a stubborn Woking team. Lincoln City are now 3 points clear at the top of the Vanarama National League with a game in hand and only 16 games left in the season. Promotion is looking very likely and the locals are getting very excited and have dubbed this unforgettable season as a journey on the ‘Lincoln Loco’.

All aboard! Cowley's campaign is an unforgettable journey

The team are still firmly on course to extend their historic run in the FA Cup, they have promotion in their sights and they are also in the quarter finals of the FA Trophy. This is a golden era at Sincil Bank. Two of the goals yesterday were scored by cult hero Matt Rhead. Rhead is a monster of a centre forward and one look at his menacing demeanour and I would imagine that opposition centre backs would just want to run away.

Oooh he is big lad! Cult hero and brute of a man - The Imps' Matt Rhead

The attendance at Sincil Bank yesterday was more than 5500 and all kinds of non league attendance records are being broken by the 2016-17 Imps. Their allocation of tickets for the FA Cup tie next weekend sold out in the twinkling of an eye.

Earlier today in Lancashire, Burnley also continued their impressive home form. Premier Division league leaders Chelsea were in town and they were held to a 1-1 draw. The Blues took an early lead but this was cancelled out by a wonder strike from Robbie Brady on his home debut for Burnley.

Perfection! Brady's free kick beats the Chelsea wall and heads for the top corner

Scotwatch: Burnley have 3 players with Scottish connections. Ex Rangers player Joey Barton and Scots international George Boyd played the full 90 minutes and by all accounts played well. Scott Arfield, who hails from West Lothian, played the last 20 minutes of the match having been brought on as a sub. All 3 are expected to be fully involved next weekend. I missed the Burnley v Chelsea match on the telly as I was at the tension ridden 0-0 draw between my beloved Hearts and the bitter local rivals Hibs in the Scottish FA Cup at Tynecastle.

So the attention now turns to the FA Cup. Neither Burnley nor Lincoln City have a midweek game so the players will be raring to go next Saturday. I fully expect both clubs to field their strongest teams for this intriguing cup tie. Burnley are well clear of relegation so can prioritise the FA Cup. The Imps are loving their FA Cup adventure and are seeking to make football history and become the first non league team to reach the quarter final of the FA Cup. I will be there and thanks to my good friend Peter Tissington I have now got my ticket sorted. I will be in amongst the Burnley fans. I am looking forward to it with great anticipation and I can guarantee it will be a better match than the Hibs v Hearts game earlier today!

Come back here in midweek for more news of the build up to the big game … and keep reading.

Its Question Time: Joey Barton - saint or sinner?

Burnley is the next stop on the Road to Wembley from Scotland. An interesting link between Burnley FC and Bella Caledonia is provided by Joseph Anthony Barton. More commonly know as Joey Barton the Burnley midfielder started the season at Rangers where his tempestuous short stay at Ibrox enhanced his reputation as one of the most controversial figures in the game in modern times.

Ready for Rangers? Barton signs on at Ibrox last summer

I had intended writing a ‘devils advocate’ piece about Joey noting (for the sake of producing a reaction from the blog readers) that he is really a nice guy and much misunderstood. However looking through his record of past misdemeanours has made even this ‘for the sake of argument’ approach untenable. So, ok, lets get the bad stuff out of the way first. Barton has been convicted not once but twice on charges of violence. One of these convictions saw the courtroom see footage of Barton punching a man more than 20 times and leaving him in a very sorry state. He was incarcerated for that assault and spent 77 days in prison.

Paggering with fellow professional footballers seems to be a speciality with Joey and Barton caused actual bodily harm to a Manchester City team mate Ousmane Dabo in a training ground bust-up in 2007. He has been charged by the FA on 3 occasions for violent conduct: (i) for the assault on Dabo; (ii) for punching Morten Gamst Peterson in the stomach and (iii) for attacking three players while being in the act of being sent off while playing for QPR in the final league game of season 2011-12.

Barton (centre) sent off in 2012 and then attacks three players

His lashing out can be verbal too. When playing for Newcastle in 2009 he told his boss Alan Shearer that he was “a shit manager with shit tactics”. Events on the pitch late in that season validated Barton’s view. Barton has also been found guilty of breaching regulations with regard to betting and it is alleged that he placed over 1200 bets on football matches when as a professional footballer he is not permitted to do so. In 2007 Barton admitted to being an alcoholic.

Barton has been sent off 6 times in the Premier League placing him the all time top ten for dismissals. He also famously stubbed out a cigar in the eye of a youth player at the Manchester City Christmas party in 2004. Joey hails from a family where trouble can be found around every corner and his younger brother is serving a life sentence after being found guilty of a racially motivated murder of a black teenager in 2005.

Back at his spiritual home: Barton snarling and pointing at Turf Moor

So is there a good side? Well yes, and also a sensitive and humorous side to his complex personality. His charity work is prolific and diverse. Barton is a patron of the Tamsin Gulvin Fund, a charity set up to support people who have addiction problems and no financial support. The ex Arsenal captain Tony Adams, who had been impressed with Barton's attitude during his involvement in the Sporting Chance Clinic appointed him to this role. He is a part of the 'Get Hooked on Fishing' campaign, designed to keep children out of trouble by encouraging them to take up fishing. He has also helped fund a new children's rehabilitation unit at a hospital in Manchester. In 2011, he began writing a regular column in ‘The Big Issue’ to publicise the plight of the homeless and vulnerably housed.

Unusually for a professional footballer, Barton is not averse to giving his opinions on political issues. His twitter feed has more that 3 million followers and the eclectic feed also comments on the works of Nietzsche and George Orwell and has cult status. His views and his interesting musings saw Barton invited to appear on Question Time in 2014. Unfortunately young Joey blotted his copybook with his very first contribution. In answering a question as to why UKIP were gaining popularity the boy from the Huyton estate in Liverpool noted that: "If I'm somewhere and there was four really ugly girls, I'm thinking she's not the worst – that's all UKIP are”. A comment that saw him pilloried for demonstrating a sexist attitude.

Barton is a prominent supporter of gay rights and spoke out on a BBC documentary in 2012 on homophobia in football and noted: “that if a player comes out then certain managers will discriminate but more fool them for their lack of social awareness and intelligence”. He expressed the belief that there will be an openly gay player in the Premier League in the next ten years.

I personally like Joey Barton’s sense of humour and his bravado. On arrival in Glasgow to sign for Rangers he noted that the Celtic manager Brendan Rogers had whitened straightened teeth and a fake tan that suggested he was a man going through a mid life crisis.

An orange man at Celtic? Tan man Rogers has a great set of gnashers

Joey Barton did not last long in Scotland. His overwhelming sense of self belief is often perceived as arrogant and whereas the Glaswegians love a ‘gallous punter’ they don’t take to a big mouth who is all mouth and no trousers.  In addition to goading the Celtic manager he also taunted the Celtic captain on his arrival in Bella Caledonia. He commented that “Scott Brown does not come in to my league when it comes to talent”. Unfortunately for Joey he was not able to back up this proud boast on the pitch and symbolically his last game for Rangers was in the Old Firm game in September 2016 where Brown bossed the midfield and Barton was marked absent.

Brown and Barton go head to head in the Celtic v Rangers clash

 His time at Ibrox was up when, in the aftermath of the Old Firm game, he blamed team mates for their inept performance and midfielder Andy Halliday bore the brunt of his foul mouthed tirade. The manager deemed his conduct to be unacceptable and he was suspended from the club. On his return he was instructed to train with the Rangers youth players and in the recent transfer window Burnley rescued Barton’s career when offering him a short contract to get him away from Glasgow. He re-joined the Clarets last month. It could be argued that Joey has some unfinished business at Turf Moor. After a very successful season in 2015-16 he was voted their player of the season and he was instrumental in helping Burnley gain promotion to the Premier League. Hence it was a surprise when he chose to reject a new contract and instead head for the goldfish bowl that is Ibrox Stadium. Many think he is now back at his spiritual home. Certainly Sean Dyche, the manager at Turf Moor, knows how to handle the mercurial Barton and already is getting the best out of him in his second spell with the club. The inability of Mark Warburton, the Rangers manager, to get a tune out of Joey might ultimately cost him his job. Warburton signed Barton last summer as his marquee signing and reportedly Rangers paid him £25,000 per week. This is a big salary for a lad that you choose to firstly suspend from the club and then instruct to play with the apprentices.

Joseph Anthony Barton is certainly not a saint. The question is ‘is the football world a better place with Barton in it or without him in it’? On balance I am going to answer that his presence within the beautiful game enhances it. He has done many many bad things in his life – but hey we have all done bad things. I know I have. In my simplistic view of the world every person has an upside and a downside. My opinion is that Joey’s upside is bigger than his downside. I don’t like violence and Joey Barton is a violent individual and counseling and anger management has helped him a wee bit but the fire still rages. His philanthropy, sensitivity, humour and compassion mitigate for his abhorrent behaviour in my view. In a conversation with my Brighton based pal Joe Black (last seen at the Seagulls v Dons match on the Road to Wembley from Scotland) we agreed that the footballers of the modern age are like the rock stars of the 70s. All that money being thrown at you at an early age does change you. Just like Led Zeppelin hurling colour TVs out of hotel windows back in the day, stubbing cigars out in peoples faces is not normal behaviour. Joe Black reckons that rock stars exhibited arrested development traceable back to the point where they became famous. We agreed that the same was true for some of the modern superstar Premier Division footballers. This is not an excuse it is a reason. On the positive side Barton has also used his superstar status to do good in the world. I like the fact that inherently the human being is flawed and I like Joey Barton. I am looking forward to seeing him strutting his stuff for Burnley against Lincoln City in the next match on the Road to Wembley from Scotland.

Before the big match that the Clarets and the Imps have league business to attend to. On Saturday the Imps are at home to Woking in the Vanarama League and on Sunday Turf Moor will host a visit from Chelsea. Will the Imps wallop Woking? Will Burnley burn off Chelsea. Will Joey Barton get sent off? Will I get my ticket sorted for the FA Cup tie? Come back here on Sunday evening to find out … and … keep reading.

Clarets lose at Watford and Imps win in Welling as the build up to the FA Cup tie continues

The next match on The Road to Wembley from Scotland is Burnley v Lincoln City in round 5 of the FA Cup on the 18^th February. Yesterday the two teams were in action and they had contrasting fortunes.

Burnley travelled south to play a Premier League match against fellow mid-tablers Watford. Burnley are fantastic at home and shite away from home. Before yesterday Burnley had played 11 Premier League games away from home this season and had managed just a single draw. They had lost all the other 10 matches, hence it was no surprise when they lost again yesterday. It seemed like the contest was all over when after only 6 minutes when hot headed Irishman Jeff Hendrick made a mad lunge with both feet and was adjudged to have been reckless in his challenge with the Watford player Holebas.

Hendrick's red mist or purple haze? Jeff leaves his calling card and he leaves the pitch.

The red card was shown and Burnley were hence required to play for 84 minutes with 10 men against 11. It was no surprise when the Clarets found themselves 2 goals down at half time. The men from Lancashire showed some spirit in the second period and actually pulled a goal back from the penalty spot after 78 minutes

No consolation. Burnley's Ashley Barnes pulls a goal back from the spot but too little too late

Watford were able to use their numerical advantage to see the game out and Burnley hence returned home with zilch.

Scotwatch: Both the Scotsman who plays for Canada (Scott Arfield) and the Englishman who plays for Scotland (George Boyd) were in the starting line up for Burnley yesterday. As both are hard working midfield players it is not surprising that both were substituted late in the second half. It is often a thankless, and tiring, task chasing the ball when the opposing team can use an extra man to pass the spherical object about as they wish. The other player in the Burnley ranks with Scottish connections is Joey Barton who started the season with Glasgow Rangers. Joey ‘won’ the penalty for his team when his shot was handled and he played for the full 90 minutes. Much more about Joey in midweek.

Dafabet or daft to bet? Marmite man Joey Barton at the end of the match yesterday.

Lincoln City also travelled south yesterday for their fixture. They played Welling in the FA Trophy. The FA Trophy is often heralded as the ‘non-leaguers FA Cup’. The Trophy is for teams who play their football outwith the EFL and as the Imps are top of the pyramid that lies outwith the football league they are, by definition, top seeds for this competition that also features a Wembley final. Yesterday Lincoln City sought to keep key players fresh for the titanic challenges in the Vanarama National League and the FA Cup that lie ahead. Hence their talented young manager Danny Cowley made 7 team changes. Everything Cowley touches at the moment turns to gold and the Imps won at a canter. New signing Dayle Southwell opened the scoring in the first half.

Green for go. Red Imps in emerald! Dayle Southwell is Welling up!

Imps squad player Joe Ward added a double in the second half and the Imps were cruising into the quarter finals of the Trophy. Welling managed a consolation before the end. Final score Welling 1 Lincoln City 3.

Scotwatch: With Jamaican international ex Motherwell player Theo Robinson transferred to Southend last Monday the Imps now have no players with even tenuous Scottish links. They did however field a player, Jamie McCombe, who has a Scots name yesterday. Apparently he played well so maybe he does have some Scots blood in his veins.

Both Burnley and Lincoln City have one more fixture to fulfill before the big one. They both have important league business to attend to next weekend. Burnley play Chelsea and Lincoln City play host to Working. Then the spotlight will be turned firmly on Turf Moor for what promises to be a fabulous sell-out FA Cup tie. I have my feelers out for a ticket and I am hopeful but not complacent. Whatever it takes I will be there on the 18^th February when football history could be made. Will Joey Barton manage to keep out of trouble before then? I will be posting a ‘Joey Barton Special’ in midweek. Make sure you come back here on Wednesday to read it. You can bet that it is going to be a good one! Keep reading …