Haggis, Highlands and Whisky - The Memoirs of a Scotsman

[sherm]

May 21st, 2005. A defining and amazing moment in my career. The first time I lifted a League trophy high above my head. My Aberdeen side had won the Scottish Premier League title, having won the League Cup a couple of months previously. It had been an amazing season, both for myself and my players, and it was one I would never forget

I had joined the club in June 2004, taking up the vacant managers post at the club I spent four years of my career, but in the three years before I had been coaching at Manchester United, so I felt I had earnt some valuable experience. I snapped the job up, and chairman Stewart Milne made it clear he would back me, as long as the price and the player was right, and he wanted to see the side progress.

Transfer activity was done early, with the signings of Daniel Bierofka, Freddy Guarin, Salvador Cabanas and Steven Hammell, as well as several players departing, meaning we were still in the black as the season approached. Pre-season came and went, and it was clear that the lads were gelling together and learning to adapt, as the results improved with each game, giving us great momentum for the opening game.

"Jocky Marshall was, quite simply, the best man manager I ever played under. He always knew the right situation, and how best to handle the situation. Whether it was an arm round your shoulder, a kick up the arse or a quiet word in your ear, he always got it right. Not only that, he was a brilliant tactician, and he knew exactly what each game required"

Russell Anderson, Aberdeen (2004-07)

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The new signings gelled quickly, and other new acquisitions, such as Brede Hangeland, Frode Olsen and Guy Demel, all fitted in, and we started in spectacular fashion. Wins over Kilmarnock (3-0), St Johnstone (2-0) and Motherwell (4-1) left us joint top as we played Rangers, and once again, we showed everyone we meant business, as we saw off the Ibrox side 2-1, thanks to goals from Freddy Guarin and Scott Severin.

I always believed that if you had a solid back four, and you built the foundations of the team around defence, you were bound to do well, so I set out to do that with Aberdeen. The back four of McNaughton, Anderson, Hangeland and Hammell were superb for me, every one of them doing the business on the field, and it set us up brilliantly for the season. I was awarded manager of the month in August, and we continued our fine form into September, winning three and drawing two of our games, leaving us top of the table, a point ahead of Celtic

"I was given pretty much free reign to do what I wanted, whether that be break forward or drop back, and to be honest, the three season under Jocky, I was in the form of my life. I bagged 34 goals in that time, and it was a joy to be part of the team. Also, playing with Freddy Guarin was terrific. The lad was a genius. He could do everything on the pitch, and he was always at the heart of things"

Scott Severin, Aberdeen (2004-07)

[sherm]

The season had begun well, and with the squad beginning to gel, I felt it was the right time to add to my backroom staff, making the team my own. Tim Flowers came in as my assistant manager, and Tommy Burns as first team coach, and these two men would remain a part of my career for several years

"As soon as I met with Jocky, I could tell he was a man going places. He was astute, aware of what was going on around him, and he had plans for his side. He knew that he, and they, would need to work hard in order to achieve their goals, but I just knew that I wanted to be a part of his plans"

Tim Flowers, Aberdeen/Scotland (2004-10)

My footballing education started young, as I went to Ibrox with my dad for my sixth birthday. Rangers were winners that day, but I was the real winner. I was hooked. The atmosphere, the crowd, just everything about it. I wanted to experience it every week.

I managed to go as often as I could, but it was when I got the chance to coach my local side that I found my calling. They were short of a manager, and were close to not being entered into the league for the next campaign, so I stepped up. It was a great experience, and I turned them from whipping boys into champions, acquiring several players along the way. We played a short, sharp, exciting passing game, and with pace amongst the side, we caused endless amounts of trouble for the opposition

I coached for seven years, before, on my 25th birthday, I received a phonecall from the manager of Rangers. They needed a coach, and having heard of my abilities and achievements, they felt I was capable. Another four years of my life spent at Ibrox, honing and learning my craft, before my move to Old Trafford. There, my skills became so prominent, so renowned, from learning from the best, the master, that Aberdeen came calling.

More good results followed, including a 2-1 win over Hearts, a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park and another win over Rangers, but the relentless Celtic machine kept on going, and by that point, the end of November, we were five points behind, yet we hadn't lost a game

Daniel Bierofka was, and still is, in my eyes, the best bargain and greatest piece of business I ever found. He was transfer listed by Bayer Leverkusen, and he was my first signing, for a meagre £425,000. In 123 games for Aberdeen, he scored 16 goals, but his assist count stood at 87, which was unbelievable. He could play on either wing, and his link up play with Steven Hammell that season was awesome

[sherm]

The team gelled well and gelled quickly, but they also took a liking to the league cup, quickly advancing through the rounds. Our league form faltered a little bit, as we drew games and dropped points, but come the end of November, we sat second, hardly cause for concern.

I had developed a reputation quite quickly as being a calm individual, and I was also a strict disciplinarian. There were several things I refused to tolerate from my players, and they knew exactly how I worked. Rule number one was to always respect any officials. They had a difficult job, and I made a pledge that any of my players who abused, encroached or insulted an official would be fined a weeks wages. The second of these rules was lateness. It would not be tolerated, and any incident would be dealt with accordingly. Despite what pundits thought, my players respected me and my rules, but I also gave them leeway. If they wanted to go and have a drink with their family, or friends, that was fine, but in moderation, and they must have 48 hours booze free before games

These rules allowed us a camararderie and a team spirit that was a stepping stone to our success. We were also earning praise on the field for our free-flowing, attacking football. The formation was one I'd always favoured, with a lone centre forward, two attacking wingers, two forward moving central midfielders and a holding player, but it allowed a balance within the squad that saw us work well together

"The boss was strict about certain things, but he was always fair. If you gave 100% and showed respect, he would never be unhappy. And he always, and I mean always, backed up his players, no matter what the situation. We always appreciated that, and it meant we were always happy to play for him"

Daniel Bierofka, Aberdeen (2004-07)

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Our first SPL defeat came in December, losing 4-2 to Celtic, and to see us not lose a game for that long, yet still be ten points behind, was bloody frustrating. Celtic were a relentless machine, winning game after game, and I can hold my hands up and say they deserved to win the title that season. I made a couple of January signings, from Liverpool, and these two players helped us in the second half of the season. Peter Crouch chipped in with some vital goals, while Alou Diarra was a rock in midfield, stepping in when needed and also chipping in with the odd goal

[sherm]

To say my social life was put on hold would be a lie. I enjoyed my life, and my coaching, but I also enjoyed the social scene. I used to go out in my younger days, maybe three times a week, and when it came to it, I was relatively successful with the women. They knew that I was a success, and that I was involved with football, so that used to help me

There was only one woman who got my blood pumping though, and her name was Tracy Donald. She caught my eye immediately, and though she was one woman who dismissed my attention, I was persistent, and eventually, we went out. We were together for seven years, aged 18-25, and we split up just as I moved to Rangers. Tracy never wanted to move away. I'm not going to lie, I missed her greatly

While my career flourished, I allowed myself a thought about her, almost every day. Several times, i thought about calling her, thought about going to see her, but never did. When I moved back to Aberdeen, it was another strong urge...I actually had the phone in my hand four times, but I figured she would have a different life by then, and decided against it

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We carried on our decent form, even beating Celtic and Rangers in successive games, and at one point we were just five points behind the leaders (though they had games in hand). We had no problem scoring goals, but I had made notes that we needed more pace in midfield, aswell as some solid defenders and maybe a top class goalkeeper.

I also added more to my coaching staff, as John Spencer and Giorgio Pellizzaro both came into the backroom team.

"That season, though we finished second, I really felt that we had shown ourselves to be real challengers. The confidence and team spirit we had was unbelievable, and that was all down to Jocky. Even if you weren't playing, he made you feel a part of the team. A great man, and a great manager"

Phil McGuire, Aberdeen (2004-2012)