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Giant Slayers at Wembley – 1967 and all that!

Time and time again, we continue to be in awe of our members, their hidden talents, past exploits and sporting prowess. We have former international football and rugby players, retired coaches to the famous, sporting champions, globe trotting pioneers, published book authors…and also poets! 

One of our members from the Barrhead club near Paisley in Renfrewshire, Tom Kelly, was inspired to pen a few words after meeting former Scottish football international, Jim McCalliog, at one of our recent Online Zoom Clubs.  

(You too might meet some stars of yesteryear at one of our Online Clubs – find one here https://www.sportingmemories.uk/clubs/ ) 

Now Jim is one of the few members still with us of the Scottish side that beat the World Cup Champions of 1966. Yes! They beat England in one of the European Championships qualifiers in 1967 and all thanks to a very young Jim who scored the third goal for Scotland securing a 3 -2 win at Wembley. 

Enjoy Tom’s poem below! 

Jim McCalliog 

The year was 1966, English football was on a high.
They had just won the World Cup, maybe that was why.
Alf Ramsay’s Wingless Wonders, that became their name.
But less than one year later that team was put to shame. 

Bobby Brown was now in charge, we headed over the border.
Confidence was the word to put that team in order.
Murdoch and Johnston out injured, that was a blow.
But that didn't stop Scotland's team rise up and have a go. 

Now, the English team had gone 19 games undefeated.
And we were heading south with a team that was depleted.
Brown gave Ronnie Simpson his first cap at thirty-six
Replacing Bobby Ferguson, a regular between the sticks. 

The English team on the pitch, they were walking tall.
Well, not all of them, they had a five foot fiver, his name was Alan Ball.
Scotland had four men from Celtic and two from the Rangers team
Law, Baxter, McCready, Bremner, they were more than keen. 

Now the other player in the pack was a young Jim McCalliog.
It was our lucky day he became this machine’s final cog.
The Lawman was the first to score, then Lennox made it two,
Charlton got one back, that was still going to be too few.
Up steps McCalliog just to add a bit of clout 

Caps were hard to come by way back then.
But McCalliog he managed to reach ten.
His games at Chelsea were few and far between.
But he went on to “The Owls” for a record fee for a boy in his teens 

Now in ‘74 Jim gets excited, 
He’s on his way to Man United.
His schoolboy’s dream was to play for the Clyde.
But there are things in life you put aside. 

Moving to Southampton, things began to move up
Involved in the goal to help them win the cup
Now one day you are a hero, the next you are toast!
McCalliog was a modest man, not one to boast.
His place was taken by one Alan Ball.
The wee man at Wembley, the name you will recall. 

But for more stories you are sure to be hooked
Read “Wembley Wins Wembley Woes”, Jim Mc Calliog’s book.