This is the third in a series of interviews with former Glentoran players and managers where they talk about a photograph that means a lot to them. Some will be reproduced from a series written by Brian McClelland for the Glentoran Gazette in the mid-1990s with other, newer stories we will be writing over the next few weeks. This one was published in the Gazette in the 1994/95 season, when Brian met midfielder Andy Mathieson.
3. Andy Mathieson
Happy days at Helen’s Bay! I think this photograph was taken in 1980 when I was about thirteen. Taking centre stage in the picture is the legendary Bob Bishop who was Manchester United’s scout in Northern Ireland.
He was renowned for having discovered George Best, but he was also responsible for sending quite a few lads to the Old Trafford nursery including Jimmy Nicholson, Sammy McIlroy, Jimmy Nichol, Norman Whiteside and, of course, myself!
Also in the picture are my mates at the time – Paul “Windy” Millar, now our Assistant Manager at the Glens (kneeling left), and standing from the left, Philip Knell and Sammy McFadden, who both played for Linfield and other Irish League clubs.
We all looked forward immensely to those weekend breaks at Bob’s cottage which was in a farmyard near Helen’s Bay, which accounts for all the dogs in the picture! I was at Dundonald Boys’ High School in those days and Friday couldn’t come quickly enough for me. Each of us had a bunk bed in one room and we just ate, slept and talked football.
I think that the photograph shows just how much we enjoyed the weekend trips to our football training camp and our eagerness to do well for Bob. He had us out running before breakfast and worked us hard for the whole weekend. On Sunday evening we returned home tired but happy.
Bob took me over to Old Trafford when I was thirteen years old to train and have a look at the set-up. Naturally, I was suitably impressed – what youngster wouldn’t have been at the prospect of pulling on the famous red shirt?
When I turned fifteen years of age Manchester United began flying me over every weekend to play for their youth team. It was a wonderful period in my life. I became an apprentice professional with United. Paul McGrath and Norman Whiteside took me under their wing. Enough said on those two characters!
I spent three great years at Old Trafford playing for United’s youth side. My team mates included Martin Russell, who had a good career at Portadown, Frank Worthington’s nephew Gary, and David Platt who went on to be captain of the England team.
My abiding memory of my time at Old Trafford is of playing in a five-a-side competition on the same team as Bryan Robson, Ray Wilkins, Remi Moses and Jesper Olsen. Talk about a fantastic experience!
When I was eighteen I left United for Crewe Alexandra along with David Platt. The set-up with Crewe was, needless to say, something of a cultural shock after after having tasted the high life at Old Trafford. Within three months I had packed up and returned home. Later I had trials with Wolves and Nottingham Forest but nothing came of them.
Billy Spence persuaded me to put pen to paper for Glentoran, who were managed in those days by Billy Johnston. Being an East Belfast boy this was a natural step for me to take, one which saw me win every trophy in local football with the exception of the Country Antrim Shield in a career I loved with the Glens.
Yes, football apart, I owe a lot to the late Bob Bishop. In encouraging me to go to Manchester he gave me the opportunity to meet my future wife, Maxine. We called regularly with Bob at his Laburnum Street home, cooked meals for him, and enjoyed his company up until his death.
The photograph is a very happy one for me. I only have to look at it to remind myself of the many enjoyable football weekends spent in the company of my mates and such a marvellous man as Bob Bishop.
Andy in one of his regular appearances for the Glentoran Legends
