Love Street: Some days you just don’t forget

Friday started like any other. I lived in Nairn, in the north of Scotland, and worked at the McDermott Scotland oil rig yard.

Friday evenings were spent pub crawling around Nairn which would culminate in a “lock in” in the back bar of the Caledonian hotel. A lock in occurs when the pubs are about to shut and the barman tells everyone to leave. Those regular patrons, in the know, remain. The doors are locked. The lights are dimmed. The drinking continues.

I spent this particular evening, 2 May, with fans of presently defunct clubs; Rangers, Caledonian F.C., Inverness Thistle, as well as a few fans of clubs still in existence; Nairn County, Aberdeen, and due to the fact that Rangers would not finish higher than 5th that year, newly minted Hearts supporters.

Much of the evening was spent listening to people declaring that Hearts have won the league. Tomorrow! And my telling them to take a long walk off the Nairn pier. They were not accustomed to entertaining Celtic fans in “wee free” country.

Friday did not finish until 6:00 am on Saturday.

72 hour work weeks were the norm back then, when I was a young lad of 27, but occasionally we would take a Saturday off. This was to be one of those Saturdays.

I woke at 2:55 pm and leaned over to switch on the radio. Leaning made my hair hurt. The very thought of a hair of the dog threatened to make my eyes bleed. I would never drink again!

I tuned in to the St. Mirren vs. Celtic game. Additional commentary was added from Dens Park where Dundee were taking on Hearts. Hearts needed one solitary point to win the league. The only way Celtic could possibly win the league would be if Hearts lose and Celtic scores a minimum of four goals.

My hangover was going nowhere. I was going nowhere.

6 minutes in – Brian McClair scores for the hoops. 1-0 CELTIC.

32 minutes in – it is 2-0.

33 minutes in – it is 3-0. Both scored by Maurice (Judas) Johnston.

38 minutes and Paul (The Maestro) McStay scores and we have the four goals required if Hearts lose.

Four goals. Five aspirins. Six cups of tea. The hangover is waning.

Half time arrived and Hearts are still on course for the Championship.

54 minutes in and Brian McClair scores his second of the game as CELTIC romp to 5-0.

Could it be possible? Should I have a beer? Yes. Without a doubt. One can’t hurt. Can it?

Circumstances were about to change. 61st minute – Dundee makes a substitution.

Thomas (Tosh) Valley McKinley was removed from the game in favor of Albert Kidd.

Albert had scored a grand total of 10 goals over the course of his 114 game career with Dundee. He had only played 11 games this season – seven of them as a substitute. This was going to be his last game for the Dees.

One drawback to listening to a game on the radio is that you only get to hear what the commentator wants you to hear.

One drawback to listening to a game in my stupor, is that I had missed the fact that Albert was even on the park.

With seven minutes left in the game Hearts are still masters of their destiny. At 0-0 the League title is theirs.

Going back to that commentator thingy, at 83 minutes I hear some kid has scored.

I don’t hear “Albert Kidd has scored”.

I don’t hear “Walter Kidd has scored”.

Walter is a Hearts player who is also on the park. The commentator has neglected to mention which Kidd has scored.

After what felt like five minutes but was, in reality, probably only five seconds, the commentator spoke again. “Albert Kidd has scored for Dundee.”

If the first beer didn’t hurt, surely the second won’t.

If five seconds felt like five minutes, imagine how the next 7 minutes was going to feel!

Hearts could still equalise and win the league.

I was never worried…..

Three minutes remained and Albert Kidd scored the best goal of his life.

He started running in his own half, and dribbled through approximately 25 Hearts players and hammered it into the top corner or something like that. Third beer is going down a treat.

The wee frees, the townspeople of Nairn, Forres, and possible Inverness, probably heard my girlie shrieks.

The hangover disappeared.

The dress hoops were ironed and I set off for the pub to meet all my new Rangers, Inverness Thistle, Caledonian F.C., Nairn County and Hearts friends. Although, for some reason, they were not as happy to see me as they had been less than 12 hours previous.

The lock in that night was brilliant.

Epilogue

Celtic started the season at Tynecastle with Paul McStay scoring in the 90th min to earn a 1-1 draw.

Without that late goal the making of this Scottish League Championship Title would not have been possible. And Albert Kidd Day would never have materialised.

Disclaimer

Countless Hearts fans were hurt in the making of this story.

Pat Gillen

ALSO READ Albert Kidd bumped my head! My radio memories of Love Street and Dens Park 1986 by Patrick Dunlop from Ballymena…

Albert Kidd bumped my head! My radio memories of Love Street and Dens Park 1986

TELL US YOUR stories from Love Street, Paisley from May 1986? If you were at the game, what was it like? If you weren’t there how did you find out we had won the league. Simply email your memories of the day to editor@thecelticstar.co.uk and we’ll compile the replies into a feature and post on the site.

Or if you would like to write for The Celtic Star on any other Celtic related subject please send an email to editor@thecelticstar.co.uk and we will get right back to you.

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