This is a new series where I tell you of a few stories I have been involved in or heard of first hand. Just something a wee bit different for Sunday afternoons.

So I will start with my infamous meeting with Liverpool legend and current coach Kenny Dalglish. Now I deliberately picked the top picture as it is the image most people associate with King Kenny, happy go lucky friendly old guy.

Well that was not the Kenny I met in 2009. My friend was playing in a team for the Scottish Parliament versus a side made up of friends of the SFA. The match was fun but Kenny was there to coach my friends side and was sitting just a few feet away from me during the game. Obviously he was surrounded by a media presence as it was around the time George Burley got sacked as Scotland boss and there was talk of Kenny being the new gaffer.

So with all that attention Kenny missed a young strikers big moment, he scored a lovely lob from the edge of the box. Five minutes later the lad ran over to his idol and asked with a big grin ‘Did you see that Kenny?’, the response ‘Nah sorry son I missed it’. Now as I seen the boys grin disappear I chirped in ‘Well its not about the finish, as long as it finds the back of the net, eh Kenny?’. The Scottish legend turned around and said ‘No its about the skill and technique of the finish!’.

Not what I was expecting and here is the two points I have about his statement. Firstly, yes a part of me said it just to talk to Kenny but a bigger part of me said it so the boy wouldn’t be to disappointed that his idol had missed his big moment. Secondly its not even true, would a 40 yard strike in a World Cup final for the losing team mean more than the 89th minute tap in winner?? No Kenny it would not, so you can stick your technique argument up your ….! I ended the ice cold conversation by laughing and saying ‘Aye ok then’.

Kenny then played the last half hour of the game and I had a wry smile when he lost the ball to my pal after a lousy first touch… All about the technique Kenny I thought… Bitterly.

To be fair Kenny Dalglish does a hell of a lot for charity. He has done a much better job at Anfield this second time around than I thought he would and a lot of that is down to his man management style.

But in me he now has an enemy for LIFE…. Yeah I don’t think he cares either.

Posted on June 26th, 2011 by scott
Filed under: Football Anecdotes