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Soctty: a truly great clubman
1974 was an eventful year.
Two general elections, a miners' strike leading to power cuts and Scotland, but not England, playing in football's World Cup in Germany.
It was 12p for a pint of bitter and 14p for lager and the number one record for weeks that summer was "Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae.
And 35 years ago this week, on June 24th, a young lad called Mick Scott signed for Halifax from Siddal.
His signing-on fee was 500 in his hand (which is a lot divided by 12p) but the club didn't realise at the time that not only were they getting a player but also at various times a future captain, academy coach, assistant coach (to John Dorahy, Tony Anderson and Anthony Farrell) and lottery manager!
Scott was a half back with an eye for a drop goal in those days but he was soon in the back row of the pack where he stayed until a final game for the club in the Divisional Premiership Cup Final at Old Trafford in May 1991.
All of his 17 seasons as a professional were at Thrum Hall apart from a four year stint at Wigan in the early 1980's and a brief spell at York in 1989 and he shared in some of the highest and lowest moments in the club's history in his 306 first team appearances.
As Jack Scroby once commented, "Mick Scott is the best uncapped player I have ever seen."
The highpoint as far as he is concerned was the championship win of 1986.
"Scotty" was just back from Wigan and a focal point of the Chris Anderson surprise packages that season.
And he collected the base of the Challenge Cup the following year from the Duke of Edinburgh as vice-captain to Anderson.
And there was also a later Regal Trophy Final appearance.
But he had to wait a while before success came to Thrum Hall....
This is the same Mick Scott who made his debut at home to St Helens in October 1974 when the side suffered a record home defeat.
The score was 15-47 that day.
Then who, as a local lad, endured the embarrassment of being beaten at home by Cawoods in 1977 and seeing the club on it's uppers, finishing bottom of the league.
"They even made the physio (Harry Fox) coach to save money."
Those were the days when the club only had two or three balls and the kit had to be washed in the bath after the players had been in it to save hot water.
It was a similar story in 1990 when the club went into administration.
It was Scott who kept the playing staff together during that long hot summer of uncertainty, training anywhere they could find with a minimum of equipment.
Halifax should be eternally grateful for that.
All of this led to "Scotty's" election to the club's Hall of Fame in 1999.
Strangely enough his biggest disappointment was off the pitch.
"It was not getting a benefit or a testimonial after 300 plus games. All because I didn't have an Aussie twang......"
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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