It did not take midfielder Scott Chaplain long to become a darling of the Albion Rovers fans again as the 27-year-old marked his second spell as a Coatbridge Rover with the opening goal in his side’s 2-0 win over Elgin City last Saturday.
This weekend Chaplain and his chums take on Arbroath with the winners taking over the leadership of the Third Division and for Chaplain, it is the chance to come out on top against a player he once stood shoulder to shoulder with in a National Cup Final.
Chaplain and Arbroath’s Player/Manager, Paul Sheerin, were both in Ayr United colours back in March 2002, when the Honest Men made it all the way to Hampden to face Rangers in The CIS Insurance Cup Final. Sheerin played for the entire game and a then 18-year-old Chaplain replaced Marvyn Wilson with just a few minutes to go.
There was little the youngster could do to influence the game as the Glasgow side were 3-0 ahead by that time, with Claudio Caniggia adding a fourth in the dying embers of the 90 minutes.
Chaplain said: “I am looking forward to seeing Paul again as he was a great footballer down at Ayr then and I am looking forward to facing up to him on opposite sides this weekend.”
Ironically, Chaplain had started his career at the Ibrox side as he explained: “I was with Rangers as a youth player and then went to Ayr when Campbell Money, who at that time, was the club’s Youth Coach, signed me.
“I was in the squad for the Cup Final against Rangers at only 18 and it has probably been the highlight of my career so far when I got on for the last few minutes.
“We were a good side then full of experienced players like Paul, John Hughes, James Grady and Pat McGinlay and getting on at Hampden with them all was great.
“I was also in the squad when we went back there for the Scottish Cup Semi-Final against Celtic the following week although I did not feature in that game.”
One of the reasons that Chaplain did not feature in that game is that he was involved with two teams at that time.
He explained: “Ayr had a very successful youth side then as well and I played with them too. We reached the SFA Youth Cup Final in 2002 and won the SFL Under 18 Youth Division two seasons in a row.
“It was a real pity that the club never kicked on from there. The experienced players left the club and it was up to the kids to take Ayr’s first team forward and that never quite happened. We were relegated to the Second Division just two years after the Cup Final.”
Chaplain moved to Albion Rovers for the first time just after the start of the 2005/06 campaign saying: “We had been struggling at Somerset Park for a wee while so I took a step back to take two steps forward in my career.
“Jim Chapman was the Manager there and I felt that the move worked out really well. In one of my seasons, I scored 23 goals from midfield and I do not think many people could have bettered that.”
The support from the Cliftonhill fans at that time was appreciated by Chaplain who said: “Rovers may not have been a very fashionable club to go to but they had then, and still have now, a small but fantastically dedicated bunch of fans that seemed to enjoy me playing for them.”
After his first stint at Cliftonhill, Chaplain’s next career move was the two steps forward he had hoped for, as he joined First Division Partick Thistle in the summer of 2007.
That move was also to last two seasons however, on reflection, Chaplain wishes his stay at Firhill had been longer.
He said: “I enjoyed working under their Manager, Ian McCall, and we had a really good side during my time there.
“We played Rangers in the Scottish Cup and gave them two really competitive games in my first season and we finished second behind St. Johnstone in my second season. I would have liked to have stayed there longer but that’s football for you.”
Former boss Chapman brought Chaplain in to join his Sons’ squad that had just won the Third Division Championship for Dumbarton in the summer of 2009 and at first, all went well.
“I scored ten times in my first season but things just never worked out this season. It was a very inconsistent time for me and the team.
“We also had a change of Manager and I was not featuring regularly, so when I had the chance to go out on loan came up, I jumped at it.”
There were a lot of home comforts for Chaplain who said: “Rovers were a club I knew and had enjoyed playing at. They still train at the same place as they did when I was here before and the squad has the same young and energetic feel it had then.”
Whilst some things have stayed the same, there have been changes with Chaplain adding: “There is only one player remaining from that time and that is Ciaran Donnelly. Everyone else has changed including the Manager.
“I have been very impressed with Paul Martin as he knows his stuff and really knows how to get the best out of the boys in his squad.”
Playing regularly was the key to his loan move and it is clearly important to Chaplain.
He explained: “Being on the park, playing football is the main thing for me. I have not enjoyed that much game time this season so to be back on the pitch kicking a ball around feels great and long may that continue.”
Chaplain was eased in as a second time Rover as he explained: “I came on as a substitute against Annan Athletic last midweek in a goalless draw.
“I then started against Elgin last Saturday and scored which was great as there is no better feeling than scoring a goal and it was a good day all round as we won.”
This Saturday it is a clash with table topping Arbroath and whilst it is three and a half years since he played in the Third Division, Chaplain has kept on an eye on the ultra competitive nature of the division.
Up to nine teams could lay claim that they are eyeing up a Play-Off place at this stage with Chaplain saying: “I have not played much in the Third Division recently but I know that it is a very tough division where anybody can beat anybody.
“Our game against Arbroath is a classic example of how tight this division can be.
“Some people will see it as a home win, others will see it as an away win and some people may even reckon it will be a draw. There are games like that in the Third Division every week.”
Looking forward, Chaplain’s deal with Dumbarton runs out in the summer and at this stage, the goal-grabber is unsure of what he will do next.
He explained: “I am not even thinking about that yet, as despite this being February, there is still half a season to be played.
“Hopefully, I will be playing a lot of football before I need to worry about my future. I am a great believer in what will be, will be, and I will worry about things later.”
One issue that may require resolving at the end of the season is the possibility of promotion seeking Albion Rovers meeting relegation threatened Dumbarton in an end of season two legged Play-Off battle with a Second Division place at stake and whether Chaplain could be involved.
The midfielder stayed diplomatic saying: “I think I will answer no comment to that one and let someone else decide if I can play.
“In the meantime, I am looking forward to helping Rovers compete at the top end of the table.”
.png){kind=logo}
