Stirling Albion midfielder Josh Flood will be going all out to upset the Football Coach that helped him recover from the disappointment of being released earlier in his career due not to his ability but for his size by seeing off Rangers on Saturday.
Flood will set-out to defeat Ally McCoist’s side using the skills he learned at a Boys Club that is run to honour another Ibrox legend with the 20-year-old saying, “I played with the Jim Baxter Memorial Club in Cumbernauld for a couple of years. My pals were all at it and I joined after being released by Livingston as they thought I was too wee and I enjoyed playing for them.”
Baxter was a left footed midfielder who is regarded as one of the top talents that Scotland has ever produced. A Fifer, Baxter started his career at Raith Rovers in 1957 before joining Rangers where he was christened ‘Slim Jim’ and he played there from 1960 to 1965.
He was transferred to Sunderland in 1965 before moving to Nottingham Forest inn 1967 and eventually returned to Ibrox in 1969 for one season at the age of 29.
Baxter won the hearts of Scotland fans for his displays against England at Wembley in 1963 and 1967. He scored both goals in 1963 when Scotland, who had been reduced to 10 men following the injury of Eric Caldow at a time when no substitutes were permitted, defeated the Auld Enemy 2-1 and four years later, he was again in imperious form, including a display of keepy-uppy, when World Champions England were beaten for the first time since lifting the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley the previous year as the Scots won 3-2. The Scotland national team in 1967, of course, were managed by Bobby Brown, who carried out the Quarter Final Draw for The Scottish Communities League Cup on Thursday.
One heart that Baxter didn’t win at that time is rumoured to be team-mate Denis Law who was reportedly angered by Baxter's impudence as the Manchester United forward wanted to run up a bigger winning margin against the World Champions.
Baxter died of pancreatic cancer in 2001, and in 2003, a statue was erected in his honour at his hometown, Hill of Beath.
Flood said: “The Jim Baxter Memorial Club was run by a huge Rangers' fan called Harry McCallum and he would speak about how good a player Baxter was. I enjoyed my time there but to be fair to Harry, if he is at our game this weekend, I am sure he will be cheering me just as much as he is cheering the Rangers players.”
Flood’s route from the Jim Baxter Memorial Club to Stirling Albion was via the Football Performance Course at Cumbernauld College as he explained: “After I had been released by Livingston, I lost my interest in being a professional. I had not been enjoying my football but the Jim Baxter Memorial club helped me get back to enjoying things and I took that on to the college.
“Todd Lumsden, who is now the Albion Rovers Manager, was there as a lecturer as was Allan Moore. Allan was the Stirling Manager at the time and he took me to the club.”
Moore guided Stirling to the Second Division Championship in season 2009/10 but he had left the Forthbank club for Morton’s Cappielow Park by the time Flood made his senior debut against Falkirk in November of that year.
John O’Neill was the Stirling Manager by that time and Flood said: “I made a couple of starts under John but when Jocky Scott came in, I did not start that often. All in all, I made five starts and scored my first senior goal against Raith Rovers but overall, it was a disappointing season as we were relegated.”
Flood was involved much more frequently in the Second Division however, it was to be another disappointing season.
“We started really well and won against East Fife and then Dumbarton,” said Flood before adding, “The Dumbarton game was a great one for me as not only did we win 5-1, I scored our third goal. Unfortunately, we never built on that good start and we fell away and were relegated again.”
This season started well again for Stirling in the Third Division with a 5-1 success over Annan Athletic however, defeats from Elgin City, Clyde, Queen's Park, East Stirlingshire and Berwick Rangers cut short any good feeling that early success had generated.
Flood said: “The Annan game was a cracking one but unfortunately. we never built on it again. We seem to have been on the end of what we thought were bad decisions. You lose games and confidence gets affected.”
A goal against Queen’s Park in a 2-1 defeat at the beginning of September did at least bring a personal milestone for Flood who said: “I now have a claim to fame in that I have scored in all three SFL divisions. I am not sure how many people have done that but I am quite chuffed to say that I have, especially as I have only scored 4 goals in my senior career.
“I started the season off as a substitute but began games for a while until last weekend when I was a substitute again.”
That substitute appearance was in a tricky encounter as Stirling headed for Dalbeattie Star’s Islecroft Stadium in the Second Round of the William Hill Scottish Cup last weekend.
Manager Scott had left his post in December of last year and Player/Manager Greig McDonald, who replaced him, played a leader's part as Albion saw off the challenge of Dalbeattie 5-0.
McDonald scored the fifth goal after doubles from Graham Weir and on-loan Falkirk striker Jordan White to ease Stirling through and set them up nicely for the visit of Rangers this weekend.
Flood said: “I got on during the second half in that game and it was good to get a win again. Fair play to the boss for scoring and we did all celebrate it with him.”
Stirling and Flood will now look to build on that knock-out success when Rangers come calling and the midfielder said: “This is a massive game and one that I had never expected to be playing in. You always hope that you can get the chance to have a game like this in a cup tie but playing in a League game at Forthbank against Rangers was not something I had ever really thought about.
“There will be a brilliant atmosphere as we have four sides to the ground and they are all quite close to the pitch so it should be really noisy. My old coach Harry used to go to all the home games and I am hoping he will make an exception for this away one and see a Jim Baxter Memorial Boy play against Rangers.”
Flood added: “No-one else from that squad has made it senior so I maybe the only chance he gets.”
Stirling and Flood had a taste of the atmosphere in the summer of 2011 when Rangers sent a young side to Forthbank to honour the service that Stirling Albion Chairman Peter McKenzie had given the club.
Flood said: “Unfortunately, I was not playing that night as I had a thigh injury but I got to see the game and the atmosphere was tasty so I am looking to having that level of excitement again this weekend.”
Despite the excitement, Flood points out: “What we have to remember is that this is a League game. It will be a tough one and there will be no holding back but we have to impress to keep our place for our next League game and not to be silly about things.
“There is no point in getting over excited and treating the game like a one off cup tie and not doing what you have been asked to do and losing your place in the starting eleven.”
Flood continued: “The Rangers game is a big one for lots of reasons but we have lots of big games between now and the end of the season as we are not happy with where we are in the table.”
Finally, Flood had a word for Manager McDonald, who will be missing tomorrow's encounter as he is getting married in a long arranged ceremony, with Flood saying: “We have to look to win this game and make the boss’ wedding day extra special.”
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