Putting the Record Straight

Goalkeeper Mark McGeown thought it would be safe enough to mark his retirement from the game after 22 years between the sticks and entering the fifth decade of his life at a special party next Saturday.   However, as Robert Burns wrote, ‘The best laid schemes o' mice an' men, gang aft agley’.

McGeown’s delight at having to change his plans is that the Queen’s Park side that were sitting five points off a promotion Play-Off place when he joined in February, are only a win away from their extending their season through a late crack at gaining promotion.

The shot-stopper said, “I have had to scale things down from a party to a Dinner with family and a few friends but I am hoping that when it gets re-organised, it will be an even bigger bash as I can celebrate promotion, retiring and turning forty.”

A product of Celtic Youths, McGeown was released when he was 18 and he had a spell at Blantyre Victoria before Stirling invited him for a trial. The spell at Castle Park is one that McGeown remembers fondly saying, “It was a great experience and it toughened me up which I needed after only playing youth football.”

The trial was a success and Jim Fleeting signed McGeown on for life at Annfield Park and life on one of the first artificial surfaces.  However, it was only a fleeting time with Fleeting as McGeown explained, “Jim left after I had been there only three weeks and John Brogan came in and gave me a short run in the team. I started the next season as a regular and that began a love affair with Stirling Albion. I loved the club and I have friends that still go and watch them and keep me up to date with how they are getting on.”

It was a successful time for both player and club with McGeown saying, “We were a good team and we were probably the best part-time side in Scotland and I spent a large chunk of my time there playing in the First Division.”

McGeown continued, “We won the Second Division Championship in season 1990/91, stayed up and moved out to Forthbank then reconstruction at the beginning of season 1994/95, when four SFL divisions came in, cost us relegation to the Second Division.  I got a second League winners’ medal in season 1995/96 as Stirling won the Second Division again. We stayed in the First Division for two seasons and then dropped back again and I was at the club for a further year before leaving at the end of season 1998/99.”

The shot-stopper was the subject of a great deal of press attention in February 1994 when he was knocked unconscious at Broadwood in a game against Clyde and whilst he can joke about it now, he was fortunate to escape serious injury.

“I was knocked out after going for a cross,” said McGeown before adding, “I suffered concussion and a neck injury that kept me out for a month. The pitch was frozen solid and I believe that the game would be called off in the same circumstances nowadays.”

“I am sure all my Managers since will say it affected me as I have never come for a cross since!”

McGeown’s loyalty to Stirling was rewarded with a Testimonial match in the summer of 1998 against Rangers in what was one of Dick Advocaat’s first games in charge of the Ibrox side. The 39-year-old was reminded of that game when he signed on at Hampden earlier this year by Queen’s Park’s First Team Coach, David McCallum.

McCallum was quick to jokingly point out that he was making his debut as a Stirling player that day and asked, ‘How come you are still playing 12 years after a Testimonial?’

McGeown’s last season at Stirling saw him drop out of the first team in the autumn and he moved to Raith Rovers on loan in January 1999 to get playing again and he recalls, “Guido van de Kamp had suffered a broken finger and Jimmy Nicholl plus Alex Smith took me there and it was good to be involved again.”

In the summer of 1999, McGeown joined Stranraer under the leadership of the enthusiastic Billy McLaren and he was asked to talk about the goal that is marked in the record books against his name from his time at The Blues.

The goalkeeper laughed saying, “I know it is down that I scored a goal for Stranraer but I never did. Neil McGowan scored and the best laugh is that the game I was meant to have scored in, I was sitting at home with a plaster on my leg. I read in the paper that I had scored when I went up for a corner but rather disappointingly, I have to put the record straight.  I have not scored a goal, well not yet anyway, and with at best, five games to go, it is unlikely to happen now!”

“I enjoyed Stranraer but we were never consistent enough to put in a run for promotion but we had some success in the cups.”

McGeown made over 100 appearances for The Blues before joining Airdrie United for their first season in 2002/03 and he thoroughly enjoyed playing in a side that tended to keep the opposing goalkeeper busy. McGeown explained, “Sandy Stewart signed me and we had a great side. We won the Second Division Championship in our second season, reached The Challenge Cup Final but lost to Inverness and then established ourselves in the First Division.”

“We had a forward line of Owen Coyle, Willie McLaren and Alan Gow and it was great to see how they would take the game to other teams.”

After three years and clocking up over 100 appearances, McGeown joined Ayr United in the summer of 2005.  However, his role as goalkeeper became Temporary Manager after 18 months when Robert Reilly and Robert Connor left the club.

Brian Reid and McGeown took over interim control of first team affairs until Neil Watt became Manager in March, 2007. The goalkeeper actually stayed longer than Watt, who left just over six months later with Reid coming back to assume permanent control.

Again McGeown made over a century of appearances for a club before departing with Dumbarton the next stop in 2008 when he joined Jim Chapman’s side for their successful assault on the Third Division. It was a stop-start time for McGeown however, it was successful as a third League winners’ medal was secured with McGeown playing 16 times as he shared goalkeeping duties with David McEwan.

The two shot-stoppers also created a new club record for The Sons when they went 747 minutes without losing a goal.  However, McGeown decided to move on earlier this season after he became the fourth choice ’keeper.

McGeown was released in October and thought that he would have a few weeks to decide what to do next however, after less than a fortnight, he was off to the First Division to join Queen of the South. 

He explained, “I was not featuring at Dumbarton so I was released and then Ludovic Roy got injured and I was asked to join Queen of the South as their back up goalkeeper. I signed as an amateur and was on the bench for a few games but never got on. Scott Fox was in training with them and when he could sign he did and I left and thought that was it.”

This time the break was a week with Gardner Speirs asking him to help out his young squad at Hampden. McGeown said, “I had a couple of other offers but I was getting the chance to be playing again and at Hampden on a regular basis. I soon learnt why Gardner needed the experience as some of the players here were not born when I made my debut for Stirling.”

“Getting to the Play-Offs was mentioned when I joined but we needed a good run to get there and we have almost achieved it.”

There are definitely no plans to come back for another season with McGeown saying, “At the moment, there is only one game to go, winning at Forfar makes that three and getting to a Play-Off Final would make that five and that is enough. It is always best to leave the party when it is going well so I am definitely retiring from playing. I would like to move into coaching and my short stint at Ayr United gave me a wee taste for management but I will have to see what opportunities come up.”

McGeown was asked to sum up how a player can maintain a career for over twenty years and he put it down to enjoyment saying, “I have always tried to enjoy playing and that goes a long way. I don’t dwell on good saves or mistakes and just get on with things. I have been told now for twenty years I am too small to be a goalkeeper which I always found surprising and hopefully, my career will encourage other players who have been told the same.”

“I have had some great highs as well as winning medals, beating Kilmarnock in a penalty shoot-out and then putting them out of the League Cup 6-2 when they were Scottish Cup holders and I have been live on SKY TV a couple of times too so it has been excellent.”

Any regrets?  “Only one,” said McGeown, “I always thought I would end up back at Stirling however, it never happened. I like to see them doing well and they look well on course to win the Second Division and I am pleased. Mind you, that sounds like the fourth reason for a really good party once Queen’s Park are finished with the Play-Offs.”