22 Facts About Ally MacLeod

1.

Alistair Reid MacLeod was a Scottish professional football player and manager.

2.

Ally MacLeod is perhaps best known for his time as the Scotland national football team manager, including their appearance at the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

3.

Ally MacLeod played as a left winger for Third Lanark, St Mirren, Blackburn Rovers, Hibernian and Ayr United.

4.

Ally MacLeod then managed Ayr United, Aberdeen, Scotland, Motherwell, Airdrieonians and Queen of the South.

5.

Alistair Reid Ally MacLeod was born in the south side of Glasgow on 26 February 1931.

6.

Ally MacLeod's family lived in Clydebank for a while but the house was bombed during the Second World War.

7.

Ally MacLeod's distinctive running action earned him the nickname "Noddy".

8.

Ally MacLeod started his playing career at Third Lanark as a provisional signing as a schoolboy in 1947.

9.

Ally MacLeod made his first-team debut against Stirling Albion at Cathkin Park on 6 November 1949.

10.

Ally MacLeod had set up five goals but had missed several sitters himself.

11.

Ally MacLeod joined the Royal Scots for National Service but was still able to turn out for the Thirds.

12.

Ally MacLeod spent only six weeks at St Mirren before moving to English team Blackburn Rovers.

13.

Ally MacLeod, having already accepted Hibs' offer, felt he could not go back on his word, so left Blackburn to go back to Scotland.

14.

Ally MacLeod played with Hibs until 1963, when he returned to Third Lanark.

15.

Ally MacLeod started his managerial career in 1966 when he took charge of Ayr United.

16.

Ally MacLeod took Ayr back to Scotland's top division and turned them into well respected side.

17.

McKillop's report stated that in response to the result Ally MacLeod offered "excuses in not reasons", with Ally MacLeod stated that "the team had been under tremendous pressure in Argentina".

18.

Ally MacLeod emerges from a chastening experience a wiser man.

19.

Ally MacLeod's departure left Scotland needing to quickly appoint a manager ahead of their next UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying match against Norway.

20.

The Glasgow Herald sports reporter Jim Reynolds dismissed the idea that Ally MacLeod might be asked to stay on in a part-time basis until after this match, saying that "Too many people inside Park Gardens", which was the SFA's headquarters, would "breath a sigh of relief" at Ally MacLeod's departure.

21.

Ally MacLeod died in 2004, aged 72, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

22.

Ally MacLeod was posthumously inducted to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2015.