Hearts Heritage Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Sixty years ago, on 14 February 1951, the football world was shocked to learn of the untimely death of the Heart of Midlothian manager David McLean at the age of 67. read more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelly Terraces Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Yeah, that was a really interesting read, good to see the club recognising such an important person in our history, hats off to whoever put that excellent piece together. The part about Tommy Waker addressing the crowd brings a lump to the throat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hearts Heritage Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 Yeah, that was a really interesting read, good to see the club recognising such an important person in our history, hats off to whoever put that excellent piece together. The part about Tommy Waker addressing the crowd brings a lump to the throat. Pretty certain it would be David Speed. Here is a picture of Tommy addressing the crowd at a representative game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbo1874 Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Nice read. Seemed like a man ahead of his time with his methods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Albert Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 The architect of the greatest Hearts team ever. Great to see the club acknowledging its history in a way it seldom did in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wibble Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Pretty certain it would be David Speed. Here is a picture of Tommy addressing the crowd at a representative game. Has Tommy got a stormer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Albert Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Has Tommy got a stormer? Guy next to him certainly looks a wee bit nervous! But no, not Tommy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajthejambo Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Nice read. Seemed like a man ahead of his time with his methods. That's the conclusion I came to aswell after reading the piece. He was an innovator for what Managers like Arsene Wenger adhere to now. I wonder what McLean would make of how the game has evolved? It is clear from the article that he wanted the game to move from part time to players being professionals, so it would interesting to know what he would make of the current money vaccum that is the modern player. Obviously, football was a very different game back then in terms of being able to compete. To win the Scottish Cup with a Second Division East Fife must have been some achievement all the same though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Albert Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Strange that such a successful strategy seemed either to have been abandoned within a decade of McLean's death or, if not, failed to produce players of anything like the same calibre, despite some of McLean's colleagues (Walker and Harvey) stil being around. Did the Board stop suppporting the sort of investment, and faith, in youth that McLean fostered? Or was the same talent pool just not there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie-Brown Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Strange that such a successful strategy seemed either to have been abandoned within a decade of McLean's death or, if not, failed to produce players of anything like the same calibre, despite some of McLean's colleagues (Walker and Harvey) stil being around. Did the Board stop suppporting the sort of investment, and faith, in youth that McLean fostered? Or was the same talent pool just not there? Personally I think it was the abolition of the maximum wage that created far greater movement of better Scottish players heading down South, in Hearts terms we lost Davie Mackay, Alex Young & George Thomson to Spurs & Everton and others followed them in later years, prior to that Hearts home produced players stayed at the club much longer as there wasn't any real financial incentive in moving as wages were broadly similar everywhere - many English clubs like Newcastle, Blackpool, Preston & Wolves enjoyed far greater success in the 50's as they too were able to keep their best players for longer ... thereafter we start to see a pattern of increasing domination by the richer clubs. Hearts teams of the early 1960's were still quite competitive albeit not quite as exceptional as the 1950's but gradually the best local talent seeped away until those like Souness & Jardine didn't even come to Hearts but went straight to London & Glasgow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debtor Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Great article that. East Fife won the cup in 38 by McLean borrowing John Harvey. The final was drawn and for the replay he obtained a loan of John Harvey for the Wednesday replay, they won! Harvey then returned to Hearts after the game, This brought strict new regulations into force regarding loan players. McLean had many good ideas, if only the Hearts directors down the years had been so alert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejtee Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I know his grandson very well and will suggest he reads the article. Sadly he isn't much of a football man but does enjoy a pint in the diggers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Bill Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Are there any photos of the great man? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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