The Tennent's Sixes tournament is back, bringing together a mix of club legends and current players for a weekend of six-a-side football steeped in nostalgia and tradition. Former Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson, aided by ex-player Durrant, will take charge of a Rangers squad featuring familiar faces like Charlie Adam and Andy Halliday. Meanwhile, Celtic's lineup includes Aiden McGeady and Charlie Mulgrew, with Hearts icon Rudi Skacel also set to showcase his skills. The involvement of current first-team players highlights the competition's significance, a tradition that dates back decades.
For those less familiar with the tournament's storied history, it's worth noting that during the mid-1980s, Davie Cooper, often celebrated as one of Rangers' finest players, netted the first-ever Tennent's Sixes goal. The 1992 competition saw Celtic, led by the talented John Collins, claim victory, further cementing the event's legacy within Scottish football folklore.
Reflecting on the differences between past and present, one can't help but ponder the reaction of modern managers to the idea of their star player's involvement in such a low-stakes, high-risk tournament today. Gary Harkins, set to play for Dundee, humorously highlighted the absurdity of a top-tier player risking injury in a seemingly casual setting: "Imagine somebody got injured these days doing that. Your £12m striker out for the season because he's basically played a game of fives." Scott Allan, managing Hibernian, echoed this sentiment, expressing both astonishment and a wistful desire to witness such scenarios unfold in today's game, acknowledging it's an improbable scenario now.
The historical anecdotes continue to astonish, illustrating the vast changes within football over the years. In 1988, despite Rangers opting out, Nottingham Forest participated under the guidance of the legendary Brian Clough. This appearance in the Tennent's Sixes marked a unique chapter in Clough's illustrious career, one that didn't end in victory for Forest, unlike his triumphs in the European Cup earlier in the decade.
Dundee emerged victorious in that same year, but it's Partick Thistle who have held the title since 1993, a feat achieved without their manager John Lambie even being present. The Thistle squad, it seems, found contentment simply in the break from regular training, with any success in the tournament considered a bonus.
The prizes for victory have always leaned towards the traditional, with tankards from the event's sponsors taking precedence over financial rewards. Gerry Britton, a former Thistle player now serving as the club's chief executive, reminisced about celebrating a win with teammates at Glasgow's Savoy nightclub, filling their tankards with Tennent's beer in a scene that speaks volumes about the camaraderie and simplicity of those times.
As the tournament makes its return, it offers both a trip down memory lane for long-time followers of Scottish football and an intriguing glimpse into a bygone era for the uninitiated. This weekend, as teams converge once again at Braehead, the spirit of competition, camaraderie, and a bit of nostalgic revelry promises to capture the essence of what the Tennent's Sixes has always been about.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.