Jock Wallace's battle fever management would not survive the sneers

[Bad Robot 21,513]

The title and following text has came from a Guardian article written by Rob Smyth last year. 

I'm not sure if it's been posted before but thought it was a good read and gives a little insight to the great man:

It is difficult to imagine a manager with such tough methods lasting the distance in the cynical modern game

It is an immutable law of pub talk that if you introduce the topic of Brian Clough, you will hear at least one of the following cliches within 60 seconds: He was the best manager England never had, he was the best manager of all time, and he could not have thrived in the modern game. . What you are less likely to hear is an exploration of the uncomfortable paradox, that Clough was exceptional then but would be unsuitable now, and to what extent that reflects poorly on modern football.

Fans regularly lament the extinction of the hard man, yet just as striking is the disappearance of the hard manager. If Clough's instinctive idiosyncrasy was his major strength, then his regular demonstrations of the toughest love were also integral to his unparalleled success. He would regularly get his players to run through nettles, and once slugged Roy Keane to the floor as punishment for playing a backpass.

Clough's mentor was Harry Storer, a man who proudly boasted: "I have a team of bastards, and I am the biggest bastard of them all." This was an era when masculinity was an extreme sport, when household items like tea cups, plates and hairdryers found an alternative use or an alternative meaning. It was not just a British trait. The legendary Internazionale coach Helenio Herrera once ordered two players to walk six miles back to the team base because they were 20 seconds late for the coach.

Nobody encapsulated that school of management better than the late Jock Wallace, one of Rangers' greatest managers. Wallace was a chillingly hard man with a granite face, an even stronger will, and a voice that rarely softened from its default growl. His army background shaped so much of his management. Wallace was stationed in Northern Ireland and the Malay peninsula in the 1950s, engaged in jungle warfare and surviving by eating what he called "monkey steaks".

Wallace's militarism was such that his dressing room might have been a scene from the film Full Metal Jacket. Gary Lineker recalls a reserve game at Leicester when, at half time, Wallace threw him against a wall. Leicester were 2-0 up. Lineker had scored them both.

His most famous act at Leicester was to introduce a gloriously sadistic form of pre-season training. During his time at Rangers, while having a picnic with his wife, Wallace stumbled across the sand dunes of Gullane, jauntily entitled "Murder Hill". He made his players run up and down the hill until they could run no more – and then he made them do it again.

When he got to Leicester, Wallace scouted a similar incline. There is a wonderful clip of the Leicester players panting their way through a session with Wallace barking "Hands off that bloody sand!" every two seconds. Pre-season training should have been called Wallace and Vomit: players were frequently sick as their bodies surrendered.

Some will comfortably dismiss Wallace as an antiquated barbarian, yet it is difficult to reconcile that with the fact most of his players adored him. Ted McMinn, who Wallace took to Sevilla when he managed them in the 1980s, described him as "everything to me, a dad really". Wallace could inspire most players to run to the ends of the earth – or, worse still, up Murder Hill. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Jock Wallace," said Manolo Jiménez, who played under Wallace at Sevilla and later managed them. "He was a great, great manager who instilled in me my belief and fighting spirit."

He also instilled a winning mentality. At Rangers, Wallace ended Celtic's run of nine consecutive titles, and then won two trebles in three seasons. In a TV interview before the 1984 League Cup final against Celtic, Wallace announced: "I fancy us very strongly. We've got the battle fever on today." They won 3-2 and the phrase stuck, a mantra for Rangers fans.

Wallace's focus on fitness made him something of a visionary, even if his methodology was emphatically of its time. He was the Arsène Wenger of his day, only armed with sand rather than pasta.

John Greig, perhaps Rangers' greatest ever player, says Wallace's regime was the reason he was able to play until he was 35. Others felt the value of the training was as much psychological as physical. Wallace may have made some of his players vomit, but then there could be no battle fever without sickness.

He also knew that hardship begot hardness. Wallace was obsessed with character-building, having built a deceptively complex character of his own. In many respects, Wallace was a gentle beast. On the day Rangers won their first title for 11 years, he sent on a palpably unfit Greig for the last two minutes so that he could drink in the moment and collect the trophy. Wallace also forged a friendship with Johan Cruyff and nearly persuaded him to join Leicester in 1981.

"They don't come with giant character and personality like 'Big Man' Jock Wallace any more," wrote Sir Alex Ferguson – and that was in 1994, before the game really started to change. Wallace would have no chance with the whirligig of snidery that is modern football, particularly with player power rampant. But he is a perfect reminder of an age when football well and truly had the battle fever on.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=2AClvoDorrQ&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D2AClvoDorrQ

[govanblue 16,847]

I mean

Brilliant article!

[AlCapone 7,678]

I was getting shown round Ibrox as a ten year old back in 1977 and was in the trophy room, a friend arranged it before there were tours. Big Jock seen us and barged into the trophy room and bellowed whats going on here...We all shat ourselfs! My friend explained what was happening and he just growled well be quiet then and left

[HG5 12,180]

Thanks for posting Peter.

Thought it was going to be a 'dig' but far from it!

[Weemani 132]

Really good piece... Jock v underestimated as a rangers manager... I woud say LEGEND! ... Oor big jock really did know x

[bear86 41]

Just finished watching the 140yr anniversary DVD. Jock Wallace, one of the great managers of our history, watp

[WATP-FOREVER 5,231]

SAF is possibly more similar to Big JW than brian clough - mibee the best guy to compare would not be kean but m.o'neil - even tho' he's a tosser.

[Carsons Dog 9,878]

Excellent read - thanks for posting

[allcinaye 336]

I remember before the advent of the likes of ‘Simply the Best’ and ‘Penny Arcade’ being played over the public address system at Ibrox as the teams entered the park, the speakers used to blare out a version of ‘As I was Walking Down the Copland Road’ and I was convinced that it was big Jock Wallace who was leading the chorus on it.

[Rickywelsh 45]

Jock Wallace is pure and simply a LEGEND.

Big Jock's Jungle Fighters

True Blue.

[*Manticore* 1,893]

A great Ranger, he was coach or manager for so many of my best Rangers memories.

The Battle Fever! Or 'No Surrender', it's all the same, we are the people.

Big Jock Knew.

[ForeverBlue1872 463]

We should have the battle fever on against anyone, Soon as you pull the Rangers Jersey on you should be wanting to tear into the opposition.

[geronimoo 1,565]

Players now would prob start to cry and phone their agents then release a press statement.

[*Manticore* 1,893]

We should have the battle fever on against anyone, Soon as you pull the Rangers Jersey on you should be wanting to tear into the opposition.

Did you ever hear the story about a young player making his debut for Rangers? He was nervous and the then Club Captain Bobby Shearer had a chat, asked if he was alright, as they were getting kitted up.

The lad said he was worried about the opposition. Shearer told him to put on the Rangers jersey.

'Then they will worry about you'.

[Rickywelsh 45]

Big Jock was being harrassed by a young reporter who was looking for an interview right after the 1986 league cup final.

We had just beat the beggars 3-2 courtesy of supers hat trick and the reporter was fannying about as jock was dying to get in about the celebrations.

Fuck sake hurry up man he shouted to the wee guy who eventually got the all clear to start the interview.

So Jock how were you feeling when Celtic scored late on were you confident going into extra time?

I WAS CONFIDENT BEFORE THE GAME STARTED SON, AWRITE. And off he walks into the crowd.

Priceless

[WVB 2,560]

Simply the best.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

I think Jock Wallace would have done great even today!

[WATP-FOREVER 5,231]

Big Jock knew, that fat jock knew.

[weshallnotbemoved! 714]

This management style is grossly missing from British Industry also.

Nothing wrong with a good old fashioned boss who sees what needs to be done and gets it done.

The country is going soft.

[BlueRD 138]

Not just a great manager (my favourite) but a great man. There were no "why I left Rangers " stories in the papers after he left. How many guys nowadays would turn down the press' shilling?

[Jonnyjardine 20]

Check this out.

Big Jock at his scary best.

[sonofbear 398]

Check this out.

Big Jock at his scary best.

[allcinaye 336]

Brilliant. I've just watched that 3 time and couldn't stop laughing each time.

[Non_Sucumbi 876]

They broke the mould when they made the big man - one of a kind.

Wallace has the unique distinction of being the only player ever to play in the English, Welsh and Scottish Cups in the same season.

A man who as a manager is fondly remembered not only at Rangers but also in Leicester and in Seville.

A Rangers legend.