IN a recent Tele piece, Morton forward Peter MacDonald looked back on his time at Dundee and commented on the way he was looked after by the backroom staff, including the tea lady.
Tea ladies may be well down the pecking order at clubs but they are coveted by players, especially young lads, who see them as surrogate mums.
Despite her robust approach towards Graeme Souness in their infamous set to at McDiarmid Park, St Johnstone’s Aggie Moffat was much loved by St Johnstone players.
There was nothing like a warming cup of tea and consoling arm from Aggie for a young lad after various managers had bawled him out.
Her predecessor at Saints, Mary Gibson, was also a much-loved lady.
In fact, ex-Saints John Lambie, Alex MacDonald and Ally McCoist turned up at her funeral.
In Coisty’s case, just after having come off a plane which had just come in from Norway where he was on Scotland duty.
Another ex-Saint, Sir Alex Ferguson, couldn’t attend the funeral but sent a wreath.
Not long prior to that, the famous Man U team boss visited Mary at her home 7 Inchaffray Street, Perth.
The occasion was the opening of McDiarmid Park with the Old Trafford club being Saints’ esteemed visitors.
Mary couldn’t attend due to her frailty and, upon hearing this from my colleague James Masson,
Sir Alex instructed the United coach driver to pull up outside Mary’s on their way back to the Huntingtower Hotel where they were spending the night after the game.
The bus was too big to get into Inchaffray Street so it was parked outside the chippie on nearby Crieff Road while Sir Alex nipped in to see Mary.
United legend Sir Matt Busby was instructed to purchase a fish supper for every player and so Steve Bruce, Brian McClair, Paul Ince and Co. were treated to the famous delicacy while Sir Alex had a blether about old times with Mary.
And, when it came for the time for Sir Alex to go, he was mobbed, as were his players, for autographs.
The chippie owner was so delighted he still talks to this day about the night his premises was packed with superstars.
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