Going back into a football dressing room on Saturday, it really did feel as if I’d never been away.
The banter doesn’t change and neither do Dick Campbell’s jokes. He was still making a mess of them!
I did say when I started this column a couple of months ago that it was a case of “never say never” as far as a comeback was concerned.
So when Dick asked me if I would sign a deal with Arbroath through to January I was happy to help them out.
Their young keeper from Aberdeen is cup-tied for the Scottish Cup so I was on the bench at Stirling Uni.
I’ll not be available for the next couple of games because I’ve got commitments that Dick knew about.
I’d been in for a session in pre-season so I knew there was a good bunch of lads there. There’s a few from my Forfar days and a couple of others like Bobby Linn who I know.
And I’ve got a lot of time for Dick. I’d had a hard time with John Brown at Dundee and he was a great help in keeping me going back then and we’ve kept in touch ever since.
Being part of the banter in a football dressing room is one of the things you miss most when you’re out of the game, there’s no doubt about it.
I’ve been lucky to have been part of some great ones. Celtic springs to mind and so does the Deefiant team. You could get boys together from those days and, even if you hadn’t spoken for six months, it would be as if you’d seen them the day before.
The Forfar dressing room was brilliant as well.
Hopefully I’ll be able to help Dick out, and John Ritchie’s one of the most qualified goalkeeping coaches about so I’ll pick things up off him that might be useful down the line.
Lenny spoke to me about coming down to Bolton as a goalie coach when he was in charge there and it was only then that I realised my qualifications – which I got in Ireland – had lapsed.
It’s not something I agree with and I’ll have to wait and see if I do them again.
For the moment, though, it’s just nice to be back in the game.
* I was very impressed by the Stirling Uni manager Shelley Kerr on Saturday.
They took the lead and I thought this could be a tough afternoon for us.
In the end the second half turned out pretty comfortable but you could see the respect that she’s earned off her players and the fact she’s a woman definitely isn’t an issue.
* I wonder what Joe Hart’s thinking just now?
I wouldn’t want to say who was at fault for the goal Man City conceded at the weekend against Southampton, because you don’t know who has given a shout or what the instructions from their manager have been.
But what I would say is that to get rid of a keeper like Hart and replace him with Claudio Bravo was a huge gamble by Pep Guardiola. And, at the moment, it hasn’t worked.
