It is the medal that matters more than all the others.
Alec Cleland has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in football.
He clinched three championships with Rangers – including their ninth in a row at Tannadice – as well as lifting one Scottish Cup and a League Cup.
After that, he even reached the promised land of the English Premier League with Everton.
Cleland then used that on-field experience to eventually move into coaching and is working as assistant boss to Tommy Wright at St Johnstone.
That is a record of which to be proud but the finest achievement of all and the one he most fondly remembers came when wearing the tangerine of Dundee United.
As the Tangerines prepare to mark the 25th anniversary of their first-ever Scottish Cup win in 1994, Cleland chatted to The Courier about that memorable day.
United’s 1-0 triumph over Rangers will be formally celebrated at a gala dinner at the city’s Invercarse Hotel this Friday – three days after tomorrow’s actual silver anniversary.
Cleland was quick to acknowledge that first was finest when it came to his medal haul.
“It was extra special,” he said.
“The reason is that it was my first senior medal.
“I had won a couple of medals in the United reserves because we had a really good set of players coming through under Jim McLean but this was a step-up.
“Your first cup final victory is always the one you will really remember.
“I did go on to win things with Rangers, including titles, and also play for Everton but that was my first so it was particularly special.
“Also, there were probably better United teams over the years that had lost cup finals,” added Cleland, who actually had the honour of booting the last kick of the game out of play before the party started at Hampden.
“That is not being disrespectful to our guys. I think it is fair enough to say better teams had lost Scottish Cup finals but we were the one team to actually win it.
“We were a good side but probably not as good as the ones at the height of the McLean era in the 1980s that included legends like Dave Narey and Paul Hegarty etc.
“I was also a Rangers supporter as a boy and used to go to Ibrox to watch them so to beat them at Hampden added to the occasion for me.”
Cleland admitted that he can hardly believe it all happened so long ago but he is relishing the reunion.
He said: “It wasn’t until I got the email through saying that we are going to be celebrating it with a big dinner that I realised it was 25 years ago.
“When I found out who was going, with the manager Ivan Golac and goalie Guido van de Kamp flying in from abroad, the magnitude of the occasion sunk in.
“I bump into all the other boys now and again but haven’t seen those two in years.
“It was such a great achievement that I told myself I had to make a real effort to go to the dinner. Luckily, I hadn’t booked my holidays yet so I’ll be there and I’m really looking forward to it.
“I have been thinking about Ivan in particular since I got the invitation.
“The memories have come flooding back.
“One of the main things I recall is that he used to always wind up the Old Firm before we played in Glasgow.
“He would have a little dig at both clubs and they really, really hated it.
“There was always something that would go into the papers on a Thursday or Friday.
“They didn’t like it at all and the players knew that was what he was up to.
“He was always doing it and the build-up to the cup final was no different.
“The other thing about Ivan that I remember is that after every single training session he would get a bag of balls and put a young goalkeeper in goal.
“He would line up the players and say: ‘Right, watch this – this is how you do it.’
“He would just bang shots in and, to be fair, he had a decent strike on him.
“I didn’t know of Ivan until he came across to Scotland but he always reminded us how good he was as a player.
“You could see it.
“He would whip freekicks in and place them in the top corner and you would stand there thinking he was actually pretty good!”
There is one particular moment that stands out from the final for Cleland…and it isn’t Craig Brewster’s winning goal!
It is, of course, the penalty the fullback was denied after just 10 minutes.
United hit Rangers with a blistering counter-attack immediately after Walter Smith’s men had almost taken the lead.
Maurice Malpas conceded a corner and Gordon Durie swung his cross into the United box. It was met by the head of Ibrox defender Dave McPherson but, thankfully for the tangerine thousands massed behind that goal, Jim McInally was there to nod the ball off the line.
It was then booted upfield by Gordan Petric before Andy McLaren played a short pass to the rampaging Cleland.
He carried the ball into the Light Blues’ half before firing it to his left where Brewster was waiting. The striker then hit a beautiful, curling left-footed pass to complete the one-two and off went Cleland into the opposition box.
He was about to shoot when he was pushed in the back by Rangers midfielder Ian Ferguson before goalie Ally Maxwell then clattered into him.
It was a stonewaller but, unbelievably, referee Douglas Hope refused to give it.
Cleland revealed that it bothered him so much that when he moved from United to Rangers the following January – in a £750,000 deal that included Gary Bollan – he sought out Ferguson to raise it with him.
He said: “I still go back to the penalty that I should have had.
“It was a clear spotkick.
“The ref was Dougie Hope and when I asked him at the time he said it was a fair challenge and that he (Ferguson) got the ball.
“I think we were defending a corner and the move was a brilliant counter-attack.
“There were about four or five passes and we went from one box to the other in a flash.
“We were actually a fast-moving team and hurt sides with our pace.
“I recall that it was a brilliant ball from Craig and I was in the penalty box thinking that I am going to be a hero!
“I was in the process of shooting and then Ian Ferguson came into the back of me.
“When I signed for Rangers I did approach Fergie and said to him: ‘That was a penalty.’
“He always denied it. He stuck to his guns.
“All I heard from him was: ‘It was a fair tackle, Alec.’
“Both he and Dougie argued that he got a touch on the ball but he clearly didn’t.
“I look back and have no doubt.”
Cleland’s return home was delayed by a post-match drugs test that meant he didn’t get back to Tannadice to join his teammates until late but he still had plenty of time to party, which is what he will be going again at the anniversary dinner.
He said: “To be celebrating 25 years is wonderful and I’m sure we will all have a great night when we all get together.”
- See Tuesday’s Courier for a comprehensive interview with Hampden hero Jim McInally.
