Andy Ritchie

Name: Andrew Ritchie

DOB: 23/02/56

POB: Belshill

Position: Attacker

Clubs: Celtic, Morton, Motherwell, Clydebank, East
Stirlingshire, Albion Rovers

International caps: 1 (under-21)

Throughout the season we’ve had 26 “Where Are They Now?”
profiles and all have had one discernable feature in common: they’re not all
that good at football. Sure we’ve had some decent players – Sergio Porrini,
Nigel Quashie, Lars Zetterlund – but nobody whose memory would bring about
exclamations fitting the “what a f***ing player” variety. We’ve also focused on
those that played exclusively in either the 90’s or 00’s and opted for
deservedly obscure over famously talented. Although in fairness, Andy Ritchie
falls into both categories.

He was the king of semi-professional football at a time when
it was still possible for such clubs to compete at the top flight. In fact, in
the depressive days following the 1978 World Cup, Ritchie was arguably the king
of Scottish League football. The following season he finished top scorer in the
Premier Division and won the football writer’s award for player of the year.

His arrival at Morton is a curious tale. He signed for
Celtic as a schoolboy and made his debut at the age of 17. His appearances were
sporadic and routinely drew the ire of Jock Stein who was continuously
frustrated with the lad’s lackadaisical approach to the game. Despite this
Stein wanted to keep him at the club. Like all good managers he was prepared to
let a difference in ideologies slide if it meant improving the first team
squad. Incredibly, and regrettably for Ritchie, he turned down a four year
contract to stay at Parkhead and prove himself, choosing instead to go to
Greenock for the lure of being a big fish in a small pond. Although some may
argue it was the relaxed atmosphere of part-time football that allowed his
talents to flourish.

Wikipedia has him down as an attacking midfielder, which is
a modern representation of where he would likely play. Second striker would be
another description. But to be precise you have to be vague, he was truly an
attacker that played to the beat of his own drum and couldn’t be forced down
into the disciplinary of one position. He floated into the space allowed by the
opposition and exploited it with his close touch and eye for goal. Never
diffident, he played each game as if occupying a higher plateau than all those
around; a feeling bolstered by his incredible ability to intentionally score
direct from corner kicks.

Naturally, his demeanour transferred off the park, refusing
to be treated like a normal member of the side. His disregard wasn’t
obstreperous, but after accepting his fine for returning to the team hotel
drunk or turning up late for training he would go to the chairman and make it
clear that if one penny was missing from next week’s wage then Morton’s “Idle
Idol” would never play in front of the Cappielow crowd again.

Unfortunately for Andy, his talents were not an anachronism.
At the time he was viewed as the stereotypical Scottish football: disinterested
but immensely talented. Even today he would struggle to get into the national
side because of his off-field habits, but with luxury players scarce in the
Tartan Army ranks it stands to reason that he would have received more than the
solitary under-21 cap he mustered.

His flaws were well publicised but it didn’t stop Morton
from slapping a £1 million price tag on his head, and in the days before the
freedom of contract brought on by the Bosman ruling this meant Ritchie was tied
down to the club against his wishes. The exorbitant fee dissuaded interested
clubs when he was at his peak, but when his goal tally dropped down below ten
in each of the 1980/81 and 1981/82 seasons it was clear that his football
powers were waning. A move to Motherwell brought about nothing except a handful
of forgettable appearances and brief stints at Clydebank and East
Stirlingshire was all that was left of his playing career.

Despite the rapid plunge in fortunes his legacy is indelibly
etched into Greenock Morton history. A player who could do anything he wanted
with the ball at his feet and the time in which to operate; someone who should
have been a legend in the game, period.

Where is he now? For years Ritchie worked as a scout with
Aston Villa, Manchester
City and then Celtic.
Unfortunately, after his exit from Celtic
Park at the beginning of
the Dalglish/Barnes era his personal problems caught up with him for a period
of time. Having survived those testing times he has found restoration in the
game with a scouting role at Craig Brown’s Aberdeen.

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