Ally McCoist: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}

{{Infobox football biography

| image = Ally McCoist 1994.jpg

| caption = McCoist in 1994

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|9|24|df=y}}<ref name=Hugman/>

| birth_place = [[Bellshill]], Scotland

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1978

| clubs3 = [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]

| caps3 = 418

| years4 = 1998–2001

| clubs4 = [[Kilmarnock F.C.|Kilmarnock]]

| managerclubs1 = [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]

}}

 

McCoist began his playing career with Scottish club [[St Johnstone F.C.|St Johnstone]], before moving to English side [[Sunderland A.F.C|Sunderland]] in 1981. He returned to his homeland two years later, signing with [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]. McCoist had a highly successful career with Rangers, becoming the club's record goalscorer and winning [[Nine in a row|nine successive league championships]] between 1988–89 and 1996–97. He later played for [[Kilmarnock F.C.|Kilmarnock]].

During his fifteen years with Rangers, McCoist achieved an array of honours, including ten [[List of Scottish football champions|league championship]] medals. This began with a title in the [[1986–87 in Scottish football|1986–87 season]] and included the whole [[History of Rangers F.C.#Nine in a row (1988–1997)|"Nine in a Row"]] period between 1989 and 1997. He also won a [[Scottish Cup]] winners' medal and nine [[Scottish League Cup]] winners' medals. He was the first player to be [[European Golden Shoe|Europe's top goalscorer]] twice in a row (in 1992 and 1993), as well as being named Scotland's "Player of the Year" in 1992.

 

 

McCoist scored 24 goals in season 1985–86.<ref name="Ally McCoist & Rangers: A long association as player and manager"/> He made his international debut against the [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]] in 1986, the same year [[Graeme Souness]] arrived at Rangers to begin the Ibrox revolution. "He certainly transformed Rangers Football Club, but he also transformed Scottish football," said McCoist of Souness' time at Ibrox. "Two of his first three signings were [[Terry Butcher]], the [[England national football team|England]] captain, and [[Chris Woods]], the England goalkeeper. The whole place just erupted into a new level."<ref name=open/>

In March 1993, he broke a leg against [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]] in a disastrous [[1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA – Group 1)|qualifying match]] for the next World Cup (Scotland lost 5–0 and failed to progress).<ref name="Ally McCoist & Rangers: A long association as player and manager"/><ref name=lifetimes/>

 

 

McCoist scored one major tournament goal: a long-range drive at [[UEFA Euro 1996]] against [[Switzerland national football team|Switzerland]], which was also his last goal for his country;<ref name="Ally McCoist & Rangers: A long association as player and manager"/><ref name=lifetimes/> he had started all three of Scotland's matches at [[UEFA Euro 1992]] but failed to score, and was not selected in the squad for the [[1998 FIFA World Cup|1998 World Cup]] despite having scored 16 goals during the preceding season. "I was devastated. It broke my heart. It really did. I remember getting the news down in London that <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Craig Brown (footballer, born 1940)|Craig Brown]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> wasn't taking me and I [[crying|greeted]] my eyes out. I still think it was a massive mistake. I certainly don't think I would have played ninety minutes in all the games, but if we'd needed a goal, I was still probably our best chance. That was the biggest disappointment in my career, not going. Obviously I have spoken to Craig since, and he admits it was a mistake now. And I do appreciate him for saying that. It doesn't soften the blow that I didn't go, but it backs my own theory up that I ''should'' have gone."<ref name=open2>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5Yw2pqrXAo "Si Ferry Meets... Ally McCoist – Scotland Special"] – YouTube, published 6 September 2018</ref>

From the start of the 2017–18 season McCoist worked as a studio pundit for [[BT Sport]]'s coverage of the [[SPFL]] and the [[Scottish League Cup]], appearing regularly on their coverage alongside [[Darrell Currie]], [[Chris Sutton]] and [[Stephen Craigan]]. From the 2020–21 season, [[Sky Sports]] earned exclusive rights to the SPFL, and McCoist continued to feature as a pundit on their coverage.

 

 

==Awards==

 

==Personal life==

A lifelong Rangers fan, McCoist attended his first Old Firm fixture as a ten-year-old on 5 May 1973. It was Rangers' [[1972–73 Scottish Cup|3–2 Scottish Cup final victory]] in front of 122,714 spectators at [[Hampden Park]].<ref name=open2/>

 

 

During the [[2014 Scottish independence referendum]], McCoist was a supporter of the [[Better Together (campaign)|Better Together]] against [[Scottish independence]].<ref name="football">{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/independence-referendum-football-legends-unite-4173636 |title=Independence referendum: Football legends unite to back Better Together campaign |work=Daily Record |first=Torcuil |last=Crichton |accessdate=8 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906203231/http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/independence-referendum-football-legends-unite-4173636 |archive-date=6 September 2014 }}</ref>

[[Category:Kilmarnock F.C. players]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Footballers from East Kilbride]]

[[Category:Rangers F.C. managers]]