First a Bairn - Forever a Loon

Few footballers, after two decades of playing the game, still possess the drive and passion to turn out on miserable and cold Saturdays in the lower leagues and happily give their all. One such remarkable individual is current Forfar captain Stuart Malcolm. Stuart may have a reputation for being a tough defender, perhaps some might say he lives up to the old Falkirk motto ‘better meddle with the deil than the bairns of Falkirk’, and it’s true that he has picked up more than a few yellow and red cards in his career. But he is also a respected leader on the pitch, a well-liked teammate and a real gent and a devoted family man off the field of play. When Stuart re-signed for the Loons earlier this year, Forfar Chairman, Alastair Donald, reflected popular opinion around the club when he said, “Stuart is a true leader and an inspiration on and off the park – we are a far better team and club with the likes of Stuart Malcolm in it.”

So Stenhousemuir’s loss was certainly Forfar’s gain but the decision to leave the Ochilview club was a difficult one for Stuart especially as it is only a few miles from his home near Airth. However the attraction of extending his playing career was too much to resist.  Stuart explains “Brown Ferguson (Stenhousemuir manager) was looking for me to move more into a coaching role but I was keen to keep playing. I am not going to lie; it was a hard decision because I enjoyed my time at Ochilview but I want to keep playing as long as I can.  Any retired footballer I speak to says that once you stop playing you realise that you have been lucky to be doing what you are doing. So I wasn’t ready to make the big decision to call time on my playing career.”    

Calling time on a career which has seen Stuart play for clubs the length and breadth of the British Isles would certainly not be an easy thing to contemplate let alone do. Especially when football has played such an important role in his upbringing with Stuart’s first introduction to the game by his dad, Ian, a Falkirk season ticket holder who travelled home and away to watch the Bairns.  “I really enjoyed the time I spent with my dad going to the football. Those were great days at Brockville – there was always a brilliant atmosphere especially at the big matches against Rangers, Celtic and Aberdeen and the only segregation was a narrow alleyway that would never be allowed now!  It was packed to the rafters with everyone singing and shouting and for a young lad that was so exciting. I think we have lost some of this atmosphere with the introduction of all seater stadiums. I understand why things have gone that way but I do feel the game has lost some of its magic with these changes.”

In terms of his own career Stuart joined St Johnstone at the age of 16 going on to sign his first professional contract with the McDiarmid club a few years later in 1998 under Paul Sturrock. At that time, now manager Gary Bollan, was a seasoned professional with the Perth side and current teammate Martyn Fotheringham was a few years behind Stuart in the youth set-up.  “I was lucky that I had excellent coaches during the early years including John Blackley. He was a hard task master – very much ‘old school’ and took the defenders for coaching. A lot of what he taught me still sticks with me today.”  Early in his time at St Johnstone Stuart went out on loan to Cowdenbeath where he played a handful of games under Craig Levein. “This was my first taste of senior first team football. I was 19 and looking back I was very naïve but at that age you think no-one can teach you anything you don’t already know but in reality you still have everything to learn. It was a good introduction to life in football although I don’t think we won a game in that period so it was a steep learning curve!”

On his return from his loan spell Stuart made his debut for the Saints against Celtic in October 2000. Making your first appearance against a club like Celtic should be memorable and it was for Stuart but not for the right reasons. “In my only game we played Celtic and I was sent off. I then got injured and never kicked a ball for St Johnstone again in the two and a bit years I was there. At that time I thought my football career was over before it had begun.” Despite that set-back, Stuart is keen to stress how good St Johnstone were to him during this difficult time and the support and respect he was given has influenced his outlook on football ever since. “They looked after me incredibly well. They could easily have cancelled my contract because I was costing them money not just on wages but also on treatments and surgeons so I am really grateful to everyone who helped me back then.”

Although by the summer of 2002 he had worked hard to get back to full fitness, Stuart was without a club. Looking for a fresh start he made the long trip south joining Paul Sturrock at Plymouth Argyle.  Stuart was at the Devon club for a season but played only five times for the Pilgrims in the English Second Division (then the third tier). “Though I didn’t end up playing many games I did enjoy my time there. It was good to be coached again with a squad of lads and of course actually playing football. It was reinvigorating putting into practice everything that I had learned and it was also reassuring that Paul had seen potential in me when I was in Perth.”

This move south was the start of a period of travel for Stuart in a bid to further his career. Indeed his next move in 2003 took him all the way from Plymouth, the furthest south senior team in the UK, to Ross County the furthest north senior team. Stuart would stay at the Staggies for two seasons until the summer of 2005 under the management of another couple of ‘old school’ characters in Alex Smith and Jimmy Bone.  “While I had a good first year I knew quite early on that the club wasn’t the right fit for me. I mean no disrespect to anyone there but my second year was not a great experience. To make things worse I had signed for literally a matter of an hour when a call came from John Hughes at Falkirk to ask me to come in and see him. You can’t look back too much in football and you never know how things will turn out but for the timing of a phone call I might have ended up at my home team which would have meant a lot to me.”

Following this Highland fling Stuart enjoyed a few jigs on the football fields of Ireland (Republic and Northern) where he played for Drogheda United for a season in the Irish Eircom League Premier Division. The club had just gone full-time in sad circumstances. “The Chairman was a wealthy man but sadly he had lost his son who was an avid Drogheda fan. When his son passed away he took over the club for him. During my season we won the FAI Cup and finished third in the league. The next season they went onto win the league but I had left by that time to join Dublin City.”  Stuart admits that in retrospect that decision to leave Drogheda was a mistake. The capital side went bankrupt and went out of existence in July 2006. This was a low point in Stuart’s career and demonstrated the unpredictability of making a living at football. “One day Dublin City were there and the next they were out of business. It showed me what an uncertain profession it can be – if not injury something like this can cut a career short. It was really tough as I was not long married, living away from home and didn’t have a wage so I had to come back to Scotland.”

Arriving back in Scotland, Stuart signed with Alloa in 2006 and then joined Montrose later that season under the management of former St Johnstone colleague, Jim Weir until July 2007.  A move back across the Irish Sea followed when Stuart signed for First Division club Shelbourne and had a final spell in Ireland with Finn Harps before he moved to Forfar in 2009.  Stuart has fond memories of his adventures in Ireland despite the distance from home. One thing that made that time and the earlier periods at Plymouth and Dingwall easier was the tremendous support he received from his now wife Louise. “Louise would come over to Ireland whenever she could and before that she would travel up and down the A9 to see me at Ross County.  She must have racked up thousands of miles and I love her dedication and support both now and then.”

With his football-boots back on Scottish soil Stuart arrived for his first stint at Station Park. “I couldn’t turn down the offer to play for Dick Campbell as he had always shown an interest in me and in fact tried to sign me for Brechin just before I signed for Plymouth.” Unfortunately life at Station Park proved to be another false start for Stuart. After eight games he started to have a few problems when his osteitis pubis condition flared up again and he feared his career was at end for a second time.  To paraphrase a famous quote, the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort but in times of challenge, and Stuart lived up to this with his decision to sign release forms rather than expect Forfar to pay him wages when he had little chance of playing that season.  “I thought that was me finished once more. I said to the manager that I wasn’t expecting the club to look after me. A lot of guys are quite quick to take money from football clubs even when they are injured long-term but I decided that I wasn’t going to hold the club to ransom. That just would not feel right to me.  So I decided to have a rest from the game and I didn’t play again that season.”

Paul Sheerin, manager of Forfar’s Angus rivals, Arbroath, secured Stuart’s signature for the Gayfield Club the following 2010-2011  season.  “I had no idea if I would last one game, ten games or 100 games but during the time I wasn’t playing I had never been out of the gym so I had built up my fitness and was eager to get back on the pitch. I ended up having a successful time at Arbroath especially winning the Third Division in 2011 which was the club’s first league title.  I was lucky enough to be asked to captain the team and thoroughly enjoyed playing alongside Gavin (Swankie).  Swanks was phenomenal – untouchable that season scoring goal after goal. I had a great time there.”     

At the end of his contract with the Red Lichties, Stuart returned to Forfar in 2013. Despite limping off in the club’s famous victory over Rangers in the League Cup he was back to fitness a short time later only to be sent off in his next game against Dundee in the same competition.  The Loons went on to have an up and down season in 2013-2014 finishing a disappointing seventh in the league. The following season the squad gelled together well with the experienced Darren Dods, Rab Douglas and Derek Young providing a solid spine for the team and along with the speed of the younger guys like Danny Denholm and Omar Kader and of course Iain Campbell’s left-foot almost gained promotion. “I believe we should have won the league that second season but we stumbled a wee bit at the end. In the play-off final first leg we were unbelievable in the home game and down at Alloa we did well up until just before half-time when we lost a goal. That affected us and we were nervy coming out during the second half. They got the second after a mix up in defence between Darren (Dods) and Rab (Douglas) which had never happened all season and I then lost the Alloa runner from the corner kick and they scored in extra time. That one will live with me as that result was possibly the biggest disappointment in my career.”  

Then Stuart moved to Stenhousemuir for the 2015-2016 season where he played over 30 times for the Warriors.  Bringing things up to date Forfar manager, Gary Bollan, and the Chairman, Alastair Donald, played an important part in Stuart’s decision to re-join the Loons for the 2016-2017 season on a one year deal. “Obviously I knew Alastair from my earlier time at the club and appreciated that the Board work hard to run the club in a professional way. The chance to play under Gary had a massive impact on my decision.  He is a manager that demands high standards from his players. That’s no surprise to me and I wouldn’t expect anything less from him because that is the way he played.  I have no problem with managers demanding things from you and wanting to make you better – at the end of the day that is their job and as a player you have to want to give your best for a manager that cares passionately about the lads and the club.”

Stuart was also pleased to be joining up with some of the old guard - Swanks and Foxy - and has enjoyed getting to know the new guys in the dressing room but does admit to feeling his age a bit.  “Put it this way I wouldn’t say I was the old one in the dressing room … more like the ancient one but I suppose Jimmy Lister, then Foxy and Swanks are not too far behind me. When you see a team sheet with dates of birth in the 1990s it is a wee bit worrying but you just have to keep working hard at the fitness to keep up with the guys on the pitch. Some people may have raised an eyebrow when I was signed and I’m grateful to Gary for having faith in me being able to keep up with the younger lads. Nights out are a bit more of a challenge though – that’s when I realise I am old! Seriously though they are a cracking bunch of guys and it is a privilege to play with them and call them mates.”

No matter how hard he works the redoubtable Stuart accepts that his playing career is heading to the finishing line. But for now what happens after this season is not on his mind. “I know it is a cliché but I am taking each game at a time. I don’t know how much playing life I have left in my old body and I will assess that at the end of the year. Of course I would love to keep going until I am 100 because I love the game but as much as I have enjoyed almost every minute of my career I might decide to look for a different challenge. But for now I am enjoying the rollercoaster and I hope we continue to have a successful season.”   Setting aside his personal objectives for the season Stuart is clear that the team must be aiming to get back into League One and to push for the automatic promotion spot. “We definitely have a talented and committed group of players who can win games as we have shown over the first quarter. With Michael (Travis) back in the squad we are even stronger.  The objective is to give ourselves the chance at promotion but in the short-term we just need to work hard and get positive results.”

After the great start to the season Stuart was frustrated along with everyone at the club with the dip in form resulting in a few disappointing performances.  What did he put this down to? “In truth, as recent results show, everyone in this league is capable of beating everyone else. We didn’t turn up against Montrose or Arbroath and they worked hard and took their chances. I’ve played for both teams and know how tough derby matches can be. You have to focus in every game and we simply didn’t do that enough in those games.  The recent Edinburgh City matches were tricky as they have found their feet in this league and deserve credit for turning things around.”  Stuart enjoyed getting on the scorecard with a goal against The New Saints in the Irn-Bru Cup despite not making it through to the next round of the cup.   As concerned as Stuart was with the dip he was delighted at the resilience shown by the lads in 3-0 away win over Stirling Albion and also beating Berwick Rangers. Although Stuart was on the bench for the Stirling match he had no complaints. “If I am honest with myself I knew I wasn’t playing up to the level I had been for the first part of the season. I’m quite prepared at this stage in my career to put my hand up when things are not going so well and the manager was right to drop me. If you are not performing then you have no divine right to play so I just took it in my stride and supported the guys from the bench. Then I got on when Andy (Munro) was injured which was a blow especially after his great goal to get us off the mark in the game and his excellent start to the season.”

Stuart was delighted to celebrate with many of Martyn Fotheringham’s current and former teammates at the recent Testimonial Dinner. He recognises that in this day and age to spend ten years at one club is a tremendous achievement. “It was a great night for a great guy. I may have been in the game a long time but I’ve been nowhere near getting to that level at any club. Martyn is the type of guy you want in your team - not just on the pitch but for all the effort and encouragement he brings to a squad off the pitch. He is a genuinely top bloke with a great family and everyone likes him – that was clear when you saw all the lads that had made the effort to come along to the dinner. I am really pleased for him and think it’s also testament to the class of this club to honour him in this way.”

One honour of his own which Stuart values highly is that of being team captain but he stresses that this was Gavin’s (Swankie) decision and he is happy to keep the role for as long as Gavin and the manager want. “It is an honour to be captain of any club especially Forfar and to be leading this great group of guys but you will get the same out of me whether I am team captain or Gavin is captain – I’ll always give my all.”

In his short time away from Station Park, Stuart missed the people at the club the most. “The people at Forfar have always been great – both among my teammates and also behind the scenes like Martin (Gray) who keeps the place running. As a player you appreciate how professional the club is even though it is part-time set-up. I always felt great about coming into work here and it is probably my fondest times in football. I said that at Ross County I did not feel I fitted with that club – no disrespect to them – but at Forfar I feel at home. Everyone around the club, the board, the shop staff, hospitality and the fans are so welcoming and friendly – not just to the players but to our families and I know my dad really enjoys coming up to Forfar. I haven’t been at all clubs and I am biased but from my experience Forfar is the best part-time club around.”

When it comes to life away from football Stuart has worked for DA Gilmour Ltd for the last nine years. This is a clerk of works company established by his parents-in-law David and Mary Gilmour and wife Louise is the office manager. Stuart feels fortunate with the way things have worked out for him. “A lot of guys neglect their education and so when they come out of football they don’t have anything to fall back on so I am grateful to my father-in-law for giving me an opportunity in the family business. It is good that I can fit my job around my football and David has been absolutely first-class about my football career. I feel very lucky although adjusting to a professional life outside of football has been a massive learning curve.”   Also providing a break from the pressures of work and football are Stuart and Louise’s two children, Alfie, 6 and Lucy, 3. “Alfie absolutely loves football and enjoys coming to watch but like most six-year olds he needs some sweet treats to see out the full 90 minutes”.   Will he follow in his dad’s footsteps? Stuart laughs, “He loves playing and has football on the brain but I’m hoping he will be a golfer!”

It is clear from speaking to Stuart that without the support of his family he would not have had such a long career in the game. Dad, Ian, travels around the country supporting him and has missed very few games over the years. “My dad has always been my biggest supporter although Louise comes a very close second especially in the early years when I played all over the country.” Stuart’s mum Dorothy comes along now and then and big sister Claire is also very supportive.  Ian was a very welcome recent visitor to the Club Shop acquiring a replica strip for Alfie and after a delightful and charming conversation with him about Stuart and his family it was obvious that they are a close bunch.    

Stuart enjoys playing in front of the Forfar fans and they are one of the reasons he is loving being back at Station Park. “I have had a close affiliation with Forfar during my previous times at the club and it always felt that the fans were supportive of me.  I may not be a flair player and at some clubs I was far from a fans’ favourite. But at Forfar I feel the supporters are on my side.  I hope they will continue to support me and the club in the months ahead and that we can enjoy a successful season together.”

Stuart enjoys his role as team captain and meeting many young fans who are mascot for the day (v Elgin with Penny Taylor)

Along the various roads that have led Stuart back to Station Park he has played an important role for a number of clubs. What other player can say he has been a Saint, a Pilgrim, a Staggie, a Drog, a Viking, a Wasp, a Gable Endie, a Red, a Harp, a Red Lichtie / Smokie and a Warrior? But when all is said and done and the football boots are hung up for the last time Stuart will undoubtedly remain a proud Falkirk Bairn at heart. That said there’s every chance that come the end of his long career his proudest achievement will be to say he was not once, but three times a Forfar Loon.  And what better way for Stuart to end his Station Park journey by being recorded into the history books as a Loon that lifted silverware.  

Stuart Malcolm was in conversation with Louise Taylor for the match day programme v Arbroath on 10 December 2016