Patron Saint of talent

Jun 24 2008 by Gordon Bannerman

DURING his playing career, he was signed by managerial legends like Willie Ormond, Jock Stein and Jim McLean.

But for the last 14 years Atholl Henderson has been charged with nurturing grassroots football in his native Perthshire.

And while most St Johnstone personnel have been enjoying the summer break, the club’s SFA community coach is bracing himself for a frantic spell coinciding with the school holidays.

He’s got a 93-strong team of volunteer coaches onside for a series of kids coaching sessions at venues throughout Perth and Kinross.

And while current Perth players like Kevin Moon and Steven Doris were first spotted at McDiarmid Park sessions as kids, the emphasis is on fun rather than talent spotting.

The football scene has been transformed since former Perth Academy pupil Atholl (50) enjoyed the limelight in a 4-2 Scottish Schoolboys Wembley win over an England side boasting Alan Curbishley, the current West Ham manager.

A lifelong St Johnstone fan, he has enjoyed several incarnations with the Perth club, having first signed for his boyhood heroes back in the early seventies.

Atholl recalled: “I signed an S form for Willie Ormond and spent two seasons at Muirton Park. When I left, Jackie Stewart was the manager because Willie had left for the Scotland job.

“I didn’t take any convincing to sign for Saints. They were my first love. There were English clubs interested but I’d have cut my arm off to play for the club.

Atholl admits it was a shock to be released when Saints went part-time. But his spirits were quickly lifted as the Old Firm sought his services.

“I wasn’t expecting it but I was offered training with Rangers and then John Clark, the Lisbon Lion then taking the Celtic reserves, asked me through to Glasgow and I ended up signing for Jock Stein.”

Atholl played just twice for the first team, but a cup clash with Dundee United is emblazoned on his memory.

“I found myself up front with Kenny Dalglish. Alex Rennie, a former team mate at Saints, was in direct opposition to me.”

Sadly, Atholl’s time at Celtic, and at subsequent clubs, was undermined by a persistent hamstring injury.

Archie Knox took him to Forfar and it was on to Brechin under Iain Stewart, Doug Houston and Ian Fleming before Alex Rennie brought him back to Perth in a part-time coaching capacity.

Saints legend Henry Hall then took him to Forfar but a phone call from Jim McLean led to a reserve post at Tannadice in 1987, with Dundee United’s youth policy paying dividends.

After a spell part-time at Brechin, Atholl applied for the first community coaching post at Perth. He lost out to Scotland international Raymond Stewart but was installed at Tannadice. Three years later he finally worked his ticket back to the Fair City.

“I’ve been here ever since,” said Atholl. “I’ve worked with various managers - Paul Sturrock, Sandy Clark, Billy Stark, John Connolly, Owen Coyle and now Derek McInnes.

“The vast majority of my work is on the community side of things but I have enjoyed being involved with matches in the dug-out.

“One game I’ll never forget was the win over Dundee when Paul Kane’s header sent us into Europe. The trip to Monaco was special, as was the League Cup semi-final win over Hearts at Easter Road.”