Motorway smash-up won’t stop Gartland

Apr 17 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

GRAHAM Gartland got the fright of his life when his car ploughed through a motorway barrier and careered up a banking just hours after his home debut against Dunfermline.

St Johnstone’s highly regarded Irish defender – who will face Queen of the South on Sunday – is intent on playing his part in the club’s push for promotion, emerged from the smash nursing nothing more than cuts and bruises.

Yesterday, he was still counting himself lucky.

Gartland, who hinted that he’s ready to extend his stay at Perth after being lured to Scotland during the transfer window, admitted: “I got a real fright and it takes a lot to get to me. It was scary. I’m lucky to be alive. Half-way through I thought it was going to be bad.

“But it was great to get back playing again against Dunfermline. When I gave away a penalty that was my second spin of the week!

“I just remember hitting the barrier, going across the other side of the road and up and over a bank. I went through an open gate and came to rest in trees. I reckon I was blessed.”

Gartland was en route to collect colleague Jody Morris to take-in Chelsea’s Champions League clash in Liverpool.

The player prised open the crumpled door as passing motorists rushed to his rescue.

“I couldn’t hear what they were saying for a few minutes. I wasn’t too sure who to ring because I don’t know many people here.

“I couldn’t get the gaffer but Tony Docherty alerted physio Nick Summersgill and youth coach Tommy Campbell. They were brilliant. They suggested I go to hospital but I was fine apart from a bump on the head and a few bruises.”

Gartland contacted close friend Sean Dillon, of Dundee United, but laughed: “He was going to a Lionel Richie concert. He phoned back during one of the songs! He’d seen the car and wondered how I’d walked away from it.”

Gartland has thanked Campbell and his wife Irene for an overnight stay at their home.

“Everyone at the club has been great and I really appreciate their support, especially being over here on my own. It meant a lot to me.

“I’d like to stay at Saints and we are talking. The club has been excellent to me. The gaffer has given me a chance.

“I can’t complain about having to wait because the defence has been so solid. It’s difficult arriving half-way through the season and on the back of a long season in Ireland which included Champions League qualifiers.

“Hopefully I’ll get a good rest over the summer and come back refreshed.”

Now his focus is on Sunday’s visit from a Queen of the South side still battling to steer clear of the play-offs. Saints may require two wins from four games to secure the title.

“Winning the title is the big picture here. Even Alan Main said that when he broke the club appearance record. We have to make sure we go up.

“It would be nice to have a championship medal after winning in Ireland with Drogheda but it’s the lads who have been here all season who deserve it. The be all and end all is promotion to the SPL.”

Manager Derek McInnes will give late tests to Martin Hardie and Kevin Moon, who both had more sugar injections this week. Jody Morris and Peter MacDonald could make the squad after being sidelined for weeks. And Stuart McCaffrey is progressing after a hip injury.

“Mathematically, we still need two wins and hopefully Sunday will provide one of them. I know and understand our fans would love to have the chance to win the title at Dundee but we have to take care of a team we haven’t beaten so far this season and who beat Partick last weekend.

“They will be motivated to get themselves out of bother at the other end of the table. And in Stephen Dobbie they have the league’s top scorer. He left a few weeks after I arrived because Owen Coyle went with Jason Scotland and had several other options. But he is a proven scorer and a real threat.

“We have to be totally at it on Sunday. But the lads have had the bit between their teeth in training and want to get the job done.

“We aren’t there yet and we don’t want to give anyone a lift. There is still work to be done. The focus remains the same until no one can catch us.

“The fans were brilliant again last week and hopefully we’ll get a lot of noise backing us at home on Sunday.”