Interview with Steve tOSH by Karen Fleming

Can you give us your career history?

I started off at Arbroath at the age of 20, after Jocky Scott signed me from Glenrothes Juniors.  I played one game for him then he resigned!  After just over a year I moved to St Johnstone until 1998, and then moved to Raith Rovers for two seasons.  I moved to Livingstone in 2000 and spent two years there, then moved to Falkirk for 5months, and got a move to Aberdeen in January 2003.  In 2005 I moved to Gretna and then in 2007 I came to Queen of the South where I am now.

Do you have a memorable game or time that sticks out from your time at Arbroath?

I would have loved to have played for a successful Arbroath side, but unfortunately it was not to be.  I think I played for more managers than I had win bonuses in my time at Gayfield!  There are a few games that stick out though.  In one season I was fortunate enough to score two hat tricks.  We had not had a good run against Montrose, and after the first derby game I realised how strong the rivalry was between the two teams and sets of fans.  In early 1995 we played them at Gayfield and won 4-1.  I scored two and it was clear to see how much it meant to the fans.  Arbroath is a fantastic wee club and as it was my first senior club I have very fond memories of my time there.  It gave me a great start, the only down side being the weather!  I was lucky to be part of a great team with great characters like Bobby Glennie, Ian Spittle and Charlie Adam senior, none of them big names in Scottish football, but steady, hard working players and great guys.  I really enjoyed playing for Donald Park and George Mackie, maybe not quite as much playing for John Brogan, at the time I was a youngster and his strict discipline wasn’t appreciated, however, I can see now in my later years where he was coming from!  I’m not just saying it, but I come across players and coaches all the time that have spent some of their career at Arbroath and not one has anything other than good to say about the club.  It’s well run and they always try to do the best that they can for their players with the limited resources smaller clubs have.  I’ll not lie to you and say it’s the first result I look for when I come off the park on a

Saturday, (although it was a couple of weeks ago), but I do like to see Arbroath winning, apart from four times a season, when they are playing Raith Rovers!

A career highlight must have been the Scottish Cup Final last season and European football?

That was my second cup final as I’d played in one before with Gretna, but I have to admit that it was very special going to Hampden with Queen of the South.  They are a real club with years of tradition and history.  I had lived in Dumfries with my family for two years while I played at Gretna so I knew lots of people and what it meant to them.  My daughter and my wee boy, who is football daft, were there, but to score with them watching made it fantastic.  Folk can say what they want, that I may have done this or not done that, but no-one will ever be able to take away the fact that I scored in a Scottish Cup Final at Hampden.  I’m a boy from Kirkcaldy who has been lucky and had a good career, I have two Cup Final medals, unfortunately they are both losers’ medals, and I’ve been with four clubs that have won the first division, I’ve lived the life I’ve wanted and I wouldn’t change one little bit of it.

Is coaching or management something you see yourself getting into when it’s time to hang up the boots?

An honest answer would have to be possibly.  I been told in the past that it’s time I was thinking about getting myself prepared and doing some coaching badges, but to be honest I want to concentrate on playing.  I’m not naive enough to think that I can play forever, but I do look after myself now and I think that I’ve probably got another couple of seasons left in me after this one.  Football has been my job and hobby for the last 16 years so I think I would find it hard to just walk away from the game completely when I stop playing, but management isn’t something I’ve really thought of seriously.  If a club approached me in 18 months time I might jump at it, but I don’t really know.  I suppose it’s a case of never say never.

Who is the best player you have played with and against?

Difficult question!  I think the best player I played with at Gayfield would be big Charlie Adam.  When I first saw him I never dreamt that he would be able to play football, I assumed he would be a midfield bruiser, but Charlie could play.  Away from Arbroath I think it would have to be Francesco Quino, who I played with at Livingstone.  He had played for Malaga in La Liga and when he and David Fernandez got together at training it could be half an hour before anyone else got to touch the ball!  The best player I’ve played against would have to be Gazza, on his day he was just untouchable.  I’ve been lucky enough to play friendlies against the likes of Rino Gatuso, Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen.  The closest I got to any of them was when I was walking onto the pitch and back off again at full time, but I did play against them!

With all the postponements there have been recently it has re-opened the debate on summer football.  What are your thoughts on this?

As a player I wouldn’t go for summer football.  Apart from the fact that it would play havoc with my golf handicap, as I wouldn’t get on the course so much, I’m a traditionalist and like our game the way it is.  Yes games are postponed and maybe the weather spoils the football now and again, but that’s Scottish football.  I’m a big supporter of our game and don’t like the detractors who knock it at every opportunity.  Players don’t like playing when it is too hot either.  However, if you were to ask me as a supporter in a few years time, I’m sure I’d rather go to Starks Park in a T-shirt with my factor ten on than be freezing cold!

Karen Fleming