Footballer

Born: February 2, 1942;

Died: February 18, 2017

ROGER Hynd, who has died aged 75, was a professional footballer and physical education teacher who once played in a European Final for Rangers before giving distinguished service to both Crystal Palace and Birmingham City in the top division in English football.

Born in Falkirk during the dark days of the Second World War, John Roger Shankly Hynd joined a family with a certain footballing pedigree – his mother Jean was the sister of Scottish international footballer and future legendary manager of Liverpool Bill Shankly and another uncle – Bob Shankly – would lead Dundee to the Scottish League Championship in 1962.

Childhoods spent in the Ayrshire village of Glenbuck staying with his grandmother – Bill’s mother – would in later years be fondly recalled for the 40-a-side football matches in the local park.

Roger was educated at Lanark Grammar School and was a member of the team who won the prestigious Scottish Secondary Schools Football Shield for the first and to date only time in 1959.

He signed for Rangers under manager Scot Symon the following year and would combine part-time football at Ibrox with studying at the Scottish School of Physical Education where he trained to become a teacher.

Principally a strong, powerful, all-action, tough-tackling and physical defender, his breakthrough came in 1964-65 with 17 appearances, including a 1-0 win against World Club champions Inter Milan in a European Champions’ Cup quarter-final tie, his versatility being utilised at both full-back and wing-half.

The great Rangers team of the early-60s was breaking up as age and injuries took their toll, but the form and consistency of John Greig and Ronnie McKinnon prevented Hynd from establishing himself in his natural position of central defence and he remained very much a squad player.

The years 1966 and 67 saw Rangers progress to the later stages of the European Cup Winners Cup but Hynd had made just the one substitute appearance when a twist of fate saw him fielded at centre-forward in an emergency in a reserve fixture against Dundee at Ibrox, scoring four goals in a 5-2 win.

On the basis of that, Hynd was fielded up front in the following Wednesday’s European semi-final against Slavia Sofia at Ibrox to the exclusion of the skilful Alex Willoughby who had scored 17 goals in 14 games, on the insistence it is believed of chairman John Lawrence.

Hynd retained his place up front for the following Saturday’s Old Firm game at Ibrox, scoring in a 2-2 draw and for the Nurnberg final against Bayern Munchen where he found himself in direct opposition to a young, classy central defender, Franz Beckenbauer.

The centre-forward did have the ball in the net during that final only for the goal to be disallowed for an alleged infringement – and an extra-time goal from Franz Roth secured the trophy for Bayern.

Hynd in later years would admit to feeling regret for the way that Willoughby had been treated, recognising that he was anything but a forward. In the following two years under manager David White he would feature regularly in his natural position of central defence.

In total Roger Hynd made 53 appearances for Rangers, scoring seven goals before signing for Crystal Palace on June 22, 1969 for a £25,000 transfer fee.

A successful season at Selhurst Park followed, during which Hynd made 30 league appearances as Palace fought off the threat of relegation from the top division and then moved on again to Birmingham City where he would enjoy the happiest days of his footballing career.

In five years at St Andrews the defender would prove to be immensely successful and popular, playing in excess of 200 games and winning promotion to the top division in 1971-72 whilst also reaching the FA Cup semi-final – a campaign in which he was an ever-present and was a key member of the City side as they achieved tenth position in division one the following year.

He was elected to the club’s Hall of Fame in March 2012 alongside club legends of the ilk of Trevor Francis and Bob Latchford. and is widely regarded as one of the club’s greatest-ever central defenders.

Five years in Birmingham were followed in 1975 by a brief loan spell at Oxford where he played five league games before moving to Walsall where in three years at Fellows Park he would feature in 106 games.

At the end of his playing career Roger Hynd moved into management, joining Motherwell in 1977. He made an instant impact at Fir Park with a seven-match unbeaten run, but would resign after a 36-match stint in the hot-seat to pursue his career in teaching although he did have a six-game spell as caretaker boss of St Johnstone in 1980.

He was a PE teacher at Shawlands Academy in Glasgow in the 1960s, at St Mirin’s Academy in Wishaw, at his old school Lanark Grammar and at Garrion Academy in Wishaw in the 1980s.

A gentle giant off the field of play and an absolute gentleman throughout his professional life, Roger Hynd lived quietly in Giffnock on the south-side of Glasgow in later years.

He died on February 18 following a brave and courageous battle with cancer, during which time he regularly participated in therapeutic sessions with other patients at the New Victoria Hospital and the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow. He is survived by his wife Jane.

ROBERT MCELROY