He is remembered best for a goal that counted for nothing rather than a career that amounted to something pretty special.
Archie Gemmill became a national icon when his superb, slaloming goal against Netherlands at the 1978 World Cup gave Scotland a brief glimmer of hope that qualification for the knockout stages was not beyond them. Alas, the story ended unhappily, that is to say in the manner of all football stories involving the Scotland team in international competition, in ignominious exit.
Yet, Gemmill was one of the outstanding footballers of his generation, and became a cult hero after his goal against the Dutch. He won 43 caps – 22 as captain – but he also enjoyed a glittering club career that took in hometown side St Mirren, Derby County, Wigan Athletic, Birmingham City, and Preston North End. It was at Nottingham Forest where he enjoyed greatest success, helping the team to the European Cup in 1979; the League Cups in 1978 and 1979 and the first division title in the 1977-78 season
Last night, he added another glittering prize to that haul when he was one of six sporting icons inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.
"Being inducted . . . is up there with anything that I have achieved in my career because it's not just for football, but for all sports," said Gemmill. "You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't put in the hard work then you will never get there and the talent will go by the wayside. And that's what connects everyone inducted into the Hall of Fame, they all had the determination to succeed."
Gemmill was joined by Rhona Martin, who won curling gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Margaret McEleny, winner of 15 Paralympic medals in swimming, and Ken Scotland, the full-back who played 32 times for his country and five times for the Lions, at the ceremony which was held at Edinburgh's National Museum of Scotland.
Swimmer Belle Moore, Scotland's only female Olympic gold medallist who competed at the 1912 Games in Stockholm, and Willie Anderson who, between 1901 and 1905, became the first golfer to win four US Opens and remains the only man to win three consecutive titles, were inducted posthumously.
"Each and every inductee is a credit to the country, fully meriting their place in the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame," said Louise Martin, chair of sportscotland and of the selection panel.
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