Goodwin faces Hampden high wire act over final's yellow peril

Sports Writer

Sunday 27 January 2013

JIM GOODWIN has never played at Hampden, even though he does have the place on speed dial.

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Stewart Fisher

The St Mirren captain, who leads his team to the national stadium for today's Scottish Communities League Cup semi-final against Celtic, has had regular contact with refereeing chief John Fleming and the Scottish Football Association's disciplinary department in the last few seasons.

The most recent came in the lead-up to this game as he sought confirmation that it was team-mate David van Zanten and not him who had received a yellow card against Aberdeen in the previous round and that he had avoided suspension for the clash against his former team today.Whether he lines up at the back or in midfield, Goodwin will walk the tightrope again this afternoon, knowing another booking would take him out of the final should St Mirren shock the world and make it there. St Mirren go into the match with a 22-0 combined score in the last five meetings between the sides, but their spiritual leader won't shirk the challenge as they attempt to stop the rot. "This will be the first time I have played at Hampden before," said Goodwin, "so for me as captain to lead the boys out at the national stadium will be a very proud moment. "I was concerned I might not make it because the referee showed a yellow card up at Aberdeen but it wasn't to me. I tripped up Niall McGinn and something went on afterwards, Vanzy fouled someone. The referee showed a card and I didn't know who to. I just thought: it must be me. I tend to think that anyway. So I phoned Brian Caldwell, our general manager, and asked what the story was and could we check that out. Thankfully, it wasn't me."John Fleming is pretty much on speed dial at our place," the Irishman added. "He's a fantastic man and I've had many dealings with him! He's very honest and tells me to do one at times when I'm phoning because he says you deserve it and that's that so just take it. "At other times he can see my point. That is what I like about the process. They [referees] do get a hard time. I'm not for lambasting refs in public because I think they have a very difficult job."Goodwin's big day at the national stadium – the only time he has ever visited was for the Scotland game against Liechtenstein – has a special poignancy because it is against the club he supported as a boy in Ireland and joined as a teenager, having been brought to the club by Tommy Burns and making his debut as a 15-year-old under Kenny Dalglish alongside a rag-tag bunch of Parkhead kids which included a young Mark Fotheringham and John Kennedy. It wasn't until Martin O'Neill arrived the next season, and started splashing the cash on the likes of Celtic's current manager Neil Lennon, that the young central defender was told he was unlikely to get his chance. The image remains seared in his memory.Goodwin, a European Under-16 Championship winner with Ireland, recalled: "Any time you saw Martin O'Neill around Parkhead you turned round and went the other way to stay out of his way," said Goodwin. "To a young lad, he was very intimidating. I remember playing with Tommy Johnson at Scunthorpe and Tommy said he was the best manager he had worked with in terms of man-management, but I didn't see any of that. He just scared the life out of me. "I remember at, 19 years old, dreading going into his office. I was centre-half at the time and in came Alan Stubbs, Bobo Balde, Joos Valgaeren," he added. "I was half the size of these guys. He pulled me in, offered me a year but said it was highly unlikely that I was going to break into the first team. I knew then the decision had to be made."I've had calls from people I haven't heard from for 10 years asking for tickets for today's game and I'm like – 'do one!'. You're certainly not coming over to support St Mirren – so you're not getting any!"

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Goodwin faces Hampden high wire act over final's yellow peril

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