JIMMY BONE starts off a 20-minute conversation by revealing he is now retired. By its conclusion, however, it’s apparent that he is anything but. As he edges closer to his 70th birthday later this year, one of Scottish football’s most venerable and respected figures has earned the right to a quiet life. It is just not one he is planning on embarking on any time soon.
Bone’s last official role was as Player and Coach Development Manager within the Scottish FA structure – “It was becoming more of an office job” – but football remains central to his being. He still coaches on an ad-hoc basis, and takes in a match every Saturday, either as a scout or simply for the sheer pleasure of it, regularly casting an eye over the sides close to his Kincardine home.
Sometimes, though, he heads further afield. Africa remains a continent close to Bone’s heart and he is preparing to head to Malawi in April to establish a football coaching programme, a year after travelling to Lesotho on similar missionary work. He also had two stints coaching in South Africa.
It is his time Zambia, however, that still resonates. Bone led Power Dynamos to the African Cup Winners Cup in 1991 - the first southern African team to win a continental trophy – before tragedy struck. Within a year of Bone returning to the UK, five of his former players had been killed in a plane crash that wiped out the Zambian national team.
That affected him deeply but did little to dilute his love for the continent. He is now a patron of Africa On The Ball, a Scottish charity that, through sport, helps communities like those Bone has experienced many times now.
“Africa is the sort of place that gets in to your blood,” he admits. “A lot of the places there need help with resources and getting things established so it’s good to do that if you can. I loved all my different times there, but especially in Zambia where we had a wonderful team and won the African Cup.
“It was so very sad what happened afterwards in the accident and I lost five of my players. That was just awful. But in some ways it also strengthened my bond with Africa and Zambia, in particular.”
Bone’s meandering career ties him to so many clubs, and he will forever be lauded in Partick Thistle circles for his goal in the 1971 League Cup Final.
It was at St Mirren, however, where he would fulfil three roles over three separate spells. The first was as a player in the promising team created by Alex Ferguson, Bone one of his last signings in 1978. Even after Ferguson left for Aberdeen, St Mirren remained a potent force.
“We won the Anglo Scottish Cup, lost in three different semi-finals – a few refereeing decisions didn’t go our way – and one year finished third in the league,” he recalls. “And for a while we were in the running to win it that season. It was a very good team.”
His final spell came as manager. Pitched in to firefight after St Mirren had been relegated to the first division, his first game was a portent of what was to follow: a 7-0 defeat to Raith Rovers. With no budget to work with, Bone was forced to blood young players and unearthed a few, like Ricky Gillies and Barry Lavety, who would go on to enjoy good careers.
“The club was in a mess financially when I went back. I was told any player I could get money for I would have to move on. So, Paul Lambert went to Motherwell for a fraction of what we he was worth. It was a hard four years. The only positive was blooding a lot of young players who went on to do well.”
It was his second spell, however, that delivered the greatest success. Bone was paired with Alex Smith when the latter was appointed manager in December 1986 and within five months they had delivered the Scottish Cup, winning a mostly forgettable final against Dundee United. The teams meet again in the same competition on Saturday.
“It wasn’t a great match but it was such an achievement for a provincial club to reach a cup final,” he added. “And then to go on and win it was incredible. The thing I remember most was the support St Mirren had on the day. There must have been 30,000 at Hampden and that made a huge difference.”
Bone recalls those days with fondness but is not ready to be chained to nostalgia just yet. Not when there is another game, another coaching session and another challenge to look forward to.
“For more than 50 years I’ve earned a living in and around football and you never know what might be next,” he adds. “I’ll always be involved in some capacity, helping somebody somewhere. Because what else are you supposed to do? Just sit and rot away? That’s not for me. As long as there’s somebody out there kicking a ball I’ll be just fine.”
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