Hearts boss John McGlynn: My wife's coming to semi final as it's the only chance she gets to see me

25 Jan 2013 00:01
By Gary Ralston

THE Tynecastle gaffer says football has always come first for him - and not in a good way - as he prepares for this weekend's League Cup semi against Inverness.

HEARTS boss John McGlynn is a former plumber who has driven his family round the bend over his obsession with football.

He’s at it still – long-suffering missus Wilma will take in the League Cup semi-final at Easter Road tomorrow because it’s the only time she’ll get to see him.

Wilma will be accompanied by their daughter Mandy who once took a part-time job in the Hearts’ club shop, in part, so she could be closer to her dad.

McGlynn made that last revelation with a smile – but there is still more than a hint of truth to his comments as he admitted, in the style of Jim McLean, he has too often abandoned family for football.

Hearts could be the greatest beneficiaries of his dedication if they see off high-flying Inverness Caley Thistle and book their second appearance in a Hampden final in 12 months.

It would cap a remarkable rise for McGlynn, who took his first job as boss two decades ago with amateurs Easthouses Lily before working his way through the coaching ranks at Tynecastle.

He said: “Football has always been the priority, unfortunately. The family thing wasn’t great.

“Mandy is now 27 and I would have to say I didn’t spend enough time with her growing up.

“My football commitments were Saturday, Sunday and at least two nights during the week, maybe more.

“I’m not proud about that, I was just caught up in what I wanted to do and gave everything to it.

“Mandy is a big Hearts fan and actually started working in the club shop on a part-time basis when she left school.

“To see more of her old man? Probably. Actually, she is now involved in coaching so she is taking something from me and will be going to the Inverness game with her mother, who’s attending because that’s the only place she gets to see me.

“I even took her to a Bolton-Sunderland game during the winter break – although she at least managed to get to the Trafford Centre on the Sunday.”

McGlynn is a first-team coach who has long since grown adept at driving the team bus as he clocked up thousands of miles back and forth along the M8.

He said: “At the time, Hearts quite often went through to Scotstoun to train because we had more kids from Glasgow, so it was easier to take the Edinburgh boys through there.

“I had to leave work in time to get to the stadium, load the kit on the bus and pick up the boys to go through to Scotstoun and also Wishaw every Tuesday and Thursday – for years.

“Listen, top players will move into management jobs much quicker than I did.

“But the apprenticeship I served is perfect. I’ve experience in a wider area of the game as well as going through the basics and picking up my coaching certificates and licenses.

“Mind you, when I was youth team coach I would never have thought I would become first team manager one day – that’s a million miles away.

“Now it would be nice to take Hearts to Hampden.”

McGlynn is in something of a quandry, not least because two of his most experienced players, Darren Barr and Ryan Stevenson, are suspended and Callum Paterson has a foot injury.

McGlynn acknowledged Hearts are the club with a greater pedigree – but Inverness have lost only once in their last 21 games. He said: “I’m not sure who are favourites. Hearts are a bigger club but Inverness are doing very well at the moment.

“I imagine the fact Inverness are sitting second top of the SPL is a surprise to most people as in recent years they have been up and down.

“Terry Butcher, Maurice Malpas and others deserve huge credit and Terry must be up for manager of the year.”

But McGlynn knows how important it is to Hearts to win.

He said: “It would be great to reach another cup final in a period of transition when there’s a lot of negativity around.

“It would lift everything, including the finances and the morale. We have loads to gain by winning through to Hampden.”

Taken from the Daily Record