A colleague who went to school with Mark in Kilwinning made me aware of this article taken from Celtic's website.It has also been tweeted by CAFC.
OVER the past 12 months, the Celtic View tracked down some of the club´s unsung heroes to look back on their career highlights and discover what happened to them after exiting Paradise.
So interesting were these stories that, during the summer, we will be reproducing these interviews on the official website. Next up is former Celtic defender, Mark Reid...
Mark Reid will be a familiar name to Celtic supporters of the early 1980s. For it was then that he made nearly 200 appearances for the club, winning several trophies including two league championships in an exciting and talented Hoops side.
However, with his first-team chances becoming more limited, the full-back elected to leave and join Charlton Athletic. As someone who had spent his entire career in Paradise, emerging from the club’s youth set-up, this was a difficult decision but one which he would ultimately reap the rewards from.
Reid helped the London side reach the old First Division and he got the opportunity to face some of the top teams and players in England of that era, staying there for six years before returning to Scotland in 1991.
After an injury-plagued two seasons with St Mirren, he decided to call time on his playing days and he has since carved out a successful career as a driving instructor, something he thoroughly enjoys.
You were one of several talented youngsters in the club’s youth system who broke into to the top-team. Was it an exciting time to be a young player at Celtic?
I came up with a trial with Celtic Boys’ Club Under-14s and at that point Charlie Nicholas was there and then at U16 Danny Crainie and Willie McStay came so there was quite a few of us that got pushed through to the reserves after that.
Did it make it easier when you went into the first-team, having so many of your team-mates from the youth team and reserves there already?
That was a big plus. Charlie had been first to get into the team. Everybody else was just hoping they would get a break. Obviously the breaks come when you least expect them. When the team is not doing well that’s when you are going to get a chance, which was unfortunate for some other people.
You made your full debut against Dundee United at Tannadice. What are your memories of that game?
It was the League Cup semi-final at Tannadice and I think we drew 1-1. I just remember it was a great atmosphere. There was a big crowd that night and Dundee United were a good side. It was Paul Sturrock I was against that night. It was a great experience for me. We played against Airdrie at Broomfield on the Saturday and we won 4-1.
Obviously you had captained the reserve side for a while. Were your nervous when you heard you were playing?
I was actually playing midfield for a lot of games but in bounce games I ended up playing at left-back and did reasonably well against Davie Provan when the first team played the second team. They had lost a few games before that and I think myself, John Weir and John Halpin were called into the squad. I think John Weir and myself played that night and John Halpin was a sub. I would have had a bit of nerves. It’s only natural to be like that and I don’t think it does any harm to be a bit nervous so long as it isn’t too much.
After that you began to become a regular fixture in the first team. When did you feel you were an established senior member of the side?
I never took it for granted that I was going to be an established player. I stayed in the team the whole season and we won the league so obviously I got a lot of confidence from that, and the following season was a great season as well when we won the league two years on the trot. They were probably my best spells for the club. We lost the league the next year. I think we were in front of Dundee Utd by 10 points at one stage and then they drew it back, so the season after that I was in and out of the side and then working my way back in at times.
And you also became one of the recognised penalty takers for the team, scoring some crucial ones along the way. Did you always feel confident taking them?
It was just something I had done. I had won a penalty kick competition when I was 15 and won a trip to the Olympics so it was just something I had done at school and all the way through the reserves. It had never fazed me.
You scored some important ones, particularly in the cup competitions, but is there one that stands out?
The semi-final was one I like to remember as it was a great game and we got through against Aberdeen. I think it was the second leg at Celtic Park and we beat them 1-0 and I have about two or three great pictures of it. Whoever took the picture took about three or four as it went in. So, they were great momentoes for me.
Who did you have a good understanding with on the left-hand side in that Celtic team?
Probably Murdo MacLeod was a more defensive-minded player. Although he was an attacking midfielder, he did his defensive duties, so as a result he was always in closer contact. Whereas Tommy Burns was more of a free spirit, a great player but maybe didn’t help me as much from a defensive point of view, but his attacking qualities were great.
When Davie Hay took over, a number of players arrived in the full-back positions. Was it difficult dealing with all this extra competition?
Graeme Sinclair was one that arrived and he played in a lot of positions and then Brian Whittaker arrived. Obviously I had a feeling that my days might be numbered but I worked myself back in. I had great belief in myself. I think it was the UEFA Cup games that I came back in, and I eventually got my position back.
Do you have a favourite game from your Celtic career?
My Glasgow derby debut. It would have been around November 1980 and I think it was snowing. And I’m trying to picture if Willie Johnston was playing. Derek Johnstone was up front, Colin Jackson and Bobby Russell were also playing for Rangers, so a lot of big players at that point. We had a good side and I remember the atmosphere was just great, and to win was the highlight of my life at that point. It was at Celtic Park.
Who were you close to in that Celtic dressing room?
Graeme Sinclair was a great friend, John Halpin, Willie McStay, Danny Crainie and Charlie – the younger element although I got on really well with the older players.
Pt2 to follow
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I was out of the team at the point. It was clear that I wasn’t going to have a long-term future at the club. I realised that and heard that Charlton wanted to come up and watch me. They were in the old Second Division at that point and they wanted me to sign. The gamble at that point was that they still could have still been relegated to the Third Division. Jimmy Hill was their chairman at that point and there were plans to buy about six or seven players. We stayed up and the transformation the following season was unbelievable. We got promoted to the First Division which is the Premier League now.
What kind of players were you playing alongside in that Charlton team?
Robert Lee, who went on to play for Newcastle United, was there as was Mike Flannigan, a big player, who played at Queens Park Rangers. There were a lot of good professionals there. We gelled well into a team – we really did.
What was it like moving from Celtic, a huge fish in a small pond, to Charlton?
It was different ends of the scale. It was completely different. But in many ways I think it helped me as I went from an environment where I wasn’t in the team to somewhere where they really valued me and I was an important member of the team. It gave me a lot of confidence and I think my performances upped a bit there. The difference was that you could beat and it was very disappointing and there would be an inquest but it wouldn’t be the end of the world but at Celtic, the highs would be great but the lows would not be so good – and there could be lows. I think a lot of people forget that. You could have a loss of form, be injured or the crowd could be on your back but the highs more than compensated for that.
You experienced several seasons in England’s top flight but who did you enjoy facing on the pitch?
I played at all the grounds – Manchester United, Everton, Arsenal, Chelsea. I played against Gordon Strachan at Man Utd. I had some great games. I played against Liverpool when they were managed by Dalglish and had Rush, Beardsley and Barnes.
Who was your toughest opponent in English football?
It would probably be Franz Carr at Nottingham Forrest because he was like a whippet. He hugged the line and they had a big pitch so when the ball was transferred to that side – my God, he could move!
Did you have any regrets about leaving Celtic?
Obviously I have regrets. I would rather have still been there and been able to play an important part but I think I realised that it was time to move on and complete another chapter.
After staying with Charlton for a number of years, you eventually returned back to Scotland and had a spell with St Mirren?
I came up to St Mirren when Davie Hay was the manager but I got injured early on and never did myself any justice. I kept trying to come back when my knee wasn’t right to try and justify myself and it backfired on me as I ended up having three operations.
So did it get to the stage where you felt it was time to call time on your career?
After the two-year contract, I knew I couldn’t carry on. I don’t think I did myself justice at the club. We had a young physio at the time and I don’t think he was strong enough to say you can’t play. I trained and my knee was like a balloon a lot of the time.
After calling time in your career in 1993, did you have any idea what you wanted to do after football?
No. I went into a newsagents with Graeme Sinclair which didn’t work out for me. It just wasn’t for me. The early rises just weren’t for me, getting papers and all that. So it never worked out. But it was nothing to do with Graeme. It was just me. I couldn’t do it.
You are now a driving instructor – how long have you been doing that for?
I have been doing this for 17 years. I left the newsagents and didn’t have anything and it was quite a concern but my neighbour was a driving instructor and she said why don’t you try it? I got all the information and got great help from the PFA in Scotland and England who paid for my training, and I would encourage any young player now to get some sort of career behind them while they are playing so when they stop they have something they can do, rather than panicking at the end of it and wondering what they are going to do.
Do you get satisfaction from helping people pass their test?
I do enjoy it. My neighbour took me on her books for six months and I left with about five customers, so it was terrible to start with but I built it up and it’s still going to this day. I think it’s enjoyable as you have people who struggle but eventually get through it. It’s a great achievement for people to get through it. I think the St Mirren thing made it a smoother transition for me. I was glad to finish and the relieved about finishing. Once that decision was made I was happy about that.
When you look back on your Celtic career, are you proud of what you achieved?
I am really proud. I was there at 14 years of age to 23. Jock Stein was there when I was an S-form. Sean Fallon and Davie McParland were there. I met Jimmy Johnstone, who came into training and was great with all the young boys. It’s a great achievement. My son and my two daughters are extremely proud as well as they will meet people who will say, ‘Your Dad played for Celtic’. My son is working up in Aberdeen now and he has met quite a few of Celtic supporters who are older than him, who knew that I had played, and he has been able to make quite a few friends because of it.
Next time we speak to another Celtic player from the 1980s - Tony Shepherd.
He was a tough defender, lacked a bit of pace but always read the game well.
I find it fascinating that some of our best Scottish players Mark Reid ,Alan Campbell,Joe McLaughlin,Stuart Balmer,Colin Walsh ,Charlie Wright and Jim Melrose never had a cap between them. Yet some of our recent Scots Graeme Murty,Jay McElverley,Michael Stewart,Andy Gray and Chris Iwelumo are all full internationals
Thanks for posting Richard J.
i really rated mark reid, very good defender as well as a great penalty taker. i never saw him miss one, though no doubt, someone will tell me he did?
He scored two and missed the third, I think if he had scored it would have been the first penalty hat trick for the club.