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The greatest ever Scottish sportsperson?


TheScarf

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This year alone Andy has reached the Australian Open final, the French and Wimbledon semis, won Munich, Madrid and Queens and led his country to the Davis Cup semis. An incredible record.

Just a.Slam and/or Davis cup to round it off nicely but still more than most professionals will come close to achieving in their careers.

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Bob Paisley, Arigo Sachi and Carlo Ancellotti have all got valid claims

And Mourinho has already got his second European Cup

Paisleys achievements hardly match up, to win one of his European trophies he had to beat Crusaders, Trabzonspor, St Etienne, FC Zurich and Monchengladbach. The next time it was Dresden, Benfica, Monchengladbach and Brugge. Its hardly comparable to the quality and depth in European football during Fergies years.

Ferguson also had more trophies, and didnt have the benefit of taking over a side built by Bill Shankley.

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Paisleys achievements hardly match up, to win one of his European trophies he had to beat Crusaders, Trabzonspor, St Etienne, FC Zurich and Monchengladbach. The next time it was Dresden, Benfica, Monchengladbach and Brugge. Its hardly comparable to the quality and depth in European football during Fergies years.

Ferguson also had more trophies, and didnt have the benefit of taking over a side built by Bill Shankley.

While you may be right, this post makes the horrible mistake of thinking that because a team and/or league is not particularly good now, said team and/or league was not particularly good in the 1970s.

It also tends to ignore the fact that Ferguson won one of his CLs as a non-champion, which wasn't possible in the 70s/80s.

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While you may be right, this post makes the horrible mistake of thinking that because a team and/or league is not particularly good now, said team and/or league was not particularly good in the 1970s.

It also tends to ignore the fact that Ferguson won one of his CLs as a non-champion, which wasn't possible in the 70s/80s.

I think we've successfully managed to contradict the "Without Question" part of RandomGuy's claim

What is really impressive about Ferguson's career isn't so much the rate at which he bagged trophies but the fact that he kept operating at that level for so long.

Others have burnt far brighter but few for so long

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I think we've successfully managed to contradict the "Without Question" part of RandomGuy's claim

What is really impressive about Ferguson's career isn't so much the rate at which he bagged trophies but the fact that he kept operating at that level for so long.

Others have burnt far brighter but few for so long

That's what makes him so great imo. His ability to repeatedly build title winning teams and get the best out of bang average players was second to none.

The winner has to be Andy Murray though.

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While you may be right, this post makes the horrible mistake of thinking that because a team and/or league is not particularly good now, said team and/or league was not particularly good in the 1970s.

It also tends to ignore the fact that Ferguson won one of his CLs as a non-champion, which wasn't possible in the 70s/80s.

Theres no question the modern version of the CL is harder to win than the old one

I think we've successfully managed to contradict the "Without Question" part of RandomGuy's claim

People also question whether World Leaders are actually human....

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RG over egging the pudding, as is his wont.

It may be harder to win the CL once you're there, but that's counteracted by the fact it's certainly a lot easier to qualify for.

Not as decisive as you're making out and as the OP says several of the teams you don't seem to rate were elite teams in their era.

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They were only classed as "elite" because you only had to beat the Bulgarian champions to reach the Champions League Quarters...

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Sir Alex is the most successful manager in the history of football, without question. No other Scotsman has that sort of baggage to fight on their side.

If we're going by only "players" of a sport, then no, hes not. But if we're going for Scotsmen who were involved in a sport i don't see anyone who comes close.

You could make a case for Gordon Murray born to Scots parents.

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You could make a case for Gordon Murray born to Scots parents.

You really couldn't.

Arguably the greatest football manager of all time against some bloke who designed cars? Pass the peace pipe.

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You could make a case for Gordon Murray born to Scots parents.

You really couldn't.

Arguably the greatest football manager of all time against some bloke who designed cars? Pass the peace pipe.

Pitting (nae pun) one guy who facilitated sporting success vs another guy who facilitated sporting success? Of course you could.

At least Gordon Murray doesn't have Berwick Rangers on his CV.

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Pitting (nae pun) one guy who facilitated sporting success vs another guy who facilitated sporting success? Of course you could.

At least Gordon Murray doesn't have Berwick Rangers on his CV.

At least Sir Alex (who doesn't have Berwick Rangers on his CV) actually has a sport on his.

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Pitting (nae pun) one guy who facilitated sporting success vs another guy who facilitated sporting success? Of course you could.

At least Gordon Murray doesn't have Berwick Rangers on his CV.

Nope, it's an utterly horrific shout. Arguably not Scottish or sporting related, apart from that superb. Can only hope you were trolling.

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You really couldn't.

Arguably the greatest football manager of all time against some bloke who designed cars? Pass the peace pipe.

I think the point is that "Scotsmen who were involved in a sport" is a very dubious definition.

One suspects that if younger Manchester United Fans realised that, thanks to Platini, it's Denis Law and not Dalglish that's Scotland's only Balon D'Or recipient they'd pursue that line instead.

Law certainly deserved a mention on this thread before now.

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At least Sir Alex (who doesn't have Berwick Rangers on his CV) actually has a sport on his.

Nope, it's an utterly horrific shout. Arguably not sporting related, .

With mention of Jim Clarke and Jackie Stuart we've already established that F1 is a sport.

With the inclusion of Sir Awex we have also established that non-participants can be included.

Anyway, the answer has to be someone who changed the face of the sport they participated in. Ergo, Jim Clark and Dougal Haston are the only two contenders.

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  • 2 weeks later...

do world championships define greatness?

If so then Alex "tattie" Marshall has won 19, stop the bus we have a winner!!!!

Surprised he hasn't been mentioned more, he's dominated the bowls world for a while, winning numerous world championships (6 indoor, the current record), multiple commonwealth golds (silvers and bronzes) captained his country in multiple home internationals and most famously "got it up" the English at Kelvingrove in the Glasgow commonwealths recently with one of the best bowls, and celebrations I've ever seen.

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