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Frank McGarvey RIP


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Alex Ferguson signed Frank for St Mirren after being tipped off by a Rangers scout.
They publicly fell out on a number of occasions over Frank’s off field lifestyle choices and Fergie banned his star striker from playing.

Frank probably experienced the most of the early “hairdryer” assaults by a very young Fergie who was only 34 when he was St Mirren manager.

Frank also went toe to toe with Jimmy Bone in the tunnel during a European game that resulted in the latter having to leave the club and later followed by Alex Smith. Frank no doubt got battered by Jimmy but he lived to tell the tale.

Frank’s worst experience as a St Mirren player was when he was celebrating what he believed to be another famous European win against a team from Sweden as he smoked a cigar in the bath having been substituted late on. He could not believe that we lost that game.

I am sure that Sir Alex and Papa Bone will fondly remember today the loveable moments that Frank brought to the game.

Yes he was temperamental and difficult at times to manage at times but he was a match winner. He will be sorely missed by all. 
 

 

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A fantastic player especially at St Mirren. Took terrible abuse from opposition fans apart from Celtic. They still adored him. One game sticks out when we played Hearts at Tynecastle 86 a Scottish Cup tie. A huge crowd and Saints and Hearts fans were mixed together in the away end. He was getting usual helping of abuse. St Mirren got pumped 4-1 due playing without a keeper for more or less the whole game. Money got took out and was stretchered off but McGarvey had a great game and never gave up. While most of his team mates had chucked it he keep going to the end. This was noticed by the Hearts fans who were earlier giving it tight to him. Shouts of McGarvey no wonder you are knackered you are carrying a whole team. Sums up what you got from this man. RIP Frank

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Sorry to read this sad news. 

I was through in Glasgow for a midweek Scotland game a couple of years ago. It was sunny so sat outside All Bar One on St Vincent St.

At this point it was quite quiet and this guy sat down next to me at the next table. I looked at him and knew straight away it was Frank McGarvey. We had a great chat including the 1977 cup tie between Motherwell and St Mirren. He might have mentioned we were quite robust that day in terms of our style of play. I remember thinking what a lovely guy. Shame how these things work out 😔. RIP Frank. 

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An interview with Peter Martin from around a month ago.

Talks mostly about his time with Celtic but mentions every other club he was with...St. Mirren, Liverpool, QotS, Clyde even Shotts and Kilsyth.

He was a one off, brilliant in the air for his height, a great dribbler, two footed.

RIP.

 

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Aye sad news indeed.

Frank often popped into the same boozer as myself after work. Needless to say I found a way of mentioning Morton in any conversation ....." Gonnae you wrap it way yer Morton banter! "...he'd say...." Gonnae you wrap it  way yer...  I'd say"  and so on.

All good banter and rivalries parked here. The boy was " A Pler."

R.I.P. Frank.

 

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At one point in his career, Willie Miller said he was one of the toughest opponents he’d ever faced. 
Bear in mind he played against most of the top European strikers.

Frank McGarvey’s almost rubber like  limbs made it hard for defenders to tell what he was going to do next. 

66 is no age, but no-one should ever have to suffer in pain either.

RIP. 

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Only five years older than me, one of my heroes in the stripes from my favourite time watching St Mirren - Fergie’s Furies, the Dundee United 4-1 cup game, Adidas Sambas on ice. The 26,000 crowd cup game at Fir Park…. Fergie going round Paisley with a loud hailer urging locals to watch their local team… winning the First Division title at Dens…. guys like McGarvey, Fitzpatrick, Richardson, Beckett, Reid, Young, Hyslop & Co. The Christmas game at Kilbowie…. So many memories. Then there was the Fitzy & Frank ‘comeback tour’…. Hampden 1987.

Genuinely were great days.

RIP to a genuine legend. A legend at two Scottish clubs too. Some boy.

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Sad news - did read he had been struck down with that cruel illness a couple of months back.

Class player.

He’ll go down in AFC folklore as the player who was always meant to be signing for us, but never ended up doing so. Rumours of streets in Westhill being named after him.

RIP

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12 hours ago, Molotov said:

His debut as a Liverpool “player” just after he had left St Mirren in 1979.

1651F43B-4CA9-4207-A146-4926AE771253.thumb.jpeg.ae960c348f65116b7227412d1a921340.jpeg279243F3-A450-4F64-A9A5-A896B0E70D5B.thumb.jpeg.581c2a1bc57895dd2ada3f2ec93d57e8.jpeg

His goals against Slavia Prague in Europe capped a brilliant night at Love St:

RIP Frank

The most natural goal scorer I’ve ever seen consistently in a Saints jersey.

St Mirren would not have got to the final or won the ‘87 Scottish cup without his experience.

Thanks for that. I was watching that second goal from Carter's corner. If my dodgy memory serves me correctly Frank back heeled it over the keeper. One of my all time favourite St. Mirren goals.

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