A GIANT AT 5'5"

Apologies for missing a day but I was on a mission, visiting the next great footballer in my family, he is only 5 months old, but getting the idea already. The real reason for the trip towards the sun was to see him but the visit south coincided with a kind invitation to visit the Emirates to see the Arsenal play PSG in a Champions League match. It doesn't get much better than that! I accepted.

Arsenal had 6 Frenchmen in their squad and 9 English. PSG had 14 Frenchman and no Brits! There lies a tale. I shall not tell you how many of the above actually started the game or indeed came on as subs. You look at today's papers. It was a good game 2-2, thrown away by the Arsenal but to make up for any disappointment we did visit "Piebury Corner" and outstanding "Pie Shop" close to the ground where I indulged in a "Tony Adams"-steak and ale with gravy-delicious and a local ale.

So what did the programme tell me? It was a European night and we were celebrating the birthday of Johnny MacLeod (known by his mum as John Murdoch MacLeod) who was born on 23rd November 1938. Why? Well, he scored Arsenal's first ever goal in any European Competition-when? 25th September 1963 in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup when the Gunners represented London. Arsenal played Staevnet from Denmark in the first ever tie and beat them 9-4 over two legs. Johnny opened the scoring in a 7-2 win and history was made.

The club only lasted into Round 2 losing to Liege.

Born in Edinburgh, Johnny turned out for Edinburgh Thistle then Armadale Thistle along with Joe Baker, who also played for Arsenal. In 1957 Johnny was signed by Hibernians and he played 101 games for them before being snapped up by Arsenal in 1961 for £40,000, a record for a Scot at the time. He stayed for three years and played 130 games, so as a small and clever winger, he was well thought of by many but not Billy Wright, then the Gunners' manager who favoured others.

Along came George Armstrong and Johnny had to move aside. He went to Aston Villa until 1968 (125 games), went to KV Mechelen in Belgium (116), Raith Rovers and Newton Grange Star, a minor league club in Midlothian before retiring in 1975.

He did make it to the national side and was awarded 4 caps between April and May 1961, including his debut when the Scots suffered a 9-3 beating by England at Wembley, a game many Scots would want to forget.