I’ve always known that the Notts County boss is one of us – a Hibby that is! I have to say I’d have loved him as Hibs boss at some stage. His teams play very good football and he seems such a thorough and sensible professional.
Ian ‘Charlie’ McParland is originally from Tranent and played his junior football for Ormiston Primrose. I watched him as a player many, many times for Notts County and only an over-zealous board stopped Brian Clough signing him for Forest. His scoring exploits were prolific at Notts with his predatory finishing and an exciting style of play.
I do believe Forest were totally wrong in pushing aside Ian’s managerial abilities in favour of the dour Colin Calderwood. Forest’s loss was County’s gain as he has sought to make them into a ‘real’ football club again from the bottom up. I hope that the newly-wealthy ‘other’ team in Nottingham stand by him as I believe he can become a superb manager given the opportunity.
Here’s a few words from Ian McParland in today’s Daily Record:
Despite Eriksson’s arrival, McParland revealed he’d still love to manage his boyhood heroes Hibs in the SPL.
He said: "Some people in Scotland won’t know me. I played most of my career down here before going to Dunfermline for a year. I did all my coaching badges in England but I keep in touch with what’s going on in Scotland.
There’s no one more Scottish than me. The real football people in Scotland know who I am and that’s the most important thing. I’d love to manage up there. If it was the right club I’d go back. I’ve been a Hibs fan all my life. I have great memories of winning the League Cup in 1972 when Arthur Duncan played.
"We also won the Dryburgh Cup in ’72 and ’73 and my favourites were Alex Edwards, Alex Cropley, John Blackley and Eric Schaedler.
"So I’d love to boss Hibs at some point but they’ve got a good manager at the minute in John Hughes who I know well."
THE TEARS OF A CLOWN 
Stewart, we are back in Nottingham Nice to have met you up there, what a coincidence that was!!!We saw some excellent shows including the ‘Tattoo’ which June saw live for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed. If I see Ian sometime I’ll give him a bit of a ‘ribbing’, hasn’t he got any ambition, he wants to manage a decent team like Hearts!!!!
Regards
Bob
Hi Bob, nice to hear from you! Glad you and June enjoyed your stay ‘back home’. We got back Wednesday night after a nice stay. Really enjoyed the Frank Skinner show and we also stayed on for the next performance with comedian Adam Hills which was great. I managed a walk up Arthur’s Seat with my friend on the last morning and collected a good soaking for my efforts!
Yes what a coincidence! It’s a small world eh? Also managed a swim at Porty after a run on the beach which must be some kind of record. 🙂
It almost sounded today like your old club might be needing the services of a good man like Ian McParland. Reports of manager Lazlo leaving were up in The Scotsman (online) then taken down mysteriously! I popped onto a couple of Notts websites today and saw your involvement with the Players Association there. it sounds like a lot of fun mixing with your old colleagues and there were some very familiar names to me on there. I saw a bit of Notts in the mid-late sixties and a lot in the seventies.
Best wishes to you and your good lady, Bob. Please don’t be a stranger. I’ll pop down the Flying Horse one of these Sundays and say hello.
Cheers, Stu