Albert Kidd
Encyclopedia
Albert Kidd is a Scottish
former football player who now lives in Australia
. He is best known in Scottish football for scoring two goal
s for Dundee against Hearts
on the final day of the 1985–86 season to deny Hearts the championship
.
Going into the final day of the 1985–86 season, Hearts were in a very strong position. They were two points clear of second-placed Celtic
and had a goal difference
that was four goals better. With only two points available for a win in Scottish football at this time (three points for a win
was not introduced until 1994), Hearts only needed to avoid defeat in the match at Dens Park
to win the championship. Hearts had not lost any match since 28 September 1985. It was also possible that Hearts could win the championship even if they lost the match, so long as Celtic did not overturn the goal difference advantage by winning heavily against St. Mirren
at Love Street.
At half-time
, with the scoreline at Dens Park still 0–0, it was announced over the public address
system that Celtic were winning 4–0. Although Hearts were on course to win the point they needed to win the championship, the score at Love Street meant that Hearts had lost their goal difference advantage over Celtic. Hearts knew that they would have to avoid defeat in their match to win the championship.
Midway through the second half, with the score at Dens Park still locked at 0–0, the Dundee manager
Archie Knox
brought on Kidd (a forward) as a substitute
for left full-back Tosh McKinlay
in an effort to win the game. Dundee needed to win the game to stand a chance of qualifying for the UEFA Cup
.
In the 83rd minute, with Hearts less than 10 minutes away from winning their first championship since 1960, Kidd scored the opening goal with a close-range finish from a corner kick
. Six minutes later, Kidd effectively ended Hearts' chances by scoring a sublime second goal to make the final score a 2–0 win for Dundee. Remarkably, Kidd had not scored all season before scoring two goals in the last 10 minutes of the season. Celtic won their game 5–0 to win the championship on goal difference by three goals.
Kidd left Dundee to join Falkirk
for the following season, 1986–87. In an ironic twist, Falkirk went to Celtic Park
in the penultimate game of the season needing a result to ensure their top-flight status, while Celtic needed to win to retain an outside chance of winning the championship. Kidd came on as a substitute as Falkirk won 2–1, effectively ending Celtic's championship challenge. The winning goal was scored by Jimmy Gilmour
.
Kidd left Scottish football in 1987 to play for Australian side West Adelaide SC
, and he has lived in Australia
ever since. Despite living far from Scotland
, he is still fondly remembered by Celtic fans and particularly by fans of Hibs
, who are Hearts' rivals in Edinburgh
. This is despite the fact that Kidd never played for either Celtic or Hibs. There are anecdote
s that Hibs effectively stopped playing during their match against Dundee United
on the same day, allowing United to score a winning goal in the meaningless match, due to the joyous reaction of the Hibs support to the news from Dens Park.
Kidd himself has told an anecdote that Billy Connolly
(a Celtic fan) was star
-struck when he accidentally met Kidd in an Adelaide
hotel
. As Connolly is famous
around the English-speaking world
, Kidd naturally recognised him, but Connolly didn't initially recognise Kidd. As the pair went through some good-natured small talk
, Connolly eventually realised who he was talking to.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
former football player who now lives in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He is best known in Scottish football for scoring two goal
Goal (sport)
Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface where scoring occurs....
s for Dundee against Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
on the final day of the 1985–86 season to deny Hearts the championship
Scottish football champions
The Scottish football champions are the winners of the highest league in Scottish football, namely the Scottish Football League from 1890 until 1998 and the Scottish Premier League thereafter....
.
Going into the final day of the 1985–86 season, Hearts were in a very strong position. They were two points clear of second-placed Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and had a goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
that was four goals better. With only two points available for a win in Scottish football at this time (three points for a win
Three points for a win
Three points for a win is a standard used in many sports leagues and group tournaments, especially in association football, in which three points are awarded to the team winning a match, with no points to the losing team. If the game is drawn, each team receives one point...
was not introduced until 1994), Hearts only needed to avoid defeat in the match at Dens Park
Dens Park
Dens Park is a football stadium located on Dens Road in Dundee, Scotland. The stadium is the home of Dundee F.C. and has a capacity of 12,085...
to win the championship. Hearts had not lost any match since 28 September 1985. It was also possible that Hearts could win the championship even if they lost the match, so long as Celtic did not overturn the goal difference advantage by winning heavily against St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
at Love Street.
At half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
, with the scoreline at Dens Park still 0–0, it was announced over the public address
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
system that Celtic were winning 4–0. Although Hearts were on course to win the point they needed to win the championship, the score at Love Street meant that Hearts had lost their goal difference advantage over Celtic. Hearts knew that they would have to avoid defeat in their match to win the championship.
Midway through the second half, with the score at Dens Park still locked at 0–0, the Dundee manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
Archie Knox
Archie Knox
Archibald "Archie" Knox is a Scottish football manager and former player, and is currently the assistant manager of Aberdeen....
brought on Kidd (a forward) as a substitute
Substitute (football)
In association football, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as...
for left full-back Tosh McKinlay
Tosh McKinlay
Thomas Valley "Tosh" McKinlay is a Scottish former international footballer. A fullback or wingback, he spent most of his career in Scotland.-Career:...
in an effort to win the game. Dundee needed to win the game to stand a chance of qualifying for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
.
In the 83rd minute, with Hearts less than 10 minutes away from winning their first championship since 1960, Kidd scored the opening goal with a close-range finish from a corner kick
Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
. Six minutes later, Kidd effectively ended Hearts' chances by scoring a sublime second goal to make the final score a 2–0 win for Dundee. Remarkably, Kidd had not scored all season before scoring two goals in the last 10 minutes of the season. Celtic won their game 5–0 to win the championship on goal difference by three goals.
Kidd left Dundee to join Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
for the following season, 1986–87. In an ironic twist, Falkirk went to Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
in the penultimate game of the season needing a result to ensure their top-flight status, while Celtic needed to win to retain an outside chance of winning the championship. Kidd came on as a substitute as Falkirk won 2–1, effectively ending Celtic's championship challenge. The winning goal was scored by Jimmy Gilmour
Jimmy Gilmour
Jimmy Gilmour is a retired Scottish footballer who played for Queen's Park, Partick Thistle, Falkirk, Kilmarnock, Stirling Albion and Clyde.-External links:**...
.
Kidd left Scottish football in 1987 to play for Australian side West Adelaide SC
West Adelaide SC
West Adelaide Soccer Club is an Australian football club from Adelaide, Australia. Currently it plays in the FFSA State League Competition. It participated in the National Soccer League from the 1977 season until the end of the 1998/99 season, except for the periods 1987-89 and 1990-91. It was...
, and he has lived in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
ever since. Despite living far from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, he is still fondly remembered by Celtic fans and particularly by fans of Hibs
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
, who are Hearts' rivals in Edinburgh
Edinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
. This is despite the fact that Kidd never played for either Celtic or Hibs. There are anecdote
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place...
s that Hibs effectively stopped playing during their match against Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
on the same day, allowing United to score a winning goal in the meaningless match, due to the joyous reaction of the Hibs support to the news from Dens Park.
Kidd himself has told an anecdote that Billy Connolly
Billy Connolly
William "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
(a Celtic fan) was star
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
-struck when he accidentally met Kidd in an Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
. As Connolly is famous
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
around the English-speaking world
Anglosphere
Anglosphere is a neologism which refers to those nations with English as the most common language. The term can be used more specifically to refer to those nations which share certain characteristics within their cultures based on a linguistic heritage, through being former British colonies...
, Kidd naturally recognised him, but Connolly didn't initially recognise Kidd. As the pair went through some good-natured small talk
Small talk (phatic communication)
Small talk is an informal type of discourse that does not cover any functional topics of conversation or any transactions that need to be addressed....
, Connolly eventually realised who he was talking to.