Steve Donn, Sports Writer, Scottish Daily Mail

Picture the scene… it’s Hampden, the sun is shining, the crowd are screaming, Scotland legend Ally McCoist races through on goal, like he has done a million times for club and country, he looks up, sees the keeper, he looks him in the eye, it’s a duel between two gladiators in this footballing arena and one which McCoist is sure of winning … but wait. 

This is no ordinary keeper and the Ibrox legend senses that this is not his day, that this keeper has got the beating of him, he has the edge, the eye of the tiger … but McCoist must try and so he shoots anyway and for a moment he is sure that the ball will hit the back of the net … but the keeper, with deceptive speed, is already there, palming the ball away to safety. 

And then it’s over. Super Ally looks at the keeper who has defeated him, acknowledging that the better man has won and he nods his head in appreciation of brilliance. A true gent. 

And how do I know all of this? Because I was there. I was that keeper.

[the previous story is a true one, it happened at a press tournament staged at Hampden in 2003. The names have not been changed to protect the innocent]