Grant McNicoll interview (Part 1)

Recently, through the photographs I take for theducket.com, I was lucky enough to be contacted by Grant McNicoll. I took the opportunity to see if he'd answer some questions and look back over his time at Berwick and this is the result.

I started off by asking Grant how it had come about that he came to Berwick in the first place and who were the people that helped him develop as a player when he arrived at Shielfield. "I joined Berwick after I left Hearts in 97, Paul Smith was the connection. He had not long left Hearts himself and had been a senior player at Hearts when I was there. I met Paul and the then manager Jimmy Thompson and we agreed terms.

There were a few experienced players in the first couple of years that helped in my progression and development e.g. Colin Campbell, Davie Watt and Graeme Fraser to name just three. There has always been, as long as I can remember, a good blend of youth and experience at the club and I've been fortunate to be both of those having come in as a youngster and left 10 years later.

"I feel I've been able to pass on valuable advice and experience to the younger ones breaking through in the last few years because I'm in the older category now!!"

Grant is grateful to a number of players and staff at Berwick who helped nurture him throughout his career and off the top of his head names more people that many of us will remember as class acts across the last ten years. "Paul Smith, Gary O'Connor, John Clark, Alan Neill (right), Innes Ritchie, Mark Cowan, Lloyd Haddow, Murray Hunter, Greg Shaw & many, many more." he tells me.

He mentioned John Clark in that list so I asked him what was it like playing alongside a legend like John? “Yeah, it was a privilege to play along side John, he was a fantastic player whom I respected highly and someone who brought vast experience to the team.”

I said to Grant that I felt in my time watching Berwick I'd never watched a finer player at tackling from behind within the laws of the game. He always seemed to get the ball. Did he need to practice that at training? “That's very kind of you, I feel heading and tackling are my best attributes on the field and I'm very fortunate that they both come naturally, so to answer your question.... no they're not practised on the training pitch.”

Early on in your career you played right-back, graduated to centre-back and then occasionally last year you were on the left side of a three. “Yeah I've played a few positions for Berwick in my time mostly along the back four but on occasion up front....... only the last few minutes of games though! I'm quite happy to play anywhere in defence as long as I'm on the field getting a game, I'm naturally right footed so would prefer to play there but like I say as long as I'm playing I'm happy!! I used to only use my left leg for standing on but having played on the left side of centre half for the last few seasons I feel as comfortable using that than my right......... many people will probably disagree though.....Ha ha!!”

I then asked Grant how things changed under first Sandy Clark and then John Coughlin and that's where we'll pick thing up in Part Two.