LEGENDARY Scottish football broadcaster Archie MacPherson has recalled some of his favourite Morton memories after endorsing a new fan ownership group.

The veteran ex BBC commentator and author believes greater supporter involvement with clubs is the way forward to help sides prosper on and off the park - and says he is pleased to see the work being done locally by Morton Club Together (MCT).

Archie will be the keynote speaker at an exclusive MCT members' event in Port Glasgow Golf Club tomorrow night and is supportive of the work being done by the group to deliver fresh investment at Cappielow while reducing the debt pile owed to parent company Golden Casket and having a greater say in the running of the Ton through a seat on the board.

Almost 400 supporters have so far pledged £165,000 towards the playing side over 24 months.

Archie told the Tele: "It's evidence of the growing notion of supporters around the country that they ought not to let things be outwith their influence and that they have an input of some kind. "The only way to do that is to organise yourselves and make yourselves a credible group.

"With the risky nature of football nowadays, it's a valuable thing and also emphasises to the people who run football clubs that they can't just go willy-nilly their own way. "They have to listen to the supporters, not just as an incoherent voice from the terracing, but as an organised group.

"Particularly for clubs whose resources are limited like Morton, money doesn't grow on trees and you've got to look at all sorts of ways, not just to survive, but to get on and get promotion."

Archie will be joined tomorrow night by 'King of Cappielow' Andy Ritchie and Greenock broadcaster and writer, Gerry McDade.

He said: "I remember the first time I ever saw Morton playing when I was a boy, when Billy Steel played for them on a very rainy, muddy day.

"When I was doing my commentary work, I think I was at my peak during the Morton period under Hal Stewart and they had that big cup final they played - 107,000 were at it, or something like that.

"Morton were a very substantial part of that period of Scottish football and we covered them a lot."

Archie's Cappielow connections also extend to the late Greenock-born Ton fan and STV broadcaster, Arthur Montford.

He said: "Arthur and I were good buddies even though we were opponents. "We were rivals to get television audiences, but the fact we were in television against a largely hostile press made it imperative that we banded together at times.

"When we started out - Arthur was in television for a long period before I came on the scene - we were in the embryonic stage of television coverage in Scotland, black and white film, and we had lots of haphazards involved in putting programmes on the screen so we shared those problems.

"Latterly, I travelled the world with him to various world cups.

"I did all 18 games Scotland played in world cups in '74, '78, '82, '86, '90 and '98.

"I was in St Etienne the last time they played in a world cup and I never for one minute did I think 22 years later we still wouldn't be back."

Tomorrow night's event at Port Glasgow Golf Club starts at 7pm and is free to MCT members. Register at www.eventbrite.com and for more information, visit mortonclubtogether.com