A LIFELONG Morton fan has taken his place alongside a former prime minister to pen a chapter about his beloved team in a new book.

Retired teacher Ian MacGillivray, a diehard Ton supporter, was asked to write the piece for a new title called Back o the Net!: Why We Love Scottish Fitba'.

The book has chapters on all senior clubs in Scotland and explores why fans love their team.

Greenock Telegraph:

Ian, 59, had a quick deadline to meet for the publication.

He said: "During the second lockdown my friend Gerry McDade asked me to write a chapter on Morton.

"It had to be written quite quickly. He asked my on the Thursday afternoon and it had to be written by the Monday."

The chapter was a labour of love for Ian, who has been following his home team ever since he was a young boy.

Ian, who taught at St Stephen's High for 34 years, 28 of them as head of the modern studies department, said: "I went to my first game in 1969. I used to go with my father and uncle, then I went with my pals.

"I think it was about supporting your local team and not going with the Old Firm.

"I started going to a lot of games in the 1970s, Morton had a really strong team then and drew big crowds and it was quite exciting, there were regularly 5,000, 6,000 at matches."

One game which sticks in his mind is a 1971 clash against Ayr United which was televised on the BBC.

He said: "It was really exciting being to the match and then later watching it on TV."

Ian, who lives in Greenock, is married to Brenda, a retired classroom assistant, and the couple have a son Calum, 31, who is an artist.

His three favourite players come from different eras and have all left their own mark on the club.

He said: "When I was a kid in the seventies I liked Joe Mason, he was an exciting skilful player and scored a lot of important goals for Morton. And obviously I loved Andy Ritchie who was Morton's best ever player at that time.

"Andy was a one-off, he lit up Cappielow when he played. He was Scotland's top scorer three times even though he was only playing part-time."

His modern era favourite is Chris Millar, a former school pupil of Ian's.

He said: "When Morton won the third division in 2003 Chris was in the team and I had taught him the year before in my higher class.

"I taught him for five years and it was great to see him play at Cappielow, and what he has achieved in the game since, including winning a Scottish Cup. I still keep in touch with him."

Ian plays guitar and writes songs but says he had no desire to pen anything else until Gerry asked him.

He said: "The last thing I wrote about Morton was when I was in primary 7 and we had to write an essay on why we should be a mascot!"

Ian was successful and walked out on the hallowed turf on January 1, 1976.

He is among illustrious company in the new book. Fellow authors include former prime minister Gordon Brown, who wrote the chapter about Raith Rovers, while the one on East Fife was written by former first minister Henry McLeish.

In his passage, Ian expresses how supporting your local club is much more than just a game.

Ian wrote: 'They represent the place I live in. They give us hope. They give us pride. It can be tough but the total joy is all the better when you really don’t expect it.

'It is the blue and white. It is Cappielow. It is the history and the memories. We are Morton.'

*Back o the Net! is published by Luath Press and available from Amazon and all good book shops.