Kmcalpin Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 I think Bert is due a thread of his own. He was an old fashioned gentleman who I had the pleasure of meeting twice. In real life he was a schoolteacher. One of the Ancell babes he was a cultured player, probably a midfielder in today's parlance. Â RIP Bert. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizzlyg Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Always remember my Dad talking about Bert McCann as part of that great Ancell Babes team. Also he told us that Bobby Shearer broke his leg in cup semi final in I think 1962, no subs that day and it cost us chance of a cup final place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinjy Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 My dad took me to that semi final. Absolutely brutal tackle and my hatred of all things Rangers stems from that day. The half back line of Aitken Martis and McCann trips off the tongue of every Well fan of that vintage. If I remember correctly McCann was highly educated man with a university degree in languages. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Five Scotland caps in that era is an impressive feat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Dosser Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Bert was in the first 'Well team I saw. Cultured and a good passer. Story I heard was that Shearer justified his dreadful tackle by saying, "He shouldn't have riled me." It definitely affected Bert's later career. Â Wille Hunter sustained a compound fracture of his arm in another match with them. Â Like sinjy, it has coloured my views of Them ever since. Â He and Charlie Aitken were immense for us. Â Thanks for some great memories, Bert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wishielad Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 I, totally, agree with Happy Dosser. I was a very small kid when I saw the but Bert and Charlie Aitken were superb and real gentlemen. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
real dosser Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 I've said it on here before but that team would wipe the floor with most of the "superstars" of today. Best team I've ever seen wearing Claret & Amber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joewarkfanclub Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Quite envious of those that got to see that team play. My dad used to rave about them. Â RIP Bert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Dosser Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 Quite envious of those that got to see that team play. My dad used to rave about them. Â RIP Bert. To complicate matters even more, an old pal of mine, who sadly died in May, called Pat Quinn "Iniesta before Iniesta was born". Then there was Demi-God Willie Hunter and Andy Weir, the crosser supreme. Â And some guy called St John or something.... Â Great memories, but great memories were made for me last night too. Â And so we all go on with The 'Well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joewarkfanclub Posted September 22, 2017 Report Share Posted September 22, 2017 To complicate matters even more, an old pal of mine, who sadly died in May, called Pat Quinn "Iniesta before Iniesta was born". Then there was Demi-God Willie Hunter and Andy Weir, the crosser supreme. Â And some guy called St John or something.... Â Great memories, but great memories were made for me last night too. Â And so we all go on with The 'Well... Yes indeed. Â Im sure all the younger generation are as envious of the '91ers..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelmaninOZ Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 RIP Bert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Grew Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 Sorry to hear this sad news. A true 'Well legend and a real gentleman. RIP Robert. Â What a half-back line - Aitken, Martis and McCann. As someone above said, it just flows. Just like the forward line - Hunter,Quinn,St.John,Reid and Weir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizzlyg Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 I would love us in 40 years time to be quoting...Carson...Kipre.. Hartley.. hammell... McHugh.. Campbell..rose/Bigi....Cadden.... Tait/Frear....... moult.. bowman.........I was 19 in 1991 and would love the young fans to have the experience of a well cup win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yosemite sam Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 I was fortunate to watch one of the best Motherwell teams to win nothing" The Ancell Babes", and Bert McCann was one of that famous half back line Aitken Martis McCann, and in later years played golf with Bert. McCann, when the former players played at Wishaw. A really lovely articulate gentleman. RIP. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
underboyleheating Posted September 23, 2017 Report Share Posted September 23, 2017 RIP Bert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The African Posted September 24, 2017 Report Share Posted September 24, 2017 Very sad to hear of his passing. I never saw the Ancell side but my late father raved about the qualities of the team. RIP and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2/6 tae get in Posted September 24, 2017 Report Share Posted September 24, 2017 Bert along with Charlie Aitken were two of my dads favourites . I saw the team play as a very young boy when my dad took me to most of the 'Well' home games in the early 60's. My big regret was not being allowed to go to Charlie Aitkens testimonial against Rangers as my dad always said that the gers fans hooligans. Not much change there then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairhill Posted September 25, 2017 Report Share Posted September 25, 2017 I saw almost all the home games in the 56-60 era, except I wasn't allowed to go to the Rangers and Celtic games, and the best description of the Ancell Babes was "pure football". IMO the best games were against Hearts. Teams from all over the place, including Brazil, came to play, and after soundly beating Leeds, they wanted to buy the whole forward line. Never been a team like them since. Bert McCann was simply magnificent as a player and as a person. Aitken, Martis, McCann, wow. With all we can get on YouTube surely there must be something of them that todays young bucks could look at. When was the last time any team other than R/C had so many internationalists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
real dosser Posted September 25, 2017 Report Share Posted September 25, 2017 Agree entirely with Fairhill and as 2/6 to get in says lots of young kids of that era were privileged to watch a brilliant football team but were not allowed by their parents to go to games involving the gruesome twosome because of the support that followed them. Some things never change. COYW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwellfan Posted September 25, 2017 Report Share Posted September 25, 2017 My memory of Bert McCann was my dad pointing out that he was playing against us for accies at Douglas Park in a new years fixture. It bucketed the whole game and both sides had to change strips at half time, Motherwell to claret with amber band and accies to black with orange collars. We won 4-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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