'Don't think it hasn't been pleasant' - a tribute to former SFWA president Dougie Baillie

By Kenny MacDonald

The loss of Doug Baillie, who died on Saturday at the age of 85, deprives the Scottish Football Writers’ Association of one of its most legendary and best-loved figures.

Doug – widely known as ‘The Big Man’ – was a colossus in both physique and personality from my first meeting with him as a raw youngster with D.C. Thomson in 1977.

He was a force of nature in every sense, but despite the gruff and sardonic exterior, he soon revealed himself to be a valued colleague who always had time to give advice to a rookie like me, behind whose ears was an area unrivalled in its wetness.    

On a personal level, I owed my move from D.C. Thomson to the News of the World in February 1991 in no small part to Doug.

After I’d started, my old NoW colleague Martin Frizell admitted he’d sounded Doug out about me before recommending me for the job to the grown-ups in London.

As Dougie subsequently noted, in characteristically droll fashion, “Despite what I told him, they still hired you.”

Everyone he came in contact with will have their own favourite Dougie story, usually with his sometimes savage wit playing a big part.

My own centres on a day off during the 1998 World Cup in France – Sunday June 21. Myself, Doug and Hugh Keevins – then with the Sunday Mail – took ourselves to the nearby village of Arles and made ourselves comfortable in a little restaurant.

Lunch came and went, washed down by a few bottles of the local wine, while we watched Germany play Yugoslavia on the open-air screen. As the three current and former D.C. Thomson men set about putting the world decisively to rights, there seemed little reason to move.

Dusk fell and we made ourselves comfortable as Argentina thrashed Jamaica 5-0, washed down by more wine.

We finally made it back to our billet in nearby Avignon by public bus and as I can still remember the face of the female bus driver as she opened the doors and surveyed the three unsteady Scottish figures trying to board.

It was on that short journey that Dougie had Hugh and I chortling with a typical remark. We totted up that in the course of a long day, we'd polished off thirteen bottles of splendid French wine between us. (That, I grant you, looks pretty stark in black-and-white, but I'd repeat it came over a long day's journey into night.)

“Aye," said Doug, dragging on his fag, "When I came to this country I couldnae find a red wine I liked. Noo I cannae find one I don’t like.” 

Doug came into journalism after a distinguished playing career. The defender joined Rangers in 1960 after seven seasons at Airdrie and was a member of the Ibrox squad that won the titles in 1961, 1963 and 1964.

He moved to Third Lanark before spending four seasons at Falkirk then ended his playing career at Dunfermline, for whom he played in the Fair Cities Cup against Belgians Anderlecht in 1970 –in what would be the Fife club’s last match in European competition for almost 35 years.

A 30-plus year career at the Sunday Post saw Doug cover five World Cups and prove himself a shrewd and canny operator. To the end of his writing career, he could sniff out a story – he signed off in December 2001 with the exclusive revelation that Alex McLeish was becoming Rangers manager. 

In retirement, he enjoyed many sunshine holidays with wife Lilias and it was on one of the those, in Fuertaventura, that he suffered the shoulder injury that began the physical problems which ended with his sad demise.

He’s a sorry loss as a colleague and a pal, but those who knew him will remember the fun that being in his company always provided. 

As the great man would’ve said himself, "Don’t think it hasn’t been pleasant".

R.I.P. Big Man.