THE QUIET MAN COMES OUT FIGHTING

Last updated : 11 February 2005 By Pars Mad
You know when you've been tangoed!
They say it's the quiet ones that you have to watch out for and Pars gaffer Davie Hay certainly reiterated that fact after launching a stinging attack on former Pars boss Jimmy Calderwood.

The normally passive Hay finally snapped yesterday after months of sniping from Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood, the straw breaking the camel's back last week when Calderwood stated how he had advised John Yorkston to install Craig Brewster and Sandy Clark as the new Pars management team in light of his exit.

Hay hit out: "I have been undermined and it feels like a personal attack on me. I have never been treated this way before and I'm not going to take it lying down. It is a blight on my character. Jimmy should have gone to Aberdeen and concentrated his energies on a very good club."

Then in a stinging criticism of Calderwood's managerial achievements, Hay snapped: "I've never spoken like this before but I take his comments as an attack on me. When Jimmy's won as much as I have then I might speak to him. I believe Jimmy should get down on bended knee every night and thank the chairman for bringing him to East End Park and for giving him the resources he had to spend."

Davie however was quick to point out that this outburst was not an attack on Aberdeen the club, insisting he had the greatest respect for the Pittodrie side: "I've always had the greatest respect for Aberdeen. It was a pleasure and a privilege for me to pit my wits against Alex Ferguson when he was Aberdeen manager and I was Celtic boss in the 70's."

Chairman John Yorkston - not exactly a stranger to the media this week after the nonsense surrounding the Bobo Balde row - was on hand to question Calderwood's version of the truth, saying: "I had no conversation about Craig or Sandy. When would Jimmy have had time to talk about it? The likelihood is that Jimmy has deliberately started this controversy because we are playing each other this weekend!"

With morale around the Pars players and fans at a low after a string of poor results, Davie's passionate outburst has undoubtedly roused the club ahead of tomorrow's fixture with Calderwood. Although Hay has since admitted that the matter has been resolved between the two (Hay and Calderwood) it would be fair to say that a hostile atmosphere awaits the already unpopular Mr Calderwood tomorrow afternoon.