Sporting greats throughout the years have made the most of this very unique talent. It’s not taught on the training ground nor is it learned by running a drill over & over again. Only by understanding your opponents strengths & weaknesses can this art form produce the desired effect, well that & the confidence in your own ability & the knowledge that you have the backing of your team around you are critical in using Gamesmanship to full advantage.
Not confined to football, gamesmanship plays a pivotal role in all of the biggest sporting events across the globe. Muhammad Ali wore down opponents before they even met in the ring by getting in their heads. Legendary cricketers Merv Hughes & Shane Warne amongst others used “sledging” to gain an advantage when on the field. Footballers & coaches are no different in using this talent, some fail, but others like Scott Brown continue to produce a masterclass in working every advantage to deliver the results for his team.
The now legendary tale of Bertie Auld in the tunnel of the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon on the glorious night in 1967 starts our look back at winning or losing a match not on the pitch but in the minds of the protagonists.
With the Celtic & Inter Milan teams lined up in the tunnel there was a short pause before entering the arena, this could have caused nerves to grow in the Celtic team, but for Bertie Auld it was the perfect moment for him to galvanise that team spirit that had been so crucial in conquering all in front if them that season. With both teams waiting the signal to make their entrance Bertie started to sing the Celtic Song & was soon joined by the rest of the team in the rendition. In that moment the superstars of Inter would have witnessed the unbreakable spirit of a team united as one. Without a ball being kicked Bertie had planted another seed in the heads of our opponents.
Jock Stein wasn’t only a master tactician, coach & manager he also had the knowhow in working his way into opponents thought processes. In the days prior to his untimely death in 1985 Jock appeared on Grandstand along with the other home nation managers. The discussion was on the crucial Scotland versus Wales match 3 days later. Jock slowly & methodically smiled, nodded & spoke about how Wales had already lost some advantage by moving the match to Cardiff instead of playing it in Wrexham. The Wales manager Mike England in his response is animated & agitated, before Jock gently reminds him it will be the players on the pitch that will settle the result. Again in that moment the psychological seed was planted.
Even the richest league in the world is no stranger to getting one over an opponent without taking the field. We watched Kevin Keegan buckle on T.V under the pressure of Alex Ferguson mind games, Jose Mourinho famously announced his own Chelsea team & that of opponents Barcelona in the days leading up to their Champions League match. Mourinho was in control, took the pressure off his own team & placed it squarely on to Frank Riijkaard.
Back in Scotland many pretenders have presented their petitions to the public on how they will topple Celtic & Brown from their perch at the top of the Scottish game. Joey Barton & Bruno Alves have come with big ambitions & words, but both have left empty handed. All the while Scott Brown has cemented his role as tormentor in chief. He continues to take the hits as the focal point of our opponents frustration & this let’s his fellow teammates weave their own piece of magic elsewhere in the match.
Brown does his talking on the pitch in more ways than one, what he dishes out he receives in equal & often more crude measures but he takes the hit gets up & continues with the plan. He perfectly demonstrates the benefits of gaining a psychological edge. The opposition fans & players might loathe him & his actions but everyone of them would have his artistry in a heartbeat so that they might dictate the physical & emotional pace of the game the way only Scott Brown can.
So here’s to gamesmanship - the art of winning games by using various ploys and tactics to gain a psychological advantage.
