Tributes have been pouring in from near and far after legendary football talent scout Bobby Dinnie, passed away, aged 91.
The man credited with spotting a 12-year-old Kenny Dalglish at a primary school in the north of Glasgow, has sadly passed after a period of illness, it has been confirmed.
Dinnie, known for his incredible record of spotting and nurturing talent in and around the Scottish youth football set up; also worked under managers and coaches like Rangers´ greats Jock Wallace, John Greig, Tommy McLean, Graeme Souness and Walter Smith. Legends in the English and international scene with household names such as Tommy Docherty, Bob Stokoe and Billy Wright, to name but a few.
Bobby Dinnie, showing off his skills even long after retirement. (Photo: Rob Casey).
Later in his scouting life, he would find himself connected to German football where World Cup legends such as Lukas Podolski and Toni Kroos would pass Bobby’s very strict eagle eye with flying colours after being sent secret video footage of the youngsters as teenagers by his young cousin, Stephen Hamilton, who was a coach and scout in the Bundesliga in the early 2000s.
But it was back in his home town where Bobby felt most at ease. He was a humble Glasgow boy who spent his early days in Maryhill before moving to Possilpark after the Germans bombed his former street, killing many. In his autobiography, ‘The Scout: The Bobby Dinnie Story’, he wrote about the bombing tragedy and how it affected the city but being rehomed in the new estate of Possilpark helped to heal what was a horrific event. He said, “Hitler got us a house in Possil.” It was a line he would use many times over to mask the horrors of losing relatives and neighbours as the Luftwaffe overhead continuously dropped bombs before moving onto nearby Clydebank where the notorious Clydebank Blitz would take place.
Dinnie spent many years with Partick Thistle as a scout and his role in helping to form its academy has not gone unrecognized. Only last week Bobby Dinnie was inducted into the Partick Thistle’s Hall of Fame. The club recently made a statement before Bobby’s passing:
“The board of Partick Thistle FC are proud to announce that former scout Bobby Dinnie MBE is to be inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame with immediate effect.
Bobby served as chief scout for the club for decades under the management of many, perhaps most notably during the John Lambie era, using his links to Possil YM, where Bobby had helped the club establish a reputation as a hotbed of young Scottish footballing talent.”
A fantastic and fitting tribute indeed for a gentleman who always had a soft spot for the Jags.
In the 1980s Bobby Dinnie was approached by Rangers icon John Greig to oversee a new-look Rangers youth set-up where a host of young stars would emerge: John Fleck, Gary McSwegan, Sandy Robertson and many others who would go on to play in the first team.
Bobby Dinnie will forever be remembered for being at the helm of Possil YM for decades where he would nurture many youth players into the professional game.
He has received great praise for his work from some of the greats in the game. Sir Alex Ferguson said of Bobby:
Sir Alex Ferguson (photo: Football365)
“Bobby had the wonderful ability to spot young talent and nurture them to greater things and his most famous boy, Kenny Dalglish, was testimony to his ability.”
Kenny Dalglish himself hailed Bobby Dinnie and his like as ‘the lifeblood of football and without them, the professional game would not be what it is today.”
Bobby was once asked what his greatest honour was but he never singled out any particular moment. He was far too humble. Despite being given the M.B.E. by Her Majesty, he did concede that one of his greatest honours was to name his two sons Robert and Russell after one of his star players, Rangers legend Bobby Russell. Such was the great man’s humility.
It is a sad loss indeed to the Scottish game but his knowledge, wisdom and legacy will live on.
