Scotland boss comes home

(pictured: Scotland boss Craig Levein back in the Cowden dugout for the first time in 12 years)

Visiting Central Park on Wednesday morning was none other than Scotland international manager, and former Blue Brazil boss, Craig Levein. The Cowdenbeath Hall of Fame inductee took time out from Scotland commitments to take part in a new short documentary on the club being made for the official YouTube channel by Ross Cunningham (www.cunninghamvideo.co.uk).

The film will be a follow up to last year’s “When the Sun Shines” 19 minute feature, and will focus on the club’s success in the past in taking on inexperienced young managers who have then gone onto great things with Scottish Premier League clubs and at international level. Not many teams in the world can boast three former members of their coaching staff as now being international managers! (Finland’s Mixu Paatelainen and our former assistant manager Michael O’Neill of Northern Ireland being the other two)

Levein chatted with Programme Editor Andy Mullen and Steven Allan before being taken on a quick tour by office manager John Cameron who showed Craig his old office (which is now a kit room) before walking out onto the pitch in the beautiful weather to relive some old memories. Levein said: “I have so many great memories from my time here. It was the period in my football career when I stopped playing and started to move into management. It was a struggle the first couple of years but I think it was invaluable what I learned here, and a lot of the stuff I learned here I still use today.”

“It really is remarkable the amount of managers that have come through Cowdenbeath in recent times. It is hard work but if you’re prepared to work hard and muck in with the players and staff then being here teaches you great things about teamwork and I’m absolutely convinced they have all learned a hell of a lot about management from their time here”.

Ross will be stopping by St Mirren Park to speak to former Blue Brazilians Danny Lennon, Darren McGregor and, our captain from last season, Jon Robertson to complete filming for the project which will be edited and put online before the end of August on www.youtube.com/bluebraziltv

From all at Central Park we wish Craig further success in his managerial career and wish him and the national side good luck ahead of next Wednesday’s friendly with Australia at Easter Road.