BILLY Bremner, one-time flame-haired wildman of British football and one of Scotland's greatest captains, died yesterday at the age of 54 after a suspected heart attack, writes Ron MacKenna.
He dominated football when players were expected to have character on and off the field.
Bremner, born in Raploch, Stirling, was in the Scotland side in 1967 which humbled the then World champions England at Wembley. He captained Scotland in the 1974 World Cup finals and led Leeds when they climbed to the peak of European football.
Despite a poor disciplinary record - he was banned five times by the FA in three years - he was a match winner and led Leeds to two league titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup, and two European trophies.
In 1970 his ability was rewarded with the title of England's Footballer of the Year. Just as people were gently accusing him of going soft, though, he and Kevin Keegan were sent off, and fined, for bringing the game into disrepute in the 1974 Charity Shield game between Leeds and Liverpool at Wembley. Bremner ultimately sailed too close to the wind on a trip with Scotland to Copenhagen. After an incident in a nightclub, he and four other players suffered the ignominy of being banned from international football for life.
The ban was lifted in 1977. However, he never played for his country again.
In 1982, he successfully took the Sunday People to court after it wrongly accused him of match fixing. He won #100,000 in what was one of the largest libel settlements in British legal history. He managed Doncaster, his beloved Leeds, and Doncaster again before going on to become a pundit and after-dinner speaker.
Former Manchester United and Scotland star Denis Law said: ''I can't ever remember him having a bad match in Scotland's colours, he played with such a passion and enthusiasm. It was great to watch and be on his side.''
Scotland's braveheart:
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