Wallyford is a small village in East Lothian famous for dog racing, mining and being the boyhood home of former Rangers manager Jock Wallace.
What many people do not know, however, is that as Wallace was embarking on his managerial career, a young man who played football in the street of his mining village caught his eye. The young lad lived about 100 yards from where big Jock was brought up. He was so impressed by the youngster that he signed him for Hearts during his time as assistant manager at Tynecastle.
As the years progressed both men became friends and those who still live in nearby places like Tranent, and Musselburgh, remark on the similarity in character between big Jock and the man he signed, befriended, and respected, the Hearts manager, Jim Jefferies. Yesterday big Jock's widow Daphne, speaking from her home in the south of Spain, talked about how her husband felt Jim was always going to be a good manager and would have been delighted at his success.
''My husband talked about Jim a lot,'' said Daphne. ''He was proud that another person from Wallyford had made it in football.
''I remember John talking about Jim as a
player and going to see him when he was a manager. John always respected Jim and knew he would do well. I'm sure if John was around today he would be wishing Jim all the best for the final despite the fact it is against Rangers.''
Parallels are also there between the men's lives outside football. Both were apprentices at the Co-op garage in Musselburgh and both men were not scared to call a spade a spade.
When told that Jefferies said he had great respect for her husband and felt he had been like himself, hard but fair, Daphne said: ''John would be happy with that description.''
Jefferies remembers fondly the regard in which Wallace was held by the people of Wallyford as he was growing up. ''Jock was great to me when I was a player as well as when I was a manager,'' said Jefferies. ''I remember him coming to Falkirk for chats when I was there, and with his experience, his advice was always important and invaluable.''
Both men came into football at the start of the 1969-70 season, and both experienced highs and lows during their careers. Jefferies signed amateur forms for Hearts in 1967 and was farmed out to Haddington Athletic and Gala Fairydean before being called back to Tynecastle under youth coach Wallace's watchful eye.
Jefferies broke into the first team in 1972 and over the next 10 years became a permanent member of the squad. His high points included reaching the 1976 cup final which gave Hearts entry into Europe, including a glory night against Leipzig. However, that was balanced by being in three relegated squads in 1977, 1979, and 1981.
Perhaps the best overview of both men comes from George Wilson, a man who grew up with Jefferies, and was also a friend of big Jock.
''I remember both well, they were disciplined and always worked hard. Both look fiery on the touchlines, driving on their players, but in reality both of their fathers were actually quiet men who were well respected.
''You still see Jim about the village and when big Jock was alive he used always to come into the local miners club, into an area which, ironically, for the Rangers manager, was called the Jungle.
''As for Jim, I remember when he was with the Hearts going to the local pub every Friday not to drink, but to use the phone to call his then girlfriend Linda as they didn't have one in the house. As the rest of us would go on to the dog racing, Jim would be going home to his bed as Hearts liked their players home by nine at night before match days.''
Mr Wilson said he had smiled when he heard that Jefferies had made his players go in for Sunday training after their heavy defeat by Rangers in the league.
''That's something Jock would have done. Both men were disciplined in their lives and footballing careers, and they would expect their players to be the same.''
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