Supermac hailed as Cherries' greatest

05 September 2009 07:00
IT might be 40 years since he first signed for Cherries, but the achievements of Ted MacDougall are far from forgotten.[LNB] The Cherries legends standing as a Dean Court hero was given further credence this week when he was named as the clubs greatest player of all time.[LNB] In a list compiled by long-time supporter Neil Gardner and published on The Times website, MacDougall ranked at number one.[LNB] Despite heading the 50-man list and beating the likes of current favourite Steve Fletcher to the top spot MacDougall remains refreshingly modest about his fine career.[LNB] The man held in such high regard by generations of Cherries fans admits his achievements would not have been possible without the help and hard work of his team-mates.[LNB] Speaking to the Echo from his home in Atlanta, America, MacDougall said: I think its a great honour and Im very, very flattered.[LNB] I did a specific job. I wasnt the best player, but I wanted to be as good a goalscorer as I could possibly be.[LNB] I was very fortunate that certain things came into play, i.e. John Bond as a coach, and I had great players around me that appreciated what I did and gave me the service. Certainly, I couldnt have done it without any of them, thats for sure.[LNB] The one thing that fans can relate to is goals and goalscorers, so they (team-mates) did all the work and they did all the running, and I took all the glory.[LNB] I was just the end product of something that was worked on every day in practice and training.[LNB] I couldnt have done what I did if I didnt have the service or if I didnt have the people who appreciated what I was doing.[LNB] I wasnt going to go and beat two or three people and sprint past people to score goals, I was going to get all my goals from things that happened in and around the penalty area.[LNB] The 62-year-olds legendary status is backed up by a formidable set of statistics, including 144 goals in 223 appearances during two spells with Cherries.[LNB] His stint on the south coast has left him with many fond memories.[LNB] I remember the games against Aston Villa, some of the nine goals against Margate and I think my biggest memory of Bournemouth was the whole environment, he said.[LNB] There wasnt a day when we wouldnt be in the national press or on television. We went from news programmes to Panorama, Bournemouth was big and everybody knew who Bournemouth were.[LNB] We were getting similar crowds to what Southampton were getting. We played Southampton with Mick Channon and I remember beating them.[LNB] We played Manchester United in a pre-season friendly with Denis Law and Bobby Charlton and beat them.[LNB] We were a good team with good players. I just remember the excitement of the whole place.[LNB] It was electrifying to be part of that whole thing. Bourne-mouth was a great place to be and its still a great place to be.[LNB] Despite his many years in the game, MacDougalls interest in football has not waned.[LNB] He coaches for the Atlanta Spurs club and his passion for his sport is stronger than ever.[LNB] Soccer over here is growing leaps and bounds, he added.[LNB] I watch a lot and take an interest in it because I probably love football now more than Ive ever loved it.[LNB] I think its an unbelievable game, I really do.[LNB] Gardner, who produced the top-50 list, has been a Cherries fan since 1975. When asked about his selection, he said: As for Ted, my favourite Cherries player of all time is Ian Bishop, but I dont think you can ignore Supermacs claims to be the greatest.[LNB] The nine goals against Margate, the telepathic relationship with Phil Boyer, his flamboyant style and extraordinary scoring record make him stand out from the rest.[LNB] To view the full list, click the related link below.[LNB]

Source: Bournemouth_Echo