We’re delighted to bring you a Q&A with man of many clubs, Craig Easton. Craig has turned out for Dundee United, Livingston, Leyton Orient, Swindon Town, Southend United, and Dunfermline Athletic. He also won 22 Scotland U21 caps!
Scottish Comedy FC: Craig, firstly, what’s your current situation? You last had a 6-month deal with the Pars but injury problems hindered you at East End, how are things looking now on the playing front?
Craig Easton: At the moment I don’t have a club. When my contract ended with Dunfermline I was still struggling with an injury so I’ve just been getting myself 100% fit over the last month. I’m feeling good now so hopefully something will come up soon.
SCFC: You’ve started blogging and you’re studying sports journalism, we take it that’s the career path you see yourself going down post-football?
CE: Not necessarily. I really enjoy writing and I thought the sports journalism degree would help to give me more opportunities when I finish playing but I’d love to stay in football as long as possible. I enjoy coaching and wouldn’t rule out management but if I could combine that with the media side then that would be brilliant.
SCFC: Footballers sometimes have a love/hate relationship with the press. Can we take it from your choice of studies that you’ve enjoyed a pretty good relationship with the journos you’ve encountered?
CE: I’ve never had any problems with the press apart from being misquoted and taken out of context the odd time. Most of the journalists I’ve come across have been pretty kind but I suppose it’s down to how much you give them. If you say anything stupid then you can’t really complain. However, I do remember telling a reporter that I was giving away a ticket for an Oasis gig because I had a game the next day. Next thing I know the headline was something like ‘Easton’s just going to Roll With It!’ and the piece said I was still going to go and hope the gaffer never found out. Why would I say that if it was true?!
SCFC: Scotland seems to be producing quite a few guitarist footballers. You play, your teammate at Dunfermline Kevin Rutkiewicz recently supported Midge Ure, and Jim O’Brien is also a singer/songwriter. Ever jammed with either of them?
CE: No but when I played for Dundee United me and Steven Thompson used to get together for a wee strum now and again. We used to get on the stage at sponsors dinner’s and club do’s when the band was on a break and play the usual Oasis numbers. When I was at Swindon Town we got a ‘band’ together for a one-off performance at the club’s Christmas party. It was me on electric guitar, our goalie Petr Brozovan on the acoustic, the stadium manager on bass, commercial manager on lead vocals and like any good band we went through a couple of drummers before the Club Secretary’s brother helped us out. All I’m going to say was our performance was interesting but I really enjoyed it.
SCFC: Would you rather have a No1 single or win a medal?
CE: Great question! Definitely a winners medal as I’ve put a lot into my career and never got one but I think I’d rather be in a band like Kasabian.
SCFC: Being interested in music and journalism…have you ever been subjected to the kind of dressing room or on-pitch digs that ‘intellectual’ ex-pros like Pat Nevin and Graeme le Saux have talked about receiving?
CE: I wouldn’t say I’m quite in the same category! But I’ve had stick from my Dunfermline car school for buying The Independent for the journey to training in the morning. And QOS’s Scott McLaughlin still gives me pelters for reading National Geographic on the bus to away games when we were both at Livi.
SCFC: You became a mainstay in the Dundee Utd team while still in your teens, how did you imagine your career going at that point? Being a one-club man?
CE: I’ll be honest, I didn’t ever imagine I’d find myself in the position I’m in now but you need a wee bit of luck and good timing and I don’t think I’ve had that when I needed it. I mostly enjoyed my time at United but I definitely wish I’d had the opportunity to play in England sooner.
SCFC: You left United in your mid-20s when Ian McCall was boss. Did you feel like you’d gone stale at the club or was it just one of those situations where a player and a manager didn’t suit each other?
CE: It’s quite simple really, he just didn’t want to play me no matter what. I’ll be honest, I was probably there a couple of seasons too many but as I said, I loved it at Tannadice and had a lot of memorable times playing alongside great players and under good managers and coaches. It was a brilliant place to learn the game.
SCFC: When you were at United, you played alongside one of our editor (Teddy)’s favourite players… Charlie Miller. Just how talented/crazy was he?
CE: Charlie was one of the best players I’ve played with in terms of natural ability. It was just a pity his fitness wasn’t great – I used to do all his running for him! His banter was decent though. He used to hammer my gear every day even though he would come in wearing the worst trackies I’ve ever seen. He also used to keep us entertained with some great stories about Gazza.
SCFC: You’ve played for Paul Sturrock at United, Swindon, and Southend…did people ever think that you and Blair Sturrock must be brothers?!
CE: Hahaha! Have you ever seen Blair? He’s going bald, has a mullet and thinks he’s a Jedi, there’s no danger people would think we’re related! Saying that, he’s a good mate and he used to come over for his dinner all the time when we were at Swindon Town together.
SCFC: Paul Sturrock’s record of promotions is incredible (and he looks on course to do it again with Southend), what is it about his managerial style that seems to generate such momentum?
CE: Firstly, I think Southend might struggle in the run-in. You’re right though, his record’s unbelievable at that level and that’s the reason I signed for him twice (Swindon and Southend). He just seems to get his team playing in an effective way that wins games – it’s not always pretty but it works. Last season at Southend we had to sign 17 new players 3 weeks before the start of the campaign and ended up middle of the table and weren’t too far from the play-off’s at one point. He signs players who’ve worked for him before and know what he expects and that’s half the battle.
SCFC: You played around 200 games in England, do you ever wish you’d made the move sooner? With the increasing financial instability in Scottish football, is a move to England something you’d recommend for Scottish players? If so, at which stage of their career do you think they should be looking to try it?
CE: I would recommend players go to England as soon as possible but not because of financial reasons. In fact a lot of English League 1 and 2 teams are struggling for money as well. The Leagues are more competitive with the added incentive of play-offs. If a team is sitting in mid-table with a few games to go, a good run may see them get to Wembley while up here, realistically, everyone’s playing for third place. A lot of the clubs down South have as good if not better facilities and set-ups than the SPL clubs and that tells it’s own story. From what I’ve seen, there’s a more professional attitude all round but unfortunately a lot of the time it all comes down to finances. Those with more money can afford the better training grounds and more staff, coaches, etc.
SCFC: Did you have opportunities to return to Scotland earlier?
CE: Yes and I’ll be honest if things had gone differently last summer I wouldn’t have come back but I was grateful to Jim McIntyre and Dunfermline for giving me the opportunity to play in the SPL again. Unfortunately it didn’t work out the way I thought it would.
SCFC: Players are often faced with a choice between earning more at a larger club and playing less games, or having a better chance of playing regularly but earning less money elsewhere. Has that been a dilemma you’ve faced? What advice would you offer young pros coming through?
CE: Not really although I’ve accepted less money at clubs I’ve been at in order to prove myself. Everyone’s different but I would always rather be playing than sitting on the sidelines. Although I understand if a player is near the end of his career and his family are settled in that place then I wouldn’t judge him for staying at that club and taking his money but a young player must be playing games to improve. So I would always say that playing is better, to put yourself in the shop window and improve in a competitive environment.
SCFC: We can’t remember you reacting in a Leigh Griffiths-esque manner to any shouts from the stands…but what’s the funniest thing you’ve heard shouted during a match?
CE: I don’t know about the funniest but some of the shouts from the Millwall fans at the New Den were unbelievable! The best thing was, when you turned around it was from people in their 50’s and 60’s, even old women giving you absolute dogs abuse. I got hit by a steak and gravy pie when I was warming up once, it’s not a good place to be on the bench.
SCFC: It’s often said that it’s become harder for players to have a bit of banter with referees during the game. Is that something you’ve noticed happening during your career? Also, have you detected a difference in approach between refs in England and up here?
CE: They’ve all got different styles but you often find that the best ones have a bit of banter or at the very least are up for a chat. Willie Young was one you could always have a laugh with. I remember telling him in no uncertain terms that he was having a shocker and after I gave the ball away, he came back with, ‘Not as big a nightmare as you’re having!’ which was fair enough. Dermot Gallagher was one of the best from down South and I was lucky enough to get to ask Howard Webb a few questions when he came in to give a talk at the Uni. He was brilliant and even sat and had lunch with us all, giving his thoughts on everything from refs speaking out after games to goal-line technology, both of which he’s in favour of.
SCFC: From the stands to the dressing room…who’s been the funniest teammate you’ve had?
CE: There’s been a few but Dave Bowman at Dundee United has got to be one of the funniest and the maddest. He used to terrorise players and staff alike. One time we came back from training and he had one of the ladies who washed the kit stuffed into a bin and was trying to roll her down the corridor. He also put her in a tumble dryer and threw her into the showers. She took it well mind you as Bow and her were always having banter with each other. He also wrecked myself and Steven Thompson’s room at a hotel because we brushed grass and muck from one of the mini-buses onto his car. Wasn’t one of the best ideas I’ve ever had!
SCFC: Also, as this is Scottish Comedy FC – the site written by comedians, we have to ask, who’s your favourite comedian?
CE: Apart from all the talented comedians at Scottish Comedy FC, Micky Flanagan and Kevin Bridges are two of my favourites.
You can follow Craig on Twitter: @craig8easton
You can also read more from Craig by checking out: http://eastonblog.wordpress.com/
