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November 2003

PLAYER INTERVIEW'S

 

Stirlingalbion.com is going to be bringing you a new feature in which we will be doing interviews with former players and managers and current players and manager were possible. To be able to ask your question, then please sign up to the FORUM and look out for the threads in the main forum.We open our account with a player who some still call a Stirling legend to date, despite only playing two seasons in the first division with Stirling Albion-

Grétar Hjartarsson.

Gretar

In season 1996/97 Stirling Albion had just been promoted to the first division after one of the most successful season's in their history. Manager Kevin Drinkell and assistant Ray Stewart were behind the success of the team, but things didn't quite go to plan at first with a pretty poor start to the season. Stirling only had nine points from their first 13 games and lay in one of the relegation spots at the bottom of the table. Manager Drinkell brought over 18 year Gretar from Iceland and played him as a trialist on Saturday 16th November 1996 in a 2-1 home win over East Fife. Although Gretar never scored that day, he was announced as man of the match and signed for the Binos that week. Gretar scored his first goal a week later in the 3-2 away defeat at Cappielow, but his style of play had the fans soon singing his name. 1997 came in quickly and the fortunes of the Binos were soon to change when they went on one of their best ever runs in the first division. Stirling were only beat three times in their last seventeen games of the season and finished a respectable 7th place, some 18 points off the last relegation spot. Gretar played a big part in this and scored five vital goals on the way. Gretar headed back over to Iceland and made a return the following season, but it wasn't quite the same. Stirling had lost several of their key players and it was inevitable that the Binos would be relegated to the second division. Here is the questions the fans asked him and his answers-

 

1) What did you think of Kevin Drinkell as your manager and did you always get on with him?

"I thought Drinkell was a good manager and I always got on well with him"

2)What do you remember from your debut?

" I will never forget my debut, it was against East Fife at Forthbank and I think we won 2-1 and I got the man of the match in the Stirling Observer. I played the match as a trialist and I got a contract the day after."

3)What has been the worst/best moment of your career so far?

" My best moment was probably winning the golden boot in the Icelandic league and the worst was getting relegated to 2nd division with Stirling."

4)What is your favourite goal you have scored in your career?

" They are all my favourite!!"

5)Whats the best player you have played with?

" I have played with so many good players, but at Stirling I always looked up to Alex Bone and Ronnie (McQuilter)"

6)Who is the most difficult opponent you have come up against?

" Brazilian national team"

7)What do you think of the Albion fans?

" They are the best in Scotland."

8)Would you ever like to come back and play for Stirling Albion?

" Yes, it would be cool to come back one day and play at Forthbank."

9)Do you still follow Stirling Albion results?

" Yes, I still follow Scottish football and I always look out for the results of Stirling Albion games."

10)What's the best moment in your career?

"That would probably be when I played against Brazil in Brazil in 2002 in front of 50,000 people."

11)Have you any plans to move into management when you eventually retire?

" I haven’t thought about it."

12)What have you done since you left Stirling, what teams have you played for and at what level?

" I have been playing football since I left Stirling in the Icelandic premier league. I played for a team called Grindavik for 5 years and now I play for KR Reykjavík who are the biggest team in Iceland. I have played with them for 2 years and I have 2 more year's left on my contract. I have also played in the Premier League in Norway for a team called Lilleström and in the First division in Sweden for Landskrona Bois."

13)Were you on trial with an English Championship team last season?

"Yes, I was on a trial with Doncaster Rovers. I think it was 2 years ago, but I wanted to stay with KR."

14)Do you still keep in contact with any of your old Binos team mates?

" No, I have lost contact with all of them, but I actually spoke to Kevin Drinkell last month."

15)How did it feel to be a foreign player in the Scottish First Division, were foreign players are rare?

" I thought it was a good experience"

16)Did you find any difficulties in coping with the style and, if so, did we not see the best of you?

" It was a bit different for me coming to play in the Scottish First division because I was only 17 years old and I had only played in the 2nd division in Iceland so I did not have much experience, but I hope I am a better player now"

17)Was there anything you particularly enjoyed about the Scottish game in general?

"Yes, I liked the speed of the game and the atmosphere"

18)Did you ever read the "20 things you never knew about Iceland" in 'Rave On'?- (a fans magazine at the time)

" No, I missed that."

19) Gretar, you arrived at almost exactly the same time as Landry and Atle Neilson- how hard was it for three young blokes from different cultures to fit in to Stirling?

" I think it was very easy to fit in. Scottish people are very open, so it was not hard."

20)Up front or on the wing- Which did you prefer to play?

" Up front."

21)Did you feel that the Albion team you played in could have achieved more?

" Yes, we had a good team and I thought we were too good to go down."

22)You didn't win a contract at Doncaster where you were on trial- how much would you have liked to have played in English football?

" Yes, I was on a trial at Doncaster because the manager came to Iceland and saw me play and and asked me to come and train with them for a week, but I left after 3 days cause it would have been a step down for me going to Doncaster."

23)Do you feel you have reached your full potential in football so far?

"No, I just turned 29 so I think I have the best years left"

24)How does the standard of football in Iceland compare to when you played for Stirling?

" It is hard to say as it’s a different style of football. Maybe the pace is faster in Scotland, but the technique is better here "

25)When you came to Stirling what were your ambitions? -Was it a case of trying living abroad for a while, or did you hope it was a ticket to fame and fortune?

" It was a bit of both."

26)Could Scottish players do well in Iceland, or are we too timid to travel?"

There have been many Scottish players who have been playing in the league here and many of them have done very well. I can name Scott Ramsey, Paul McShane, David Hannah, Barry Smith, David Winnie and Baldur Bett who are all players who have done well here."

27)Stirling fans used to sing a song to you, did you ever know we were singing it and did you like it?

" Yes, I remember it and I liked it."28)What else do you want to achieve from the game?" As much as I can!"

I hope you have enjoyed Gretar's interview and I would just like to thank him for taking up his time to answer these question's. All the best in the future Gretar and thanks for the memories.

 

 

 

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