Perhaps the financial woes of Rangers over recent years has had an impact on the number of books published on their glory days. Perhaps it is just time to publish books about good players to remind us that Scotland did produce some rather good ones over the years. It matters not as we have another one to consider in "Slim Jim: Simply the Best" by Tom Miller. I don't think many football fans who ever had an interest in Scottish football will need many more clues as to who the book is about.
Jim Baxter started of his career with Raith Rovers but moulded his legend with Rangers once he had transferred to them in 1960 for the then record fee of £17,500. While at Ibrox Baxter entertained as Rangers picked up ten trophies in just five years. He moved onto Sunderland and then Nottingham Forest before making a swansong return to Ibrox in 1969. He was the type of players that even opposing fans had to admire his skill with the ball even when punishing their side. He was gallous, no other word fits really, on and off the pitch. While his footballing skills made him famous, the tales of his partying off the pitch made him infamous and eventually took the inevitable toll on his health. He retired from football at aged 31 and died from pancreatic cancer in 2001. However, his legend will live on wherever there is football played and glasses to be raised.
Slim Jim: Simply the Best by Tom Miller (ISBN 978-1-84502-783-4) is published by Black and White Publishing and is available for £9.99.