THROWBACK THURSDAY | Colin Miller Played For Rangers, Hamilton In Successful Career In Scotland
FC Edmonton recently completed its trip to Scotland, finishing unbeaten on the preseason tour. The trip, though, held a special place for the club’s coach, Colin Miller. Miller, a Scottish-born Canadian international, spent the majority of his career in his native country after getting his start in the NASL with the Toronto Blizzard.
One club, which Miller represented, holds a special place in his heart. That club is Glasgow Rangers, where Miller featured seven times for the first team and won the reserve league with the club.
“I spent 18 months at Ibrox and played in seven first-team games,” Miller told NASL.com. “I won the reserve league with the club. But as a young 20-year-old Canadian it was such a privilege.
“My time at Rangers was such a privilege and an honor. I became the captain of the Rangers first team for a friendly against Tottenham Hotspur.”
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Rangers’ biggest rival is Celtic with Miller saying “I never give Celtic any credit at all.” While not playing in the Old Firm derby with the first team at Rangers, the match was just as important at the reserve level.
“I played in a reserve matches with 18,000 at the ground,” Miller said. “It means just as much as a reserve game as it does with the first team.”
He added: “It’s hard to describe unless you’ve been to a game. It’s one of the fiercest rivalries in world football. The Old Firm derby is one of the oldest in world football and it’s such an unbelievable occasion.”
Miller’s most successful spell came with Hamilton Academical, where he later became a player-manager. Miller played in well over 200 matches, while also winning a pair of Scottish Challenge Cup Finals.
“We won two cup finals and just missed out on promotion another year,” Miller said. “I played over 200 games for the club, so I was very fortunate. Great teammates and memories.
“It was a great club, a smaller club. It’s very similar to FC Edmonton. I became the player-manager of the club for a season.”
Miller’s time at the Scottish club harkens back to seemingly a bygone era where players would have longevity at one club.
“Those days of spending that long with a club is almost done nowadays, even as a manager," Miller said. “I’m the longest serving coach in Canadian soccer at the professional level and I’m going into my fourth season. I’m a very, very, very poor man’s Alex Ferguson.”
Miller, who also played at Hearts, St. Johnstone, and Dunfermline, among others, recalled his time playing against former Bolton manager and current Houston Dynamo boss Owen Coyle.
“Hamilton and Airdrie were local rivals and I, and current Houston Dynamo coach, Owen Coyle had many battles when he was at Airdrie,” Miller said.
FC Edmonton recently defeated Airdrie, officially Airdrieonians FC, 2-1. During Miller’s time in Scotland, the club was famous for knocking out bigger sides in cup matches. Miller recalled losing to the club with Hearts, 1-0, at Hampden Park in one semifinal.
The Eddies also defeated Queen’s Park and Partick Thistle and drew Newcastle United U-21s during the club's time across the Atlantic.
Now, after a successful trip to his native country, Miller’s attention now turns to guiding FC Edmonton to a successful 2016 campaign.
