Jim Begbie

Jim Begbie (born December 24, 1949 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is a former professional football player who plied his trade in Scotland, Hong Kong and later South Africa.
Jim began playing football at an early age in the Craigmillar area of Edinburgh. It was not long before his talent was noticed and he was given trials by several professional clubs. Begbie played briefly for the reserve sides of both Heart Of Midlothian F.C. and Aberdeen F.C .It was at junior level however that he was given his first real opportunity to shine. At the age of 19 he began playing as a defender with famous Scottish Junior side Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic F.C.
Begbie was a first team regular at Bonnyrigg and stayed with the club for 5 seasons from 1967-1972 and was famously the first player sent off at Hampden Park in a Junior Scottish Cup Final. Bonnyrigg were defeated 3-2 by Cambuslang Rangers in a controversial game played in front of 14,000 spectators at the national stadium. He was given his marching orders with his side leading 2-1 and the game slipped away from the Midlothian club after his dismissal. Jim Paterson sports writer for The Telegraph at the time described the sending off as "harsh".
From junior level Begbie signed to play in the top tier of Scottish football with then division 1 side East Fife F.C. He moved on after one season and signed a professional contract in Far East Asia to play for Hong Kong Rangers FC . He played alongside fellow scots such as Derek Currie, Jimmy Liddell and Glasgow Rangers legend Willie Henderson. Begbie joined the club in the 1973-74 season and made an immediate impact. He played at Centre back for Rangers and scored eleven goals in his first season, six of them coming from the penalty spot. Begbie was soon made captain and became a real warrior in defence , using his height to command opposition strikers.
At the end of the 73-74 season Rangers made it to the Viceroy Cup Final for the third time in
their History. Their opponents on the day were Hong Kong soccer giants South China FC and the match was played in front of 28,121 fans at the Hong Kong Stadium . The game as expected proved to be a tight one and finished 0-0 in normal time. Extra time was more exciting however and in the 96th minute Hong Kong international Kwok Ka Ming swung in a fantastic corner kick which was headed perfectly into the corner by the incoming Begbie. It was the only goal of the match and gave Rangers a famous victory. The trophy was presented to captain Begbie by former England goalkeeper Gordon Banks.
Begbie was also selected several times for the H.K.F.A league eleven which drafted the best players in the league to play in friendly matches. Perhaps the most famous encounter was on January 25, 1974 when the select team with Begbie at the heart of defence beat the mighty Sporting Lisbon 4-2. The Portuguese club boasted internationals such as the duo of Bastos and Carlos Alhinho and the Argentine (European Golden Shoe winner that year )Hector Yazalde.
Begbie then moved on to Rangers rivals Seiko SA where he would play for two seasons. In his first season he won the League title and Hong Kong FA cup. He was then signed by former West Ham legend Budgie Byrne for Hellenic FC in Cape Town, South Africa.

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