Q & A: Kevin Drinkell

Signed for £600,000 from Norwich City where he was player of the year two seasons running, Kevin Drinkell was a member of the Rangers team which began the famous nine-in-a-row sequence in 1988-89. Indeed he scored two goals in the 4-0 defeat of Hearts which clinched that first of nine titles.

Having begun his career at Grimsby Town, after Rangers he had spells with Coventry and Birmingham City, before returning to Scotland as player coach with Falkirk. He was also in charge for spells at Stirling Albion and Montrose.

Now 47, Drinkell's current position is Director of Football Operations with the Stirling-based 110sport Management Ltd.

Where did you watch the match on Thursday night?

I watched it with some friends in a hostelry.

Can we take it there was some excitement?

There certainly was. The game followed the pattern of most of the ties in this campaign, and that's why I have had the feeling from early on that Rangers' name was on the cup.

What's been their greatest strength?

They have been in some precarious positions but they have always come up with something.

You played in the fine team which started the nine-in-a-row. Is it too early to compare them?

I think it's a bit early yet. I could be down on them or be looking through tinted glasses and say that this team individually doesn't equate to Richard Gough (right) and Terry Butcher, to Ally McCoist, Ray Wilkins, Ian Durrant and Gary Stevens, but there's more ways to skin a cat in football, and for team spirit, for organisation and endeavour there has not been a better Rangers team that I've seen.

How big an event will the final be?

It's going to be massive. It will be a great occasion, and obviously with Dick Advocaat being there it will be special, and we are all looking forward to it.

Vital question – have you got a ticket?

I'm struggling, I really am. As you can imagine I have been inundated with people ringing me up and looking for a ticket. As soon as Nacho Novo scored, the phone started to go - some people think I've got a direct line to get a hundred tickets, but that is far from the case. Let's just say I'm hoping to be there.

Your own time at Ibrox was all too brief. Why was that?

I was probably one of the first victims of a rotation system. Nowadays three or four strikers will play 20-odd games a season, but it was new to me and I didn't fancy that idea at the time. I had had a whole career where if I was fit, I expected to play and that wasn't happening.

How did you get into sports management?

I had three or four years in football management and I thought that would lead to something better, but it never did. But my friends in Stirling such as Ian Doyle and Stephen Hendry were all connected with snooker and I got on great with them, and when Lee Doyle took over at 110sport he wanted to broaden things out so I joined to open up the football department.

Now we have golf and rugby and other sports and it's all going great.