Interview with Colin Stewart

Man of many clubs, Colin is a highly experienced first division goal keeper whom Morton acquired from Livingston. He is known as an excellent shot stopper and is extremely vocal in command of his box.

After a spell with George Burley’s Ipswich youth setup, Colin returned to Scotland to join Kilmarnock where he spent four years until 2003. During this period, he had loan spells at Alloa, Queens Park (twice), Hamilton and Stranraer. Failing to break into the Kilmarnock first team, he was signed by Ross County in 2003 where he stayed until 2005. He spent season 2005/2006 with Partick Thistle, had summer 2006 with Grundvik in Iceland before joining Livingston where he stayed until 2008.

Colin signed for Morton during the 2008 close season by then manager David Irons. At the same time ex St Johnstone keeper Kevin Cuthbert was signed and he established himself to first choice goalkeeper, restricting Colin to only four first team appearances that season. Injury to Cuthbert early on allowed Colin his chance the following season, 2009/2010 and he went on to make the goalkeeping slot his own. In that season, despite Morton having the worst defensive record in the SFL, Colin won the fans player of the season competition and probably single handedly kept the team in division one.

He has continued to hold the goalkeeper slot in the side and at the start of season 2011/2012, is the only senior keeper on Morton’s books.

Looking to the future, Colin would like to remain involved in football in some capacity, either management or coaching and is involved with his brothers in “Young Mittz”, a goalkeeping academy for budding keepers!

Off the field, Colin is married to Julie Fleeting, Scotland’s ladies football team captain and record scorer. He is happy to tell you that the most embarrassing thing in his life is being married to a better footballer than him!

By Jonathan Mitchell.
This interveiw first appeared in the match day programme on Saturday 20th March 2010.

In these times of economic recession Morton goalkeeper Colin Stewart is fortunate that he has an alternative career in modelling to fall back on – but he insists that his footballing career is the only thing he’s thinking about at the moment.

The 30-year-old was approached by a modelling agent in the most peculiar of circumstances. “I was playing at Ross County when I was signed up by Colours Agency. I’d broken my leg in such a way that I had a plaster cast right up my leg and could hardly walk. One day, I decided to go Christmas shopping with my brother-in-law, Barry, who told me he was refusing to push me about in a wheelchair and that I’d have to get a mobility scooter. So, here I am, zooming about the Braehead shopping centre on this scooter and, while sitting outside a shop, a woman wanders over to me and asks me if I’ve ever done modelling. I thought it was a joke, but she was deadly serious and I’ve been doing it on and off since then,” he says.

“It only really became public knowledge a couple of years later when I got the Daily Record assignment that most people will be familiar with. I was stitched up a wee bit with that one as I was only told that I’d be modelling suits. It wasn’t until I turned up on the day that I found out I’d be wearing those suits with shorts instead of trousers. It turned out to be a bit of a laugh though, so I wasn’t bothered.”

However, the former Scotland under-21 cap has been having a great season between the sticks at Cappielow, and he is adamant that his future lies in football. “Hopefully it will be a wee while yet before I hang up the gloves, but when I do, I’ll definitely stay involved in the game in some capacity. Management is something that appeals to me, so I wouldn’t rule that out; coaching is another option. I’m really passionate about the Young Mittz goalkeeping academy I run with my brothers Ross and Fraser.

“That’s all ahead of me, though. I’m 100% focused on my football at the moment. I’m not taking anything for granted, especially after the tough time I had last season. I don’t think I was given a proper chance to impress under the previous manager and now that I have been given that chance this season, I intend to grab it with both hands,” he adds with steely determination in his voice.

And that’s exactly what he’s done. Ask any Morton fan for their best performers so far this season and you’d be guaranteed to hear the name Colin Stewart mentioned by most, if not all, of them. He has made numerous game changing saves throughout the season, and it is these saves that have ensured that he has managed to retain his place in the starting eleven despite the return from injury of last season’s first choice, Kevin Cuthbert.

Colin is one of a number of players whose contract expires at the end of the season. And he is determined to be one of the players who earn an extension in the summer. “I’m a west coast boy and Morton is a club I’d always thought about playing for, so I’m hoping I can do enough to earn a new deal. I’ll continue to work hard in order to impress the manager and Allan as they are the people who really matter. “We haven’t held any talks as yet and that’s perfectly understandable considering the position the club currently finds itself in. Our first priority must be safety, and then we’ll see what happens with contracts.”

A clean sheet today, should he play, would be an excellent way to help convince James Grady that the 6’ 3” stopper is worth a new deal. And there would also be an element of personal satisfaction as Partick Thistle are one of Colin’s former clubs. “I really enjoyed my time with Thistle. I was there for a season or thereabouts, and I’d consider it a successful time in my career as we were promoted through the play-offs. It’s something I’m really proud to have on my footballing CV.

“I was very grateful to Dick [Campbell] for giving me the chance to sign for Thistle after things had ended on a sour note at Ross County, and although I only played fourteen or fifteen games, I always knew I was going to be back up to Kenny [Arthur].”

In his time at Thistle, Colin played against us here at Cappielow and it was his headed clearance that presented Derek Lilley with the winning goal. The unfortunate thing for goalkeepers is that they are often remembered for one mistake rather than the numerous saves they make. This was something Colin experienced in Morton colours as recently as three weeks ago, in a 2-1 loss at home to Dunfermline. Throughout the course of the match, he made a number of excellent saves but one rush of blood to the head led to the Pars’ winning goal.

His assessment of the incident is refreshingly honest, “I hold my hands up for the second goal; it was definitely my mistake. I should’ve put it out for a throw, and I still can’t quite work out why I didn’t. But I’ve been a professional for a long time now so I am able to put that behind me immediately and get on with my game. You can’t afford to dwell on a mistake as it will have a negative effect on the rest your performance if you do.”

In those circumstances, a goalkeeper’s existence is often a lonely one, but Colin has a ready-made support network – his family. His brothers Ross and Fraser, who both play in the Ayrshire junior leagues, and his Dad, Jim, who played with Rangers, Kilmarnock and Scotland, are all members of the goalkeepers’ union. “Dad has been a huge influence on my career. He’s always been available to give me advice and encouragement. Never more so than last season when I actually bit the ear off him because of the way things were going.”

Alternatively, he could also turn to his wife, Julie. Julie Stewart (better known by her maiden name Julie Fleeting) plays as a striker for Arsenal ladies and has over 100 caps for Scotland’s women’s team. “Julie has done it all in the game, and I really respect what she’s achieved. But she’s just your average wife. We don’t talk about football all the time, in fact, if I do start to moan about it she just tells me to shut up and get on with it!

“There’s a running joke in the dressing room about me playing against her, and we have actually done that on a couple of occasions. We have a big football family, so we all get together sometimes and have a bit of a kick about. I play outfield in those matches, but I always make sure I avoid Julie as I wouldn’t want to hurt her – and she’s too good for me,” he jokes.

Julie is not the only female in Colin’s life; he also has a young daughter, Ella. And he is unequivocal in his response when asked if he’d like her to follow the family tradition and become a footballer. “I would love Ella to be involved in any sport, not just football. But we won’t push her. Mind you, the one thing I will insist on is that she can’t be a goalkeeper. She can be a striker, but definitely not a keeper.” However, that’s not to say she won’t follow in her Dad’s footsteps… she could always become a model.

• You can visit Colin’s goalkeeping academy website at http://www.youngmittz.co.uk