The Inside Scoop with … Thomas O’Ware

In our regular website feature, a Morton player gives both an insight into his career and the inside scoop on his Ton team-mates by answering a series of questions posed by media officer Jonathan Mitchell.

Full Name: Thomas O’Ware.

Nickname: Most commonly known as Tam. The name ‘Big Nasty’ was given to me by Andy Murdoch. Only team-mates call me that.

Time at Morton: I’ve been at Morton for seven years.

Any targets set for this season: To finish in a play-off position and see where it takes us.

Greatest achievement in football: Winning League One with Morton – that was a special day – and reaching the League Cup semi-final and playing at Hampden for Morton.

Best ground you’ve played at: Celtic Park.

Favourite Band/Musician: Pitbull.

Favourite Food: Pizza

Choose any three people to go on a night out with and tell us why:

Michael Tidser –  Always a pleasure to go out with and a funny boy. Could tell you the worst story ever but he would still have you in stitches!

Lee Kilday – Brings out the best of me and I’ve never had a bad night out with him. I also pick him because he’s not been out in a while and I miss him.

Ricki Lamie – Starts off so quietly, just minding his own business, but then, after a certain amount of Peronis, he’s a new man. Takes no prisoners, will slag anyone. Taps aff on the dance floor going mental.

Together I think that would be a great four to go out.

Choose a team-mate to swap lives with for a week: Frank Ross! A unique individual who just amazes me. Twice we have been out for something to eat together and he’s ordered food he knows he doesn’t like. Watching him every day is good enough but if I got to be him for a day, it would be interesting.

Fastest team-mate: Tiff and Jai. Their speed kills, but they don’t have a touch between them so it cancels out the speed.

Slowest team-mate: No surprises here that I’m going to say myself. Not a fan of sprinting, or running for that matter.

“If you have to sprint then you’ve already made a mistake.” – Thomas O’Ware

Most skilful team-mate: Gonna go for Gary Harkins. He has glorious feet for a big man. He’s nutmegged Wanyama and many more high-profile players, but to this day he says I’ve been the one player he just can’t seem to meg. I take great credit in this.

Best dressed team-mate: Everyone’s probably given the same answer to this one, and deservedly so: big Ricki Lamie. No matter what the occasion, he will be looking a million. He has a specific white Hugo Boss polo shirt that I was a big fan of until it unfortunately got stained. Michael Tidser’s also up there! Pulls off a baby blue shirt so well.

Worst dressed team-mate: Andrew Murdoch. Usually dresses well, but I once saw him wear joggy shorts with a denim jacket that had a fluffy collar. I can’t forgive him for that.

Team hardman: Gary Harkins wants to be seen as the team hardman ’cause he’s a local boy and thinks this is his town and that and walks about the changing room chest out – but he’s done nothing to no one.

I accused him of something once and he chased me for ages and because I’m rapid, he never caught me. So I just stopped to see what he would do. He grabbed me by the jumper acting very angry and whispered in my ear: “Tam, I’m not going to do anything to you because you’re harder than me but just beg me to let go of you because I want the boys to think I’m mental. Please, Tam. Do it. Please, Tam”

I went along with it and just started shouting ‘Sorry, Jeebsy’. He bought me dinner that night to say thanks for giving him the hardman look about training. To this day, boys think he’s hard, but he’s actually not.

Best trainer: Michael Tidser gives his all every session. A great professional.

Worst trainer: I’m not a fan of Monday mornings in general so, on a Monday, myself. But Tuesday to Friday I will go for Jai Quitongo. Breaks down every passing drill and has never beat me in a shooting comp. Still owes me and Tidser coffee from five months ago.

Best dancer: Myself and Jai Quitongo, as a double act, are untouchable. He’s in his element with some RnB. I’m in my element with anything Latino. Together it’s joyful! People usually circle around us on the dance floor to watch.

Biggest joker: Mark Russell. Thought it was just for a laugh but I think he’s got an addiction to touching people’s gear and winding people up. He called me one night to see if he should put stink bombs in the air freshener at training so that it would spray out every couple of seconds. Seeing how happy he got at the thought of it was quite worrying.

Most intelligent team-mate: Robert Thomson. Acts like a dafty sometimes, but boy’s got brains. Ricki would love me to say him, but watching The Chase and playing Countdown with your mum doesn’t mean you’re intelligent!

Least intelligent team-mate: Tiff! Asked the gaffer what ambidextrous meant the other day!

Biggest moaner: Lee Kilday will moan about anything. Will moan if his Nando’s isn’t put down to him three minutes after paying for it. Moans about being hungry all the time – sometimes even when there’s food in front of him!

My favourite example is when he moaned at my mum for getting his McDonald’s order wrong after she went out of her way to go get him at the hospital and take him home after his operation in the summer. “Aw sake, Mags man. You kidding on? There are no nuggets in here, idiot.” Mum got a bit upset, which is fair enough.

Tightest team-mate: Conor Pepper still owes me and Jai money from a Chinese we had six months ago.

If you could pick a wish for a team-mate, what would it be and for whom: My wish is for Lee Kilday to get back playing this season and get back to his best. Been a long time since the ‘Bash Brothers’ were both on the field together. I’ve been bashing alone for a while now but I hope, one day soon, we will grace the field together again and deal with business.

 

Image: David Bell