Manchester United star and music fan Brian McClair has told how fearsome Alex Ferguson stopped him going to gigs.
The striker, nicknamed Choccy, was used to going out on a Thursday night to watch live music and have pints when he was at Celtic.
But that changed when he headed to join United in 1987 under gaffer Fergie.
Speaking on his podcast Life With Brian he said: “When I was at Celtic there was quite a lot of freedom.
“I didn’t even consider I shouldn’t be going into Glasgow on a Thursday night if I wanted to go to a gig, have a couple of pints and get up for training on Friday morning and play a game on the Saturday.
“There was never any issue about that. But it became quite clear that going out on Thursdays at United was a no-no.”
In the podcast, Brian tells music journalist John Robb that Fergie didn’t want his players going out.
Brian said: “He thought you should be devoted to football, and God forgive you if he found out you were out somewhere. He very quickly developed this network of people who couldn’t wait to grass you up if they saw you somewhere. A lot of times you wouldn’t go out because you’d be sh**ting yourself thinking, ‘Oh he’s going to find out.’
“It didn’t matter if, in my view, it was going to be the best event of the year. His musical taste was stuck in the crooners of the 50s.”
He added: “He would be prepared to lambast you and maybe even penalise you financially. If he took a week’s wages off you it was a bit of a hit. These were the things that were in your head all the time. ‘Do I go or do I not go?’”
● The next episode of Life With Brian is out today.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond.Sign up to our daily newsletter.