Andy Ritchie

Ritchie was famous for what, by the standard of most professional footballers, was a rotund build and apparently blase demeanour. Scottish football journalist Chick Young saw Ritchie as "the epitome of the Scottish footballer – a fat, lazy bastard, but with great ball skill". He was renowned in Scotland for his expertise in free-kicks, reputedly perfected by observing Brazil train for the 1974 World Cup. His signature, demonstrated in more than one competitive match, was the ability to bend the ball into the net from a corner kick. His best and most famous goal was scored against Aberdeen at Cappielow Park.

Ritchie was transferred from Morton to Motherwell in 1983. He was player-manager for Albion Rovers in season 1984–85. He retired in 1985, aged 28. Later, he took up a coaching/scouting role for Celtic and subsequent scouting roles for Aston Villa and Manchester City. He became an official SPL match observer A biography, "The King of Cappielow" was published on 11 October 2008. A more warts and all account of Ritchie's life appeared in 'Flawed Genius; Scottish Football's Self Destructive Mavericks' (Birlinn 2009).

In 2005, he was voted 'cult hero' in an internet poll for the BBC television's Football Focus programme, receiving 64% of votes cast for Morton players.

"I was 26 when I finished. I went into a spell at Cappielow when, rightly or wrongly, I felt I should have been the first player to get a big move. The club had promised me that, if I did well, they would move me again. But that didn't happen. As my team-mates moved on, the good times evaporated and I was left behind. I have to admit my appetite diminished, my general play wasn't good and I lost my way. It was not a conscious decision. In fact, when I moved to Motherwell they didn't want to announce it at Morton because they thought they wouldn't sell season tickets for the next year. I had lost my way. I was what you would call these days a sick pup. I really needed someone to have some faith in me, but I was 26 and ended up taking a non-football job in London and gave up." – Andy Ritchie, Daily Mail, 8 May 2004

Ritchie received the Scottish Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award in 1979.

He made his debut for Morton on 28 October 1976 and scored 133 goals in 246 games for the club. He was the top scorer in the Premier Division in 1978/79.

As a teenager Ritchie had trials with Manchester United, Coventry City, Everton, Middlesbrough and Rangers, but chose to join Celtic in 1971, aged 15. Soon after, Ritchie was 'farmed' out to Junior team Kirkintilloch Rob Roy. At Celtic, Ritchie had numerous disagreements with manager Jock Stein, which led to his transfer to Morton. As part of the transfer, Morton goalkeeper Roy Baines joined Celtic in exchange for Ritchie and a payment of £10,000.

Andrew Ritchie (born 23 February 1956 in Bellshill) was a Scottish professional footballer.