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Actor Douglas Henshall and his love affair with the saints
Football supporters have always been sceptical about famous fans or so called celebrity supporters as they are more commonly known. Every club has them-look at Chelsea as an example-but Scots actor Douglas Henshall is the real McCoy.
The Barrhead-born Saints fanatic is more widely recognised as one of the country’s top performing talents, than a lover of all things Black and white.
His screen performances have transformed him into a leading name with some of Scotland’s best known stars, Dougray Scott, Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle.
And he also made headlines when he dated glamorous supermodel Sophie Dahl
But no matter where in the world his work has taken him his heart occupied by St. Mirren has never changed.
“My Dad was the first person to take me to a St. Mirren game and I think it was just before Alex Ferguson took over. My earliest memory was when I came to watch the second half of a game against Meadowbank Thistle and I think we won 2-0 that day, so it was a good start for me.
“After that, I was stuck on Saints. Once you have chosen your team then there’s nothing that will change your choice!
“I used to travel all over the country to watch the team, I’ve been chased out of most football grounds in Scotland you know! Pittodrie in Aberdeen was the worst place, it was horrible. The visiting supporters had to walk behind the Aberdeen fans to get out. There was a big hill next to the Beech End which had a cemetery next to it and the Aberdeen police used to wait until you were just past and a wee bit up the hill and would just let them go.
“It was like they were giving you a head start. The Aberdeen fans would chase after you and I remember running round this corner and watching all the casualties fall off the side of the hill!
One of the best nights I ever had here, was a semi-final replay against Celtic. We’d been robbed at Parkhead as we were one nil up and they scored in injury time. Anyway it was night and I can recall there were about 33,000 inside the ground and another 10,000 outside.
“Johnny Doyle was about 25 feet offside in fact he looked like a substitute he was that far away
“Beating Rangers 4-1 was also great.”
Enjoying the luxurious lifestyle of an actor whilst living in London has its obvious difficulties when it comes to attending matches. The Paisley Centrals Supporters bus just won’t pick him up at Trafalgar Square.
It means he doesn’t get to see the team as often as he would like to, but that has made his recent return all the more joyful as he watched his beloved Buddies secure a victory over St. Johnstone at Love Street this year.
Keeping up to date with the Saints is still one of the main priorities at 4.45pm on a Saturday afternoon no matter what part of the world he is in.
“I feel a bit like a part-time supporter nowadays. It’s a wee bit shameful for me because I don’t get home to see the games as much as I should or as much as I would like.
“No matter where I am in the world the first thing I look for is the St Mirren result. I’ve had to do some strange things and make some interesting phone calls through hotel operators to try and get some sense. In places lie Croatia, they don’t know where Paisley is, and they definitely don’t know who St Mirren are!
“I don’t get to see many games at all but my brother-in-law and my nephew have started watching the Saints so I would like to come up more often and go along with them. All my family are still here and I get back when I can.
“I remember going to three Scottish cup semi-finals and one league Cup semi-finals ands one League Cup semi-final that we lost. I used to go about then with Campbell Kennedy who of course is now St Mirren’s Commercial Manager. Then in 1987 when we got to the final I had my end of year exams in school on a Saturday so I couldn’t go. I was absolutely gutted. It’s like one of the best and worst days of my life all rolled into one. It was fantastic but I couldn’t be there.
“I would love to be able to come every week but I just don’t have the time. It’s been a tough season for the Saints, but I would have liked to have seen more games.”
Enthusiasm for the job is a key attribute for anyone involved in the film industry and you’d be surprised how much of that enthusiasm is carried out into Dougie’s love of the beautiful game.
Some of the best stories from his trips abroad are about his love of football and they will live with him well into the future.
“I’ve been almost all over the world but there are still so many places I would still love to go. I loved Argentina and I had a great time there.
“I have tried to watch some football when I’m abroad. I was doing a press conference in Barcelona were playing Nou Camp and I was dying to go, but trying to get a ticket was impossible. I would have had to have hijacked a family or something like that!
“I stopped the press conference and asked if I could ask them a question. So they all stared at me and I said ‘Any tickets for the Barca game?’ - and they just looked at me desperately wanting to know who I wanted to win. Barcelona of course, I said! I still didn’t get one though.”
You can take the boy out of Barrhead, but you can’t take Barrhead out of the boy, someone once said!
He remains well-known in his hometown but Dougie will never change the perception he has of himself, despite an ever increasing media profile. In the same way he loves going to a game of football he finds his work is highly enjoyable too.
“I use to have mates who were involved in a youth theatre in Barrhead and I used to go and watch them and then go to parties afterwards. They always looked to be having a great time.
“But I was a wee bit shy and I didn’t actually have the bottle to go along and join in. When I was about 15 there was a lassie I had a huge crush on and she told me I would look good on stage and that kind of tipped me over the edge because I thought – ‘I might be in here’.
“So I went along to the audition and of course I got in. It was only then I realised that she didn’t think that at all, they just needed more guys! So I didn’t get the girl but I did get a career if you know what I mean.
“There was a boy I knew who was a cobbler and I remember saying to him, ‘you know you should come along and see one of out plays!’ He replied by saying ‘The day you come and watch me cobble a pair of shoes will be the day I watch you on stage!’
“I went to Barrrhead High. It still makes me laugh now to think we used to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera every year – this is Barrhead High – remember – because the music teacher was a fanatic.
“We performed ‘Patience’, once, however I don’t want to say too much because there is probably a tape of it kicking about there somewhere.”
“I don’t think of myself as a film star or as being a famous person, but I do enjoy being an actor. If I did think like that I’d be a bit worried, however, I loved being paid to do something I enjoy so much.
“I did a film Orphans with Peter Mullen. I had a great time doing that. I can remember back to a nightclub in Liverpool some years ago when he told me he was going to write and direct films, and he was going to have me in them. Aye right!
“Six year later a script drops through my door which says ‘written and directed by Peter Mullen.’ So it was great to see that happen.”
“So, life is good at the moment, and it will be even better when Saints return to the Premier League again."