SCOTTISH soccer star Stuart Munro is appealing for the return of medals he won during a distinguished playing career in the UK.
The Mt Eliza resident’s home was burgled recently and medals awarded to him during a successful seven-and-a-half-year stint with Scottish giants Rangers were among the items stolen.
“They got away with stuff that they probably could move on fairly easily, like my TV and my laptop, but the medals are my main concern,” Munro said.
“Although they are probably not worth much in gold value they hold great personal value for me.
“There were a couple of Scottish championship medals, a couple of League Cup winner’s medals, all in small blue boxes, and a larger medal in a red velvet box which was a Champions’ Cup medal [for] when we beat Everton in Dubai in the mid-80s.”
Munro played as a semi-professional with St Mirren and Alloa in Scotland before joining Rangers as a full-time professional in February 1984.
He played 228 games for the Glasgow club, including European Cup matches against Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Red Star Belgrade. He won four Scottish Premier League titles and four League Cup medals during this period.
In July 1991 he transferred to Blackburn Rovers for a fee of around $600,000, spent two-and-a-half seasons with Bristol City then kicked off his coaching career with Falkirk.
He came to Australia in 1997 to take up a contract with Sydney-based Blacktown City and has also coached Australian National League sides Carlton, South Melbourne and Gippsland Falcons. He has also been assistant coach of A-League outfit Perth Glory.
Munro also coached Victorian Premier League sides Oakleigh Cannons and Dandenong Thunder and was named VPL Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2009.
He became the inaugural senior coach of women’s club Southern United this year and recently returned to the men’s game as head coach of Dandenong City.
By Craig MacKenzie