First Down 1986-present (with some missing years inbetween)

For years, ex-Steeler legend WR Lynn Swann was denied entry to the Hall of Fame, mainly because his detractors pointed to his regular season performances where he never managed to log a 1,000 yard receiving season. We too felt that the lack of a 1,000 yard season should prevent ex-Glasgow Lions 'great' Keith Webster from entering our Hall of Fame, but as Canton finally opened its doors for Swann, we felt we owed Webster the same privilege.

Keith (or 'Webby' to his friends or "Webster" to us) was indeed an integral part of the Glasgow Lions dynasty years in the 1980's when they dominated Scottish American Football. His personal sacrifices as the team scout quarterback and unofficial tackling dummy typified the team spirit that carried the Lions to many a success. Rumour has it that Keith once entered a game late versus the Manchester Spartans as quarterback, but disappeared so quickly under a mound of defenders that no photographic lens was able to capture this historic moment.

Webster's World in FD always took him to the Super Bowl every year, and it was always a delight for readers to read about the inside scoop of the biggest game on Earth that most fans could only dream of attending. Not all of Keith's Super exploits make his newspaper column however. Take Miami 1999 and Super Bowl XXXIII. Ever eager to be at the centre of the buzz that it is Super Bowl week, Webby was a frequent visitor of trendy South Beach that year. After one particularly heavy night on the juice, he decided that a cool off in the ocean would be good tonic. Still in full suit, local word has it that that his old 'Lions speed' returned when as he sprinted across the dunes toward the ocean, a searchlight from a jeep permanently stationed on the beach (to watch for potential suicides) went on. While he was able to out-run this for a short time, a second beam of light from a swooping chopper overhead meant there would be no late night dip for the FD Editor, and he raced back across the dunes and quickly jumped in cab. There the Webster Wit was on full show as he playfully insinuated to the driver that he had no greenbacks to pay for his rescue ride, and inquired what the driver would do in this instance. "I'd reach under your seat, pull out the gun I keep there and put a hole in you", was the retort. Thankfully sense prevailed, and Ben Saunders still remains that single bullet away from being the Editor of First Down.

Keith has long championed our cause (whatever that may be) in FD, allowing grotesque colour pictures and ego stoking articles to adorn his glossy newspaper. He stood up for his during the "Cameragate" fiasco of 1999, when members of the Monarchs 2000 organisation called for our Cheddarheads. He even said nice things about us on Sky Sports. In return we might have bought him a drink once. Maybe.

A Hall of Fame place seemed certain during the early years of enshrinement, but the final vote seemed to allude him. Keith took his near misses at selection to our Hall of Fame hard. At first he doubled his efforts with various Dusseldorf escapades. Whether it was joining the fans in table top singing and claiming every third AC/DC song to be "his favourite ever", or ending the morning by going for a dubious sauna in the presence of an elderly couple - it just never seemed to be enough. Then the adrenaline turned to frustration, and later still, violence. While no charges were filed, the hit squad that gave Shuggie a double helping of shoe pie the night before World Bowl IX were rumoured to be wearing First Down satin jackets and Packers ski masks.