Vic Kasule

Victor Peter "Vic" Kasule (born 28 May 1965) is a Scottish former professional footballer of Ugandan descent, who played mostly as a winger for several clubs including Albion Rovers, Meadowbank Thistle, Shrewsbury Town, Chesterfield,[2] Hamilton Academical, Portadown, Bohemians[2] and Montrose. He also had brief spells playing in Finland and Malta.[2]

Vic Kasule
Personal information
Full name Victor Peter Kasule[1]
Date of birth (1965-05-28) 28 May 1965
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1982–1986 Albion Rovers 132 (18)
1986–1987 Meadowbank Thistle 35 (7)
1987–1989 Shrewsbury Town 40 (4)
1989–1990 Hamilton Academical 12 (0)
Portadown
RTP
Ħamrun Spartans
1992–1993 Montrose 1 (0)
Total 220 (29)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Background

Kasule was born in Glasgow on 28 May 1965[1] to a Scottish mother and Ugandan father. His mother was a teacher and his father a professor of zoology. His father died when Kasule was 15.[3]

Football career

Albion Rovers

He signed for Albion Rovers in 1982 as a 17-year-old scoring on his debut. Rovers struggled near the bottom of the Scotland's lowest of three senior tiers throughout Kasule's time there. He scored 18 goals in total in his 132 league appearances and provides countless assists for the likes of Bernie Slaven. His form earned him a transfer for a £28,000 fee.[2]

Kasule's barn storming performances in a Rovers shirt made him a fans' favourite, and he remains one of the most popular players in the club's history. A diving header from outside the penalty area in a 4-1 win v Alloa was described as 'one of the greatest goals ever seen at Cliftonhill'. He remains a cult figure amongst the support; a 'lofi, electronic soundscape' band named 'Kasule' was formed by Rovers supporters and has released several albums.[4]

Meadowbank Thistle

After him playing nine league games of the 1986-87 Scottish Second Division campaign Meadowbank Thistle transferred Darren Jackson to Newcastle United in October 1986.[5] It was from Jackson's transfer fee that Terry Christie managing Meadowbank funded their £28,000[3] record signing of 21 year old Kasule.[6] When playing for Meadowbank, Kasule was one of the first black players in the Scottish game - a fact that the Meadowbank supporters were proud of.[7] He was though regularly subjected to racist abuse. Kasule and Thistle won the 1986–87 Scottish Second Division earning promotion for the next season to the middle of Scotland's then three tiers in senior football. Thistle finished runners-up in the 1987-88 Scottish First Division missing promotion to the top tier by one place. However Kasule had already left halfway through the season. In 15 months at Meadowbank he played in 35 league games in which he scored 7 goals.[3]

Shrewsbury Town

Aged 22, Kasule gave up a place at the University of Glasgow to join Shrewsbury Town in England's second tier in January 1988 for a £35,000 transfer fee.[8] At Shrewsbury The Guardian referred to him as, "an armoured car of a right winger with a cannon for a shot". Geoff Tibballs in Football Greatest Characters, wrote Kasule's match winner against Leeds in 1988 "was rated one of the most spectacular even seen at Gay Meadow". However his football talents increasingly became overshadowed by off-field mis-demeanours. This often came from drinking with fellow Scots, Dougie Bell, Alan Irvine and Steve Pittman.[3] Other teammates at the Shrews included David Linighan, Davie Moyes, Jim Melrose, John McGinlay and Tony Kelly.[9][10] Kasule played only 11 games in the 1988—89 relegation season with alcohol reportedly an increasing distraction for him. Ian McNeill resisted pressure from the club chairman to sell him in the close season and persisted with him for the 1989–90 season. However Kasule lasted only five games before missing another curfew and was transferred within a month.[3]

Hamilton Academical

Aged 24 Kasule joined Hamilton Academical in the second of then three senior Scottish divisions for a cut price £15,000 fee. He came on against local rivals Airdrieonians as a sub 2—0 down with 20 minutes to go. He set up three goals to seal an unlikely comeback. However his off field problems soon returned. After playing 12 games he was arrested after an incident in Shrewsbury where he had revisited to attend a party.[3]

Later career

He then had a succession of brief stints with clubs in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Finland and Malta. He retired from senior football aged 29 due to an achilles injury.[3]

After playing

In 1996 he was reported in The Independent as having qualifications in accounting from Glasgow University and working in telephone banking.[11] An article on the Albion Rovers club website in December 2016 stated Kasule was a community coach for BSC Glasgow.[12]

Kasule was a survivor of the Clutha Vaults 2013 Glasgow helicopter crash.[13]

Honours and accolades

Team:

Individual:

References
  1. Neil Brown's Footballer's database
  2. Maxwell Crichton and Bill Walker Albion Rovers Greats AlbionRovers.com; Retrieved 6 January 2007
  3. "Victor Kasule: 'Vodka Vic'" ESPN 22 March 2012, Jon Carter
  5. Darren Jackson, Sporting Heroes
  6. "Terry Christie on his Meadowbank Thistle memories" The Scotsman
  7. Andrew Miller Oldies Songbook Rivals.net, 24 December 2000; Retrieved 6 January 2007 Archived 22 July 2004 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Vic Kasule". Barry Hugman's Footballers.
  9. Shrewsbury Town » Squad 1987/1988
  10. Star-spotter Ian McNeill had an eye for a player
  11. "How Victor became a lost cause" independent.co.uk 10 November 1996
  12. "Rovers Legend Vic Kasule Charity Walk" albionroversfc.co.uk 27 December 2016
  13. "Kasule aims for Victory with Broomhill"
  14. Albion Rovers' cult heroes BBC Sport, 14 January 2005; Retrieved 6 January 2007
  • Cult Heroes, Steve Boulton, BBC Books (ISBN 0-563-52270-4) (ISBN 978-0-563-52270-6)
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