USED ONLY EMPLOYEES

The photo of the NCR football team of 1971-72, which appeared s everal months ago (Sept. 26), prompted comment from Tom McGovern, of Manchester, who revealed he was on the committee of the club at the time.

The article revealed that team won a Midlands AFA treble that season.

“Dennis Hutton, Harry Fleming and Alex Balmer were in that team and were all stalwarts from the Scottish Amateur Cup-winning NCR side of the 1960s,” said Tom.

“Some of the committee men involved, along with myself, were Colin Easton, chairman Bob Griffin and secretary Sandy Mackie.

“Indeed, Bob is still involved with the club and must now be in his 80s.

“I joined the Cash in 1957 and left in 1969. During these years, we were practically undefeated.

“I cannot remember many defeats except for the Scottish Cup games.

“We dominated the Midlands Amateurs and the second team did the same in the Alliance League.

“We won the North of the Tay Cup regularly, and Bob and Sandy must take great credit for the team’s success.

“I am in touch with Bob and still visit Sandy.

“They were sporting stalwarts since the Cash came to Dundee in 1947.

“It was a proud day for us at Hampden when we won the cup and a civic reception followed.

“These were happy days, and we had better conditions then — football apart — than most workers have today.

“The sports and social set-up was superb.

“NCR must get great credit. They looked after their workforce better than any firm I have known.

“No team in Dundee ever dominated their class of football like the Cash.

“YM Anchorage were top dogs for a time, but they used to play top juniors and ex-professionals.

“We used only employees.”

KEEPIE-UP WITH A “SPUD”

Charlie Walker, of Lochee, Dundee, shares a few stories about Lochee Harp players during their Scottish Junior Cup run in the 1953-54 season.

“John Cord became the most expensive junior footballer,” he writes.

“Harp paid to have ‘Cordie’ flown up from England for their Scottish Cup matches as he was stationed in England.

“James ‘Jeemy’ Duncan and his father Hector were capped for Scotland. In later years, his sister Betty was capped for Scotland at 10-pin bowling, making it three internationals from the same Lochee family.

“Jimmy Duncan backed Celtic to win the Scottish Cup and Coronation Cup.

“Willie Fox said, ‘You should have backed the treble — also Harp for the Scottish Junior Cup’.

“And this was before a ball was kicked by Harp in that great Scottish Cup run.

“Jimmy Bannon would always say, ‘If I had been in the team (a broken leg kept the bold Jimmy out), Harp would have won the cup’.

“To this day, I have never heard anyone disagree with that statement.

“I know that a few of that team have, sadly, passed on.

“However, if I live to be 100, I don’t think I will ever see one particular ‘keepie-up’ record broken.

“James Duncan used a potato of medium size, and kept it up 42 times outside his back door at Napier Terrace, Dryburgh.

“The best I ever did with a ‘spud’ was eight.”

DUNDEE UNITED FC 1981-82

ANDY GILMARTIN and Dennis McDaid would be the first to acknowledge they are not Dundee United FC legends.

However, they were both at Tannadice in the early 1980s and feature in the above photo, which shows the majority of players from United’s glory years.

It was Andy who got in touch with me.

“I’m looking to track down a copy of the Dundee United squad for season 1981-82 as my friend Dennis McDaid, who is 40 next Friday (Jan. 23), was part of the Tannadice squad at that time, along with myself.

“We are still good friends to this day and are having our joint 40th birthday party with another mate Stevie Gray, who played for Celtic around the same time.”

Andy, who works in Tennent’s brewery in Glasgow, revealed that their lives had more of less run parallel.

“We all played for the same school team, John Bosco in Gorbals, Glasgow.

“I was a left midfielder, Dennis played in the middle of midfield and Stevie was on the right.

“We were all born in January 1964 and were inseparable.

“Dennis was at United for two seasons, one more than me. Richard Gough used to pick both of us up, along with Alec Taylor, at Queen Street train station in his K reg. Dolomite Sprint.

“I’m sure Richard’s got a better car now.”

Dennis, who works for a Glasgow-based packaging company, went on to have spells with St Johnstone, Stirling Albion and Stranraer, and is currently a coach with Hamilton Accies.

Andy signed for Hamilton on leaving Tannadice, and now coaches Fulham Boys Club in Glasgow.

I wish the trio all the best for their big night next Friday, and for giving me the opportunity to air such a brilliant photograph — one, I’m sure, will bring back great memories to all Arabs.

Back row (from left) — Simpson, Dodds, Graham, Gough, Pettigrew, Narey, McAlpine, Beaumont, Hird.

Middle row — A. Dickson (physio), Holt, Stark, Cavanagh, Milne, Ward, Gardiner, Phillip, McDAID, Clark, GILMARTIN, McWalter, J. McLean (manager).

Front row — I. Campbell (coach), Kopel, Bannon, Reilly, Kirkwood, Hegarty, Sturrock, Murray, Payne, Gibson, Taylor, W. Smith (coach).

PS — I’m sure the regulars at The Occidental in Broughty Ferry will have a few comments to make about proprietor Ian Gibson’s afro hairstyle!