OH, BROTHER
MARGARET McKENZIE was tickled to see a photo of her dad Claude “Charlie” Carver in last Friday’s Tele and, as you do, phoned her cousin MARGARET SANDEMAN with the news.
Mrs Sandeman then replied that her father Dave Carver, Claude’s brother and Mrs McKenzie’s uncle, was also featured.
Claude was on Page 4 of last week’s edition (far right in the photo) as tenants of Strathmartine House, Dundee, received a hamper from the ASDA (Kirkton) store.
Dave, however, was in BwB and was part of the Taybank team from season 1936-37 (second from left in middle row).
“It was quite incredible, after all these years, to see my dad and uncle in the Tele on the same day,” said Margaret McKenzie, of St Albans Terrace, St Mary’s, Dundee.
“I immediately phoned my cousin Margaret, who stays in Invergowrie, with my bit of news and was astonished when she told me uncle Dave was also featured in BwB.
“Uncle Dave passed away about 10 years ago, but it was like looking back in time when I saw his photo.”
When I spoke to Claude, he revealed he didn’t have much of a football pedigree. “I rarely played at all, but Dave did, and was a really good player,” he said. “He also played junior for Lochee Harp, and possibly North End.
“I don’t know anything about that Taybank team, though.”
Two other football connections come out of this family tale.
Claude and Dave’s dad was a groundsman for many years with Dundee North End, while Margaret Sandeman’s husband is Frank, who played for and managed Brechin City, in addition to spells with Montrose, East Stirling, Hearts and Arbroath.
Latterly in his career, Frank was also involved with Dundee St Joseph’s JFC for many years as player, manager and committee member.
Claude and Dave were brought up in the Byron and Sandeman Street areas of Dundee with other Carver brothers and sisters Alec, Billy, Jessie, Jean and Mina.
Mrs K. Hutton, of Clepington Road, Dundee, reckons her father, James Galloway, was also in the Taybank photo, standing at the back (second from left).
WHITE PLAYED ‘KEEPIE-UP’ WITH AN ORANGE, AND THE GOALKEEPER LIT A CANDLE
The photo of Coupar Angus Juniors (BwB, Dec. 19) brought back memories of playing for Violet for Carnoustie’s IAN FOGGIE.
“One of our pre-season matches was against Coupar Angus — and Alan Gilzean starred,” reveals Ian.
“I remember Gillie eventually signing forms for Violet, but he never played for the Pansies, going straight to Dundee.
“My brother-in-law Bert Wilkie was in the Tottenham Hotspur squad when Gillie arrived at White Hart Lane.
“Some of Bert’s stories from White Hart Lane included one of Dave Mackay, whose party trick was to toss a coin into the air, catch it on his foot, flick it on to his knee, before kneeing it up into his top jacket pocket.
“John White on the other hand would play ‘keepie-up’ with an orange for as long as he wanted.
“Danny Blanchflower was not only another of their great players but was a powerhouse when training — particularly the road runs. His phenomenal stamina always saw him back at the clubhouse first.
“Frank Smith (the reserve goalkeeper) tells the story of when, at one game, the light was so bad, he lit a candle and put it in his goalmouth before the referee finally had the lights switched on.”
INJURY CHARADE
A reader, who signs himself “Morgan FP”, is fed up with the unwritten rule in football that you put the ball out of play when a player is injured.
“Isn’t it about time we stopped expecting teams to kick the ball out when an opposing player is hurt,” he opens.
“In a sport riddled with diving and all other forms of cheating, why do we expect players to become good, honest sportsmen when an opponent is injured?
“Given your vintage (eh?), I am sure you remember the good old days when it was commonplace for a player to kick the ball out if one of his team-mates was down.
“However, there was no expectation of opponents to give the ball back to you. Also, a player was never expected to put the ball out if an opponent was injured.
“This charade has to be sorted out once and for all, as all this does is cause bad blood between clubs.
“I would add that I am a Dundee United supporter and have no sympathy for Ian McCall regarding this. I would say to Ian that the solution is in his own hands.
“Let every club know that, in future, United won’t be putting the ball out for an opponent’s injury. That would be a far more honest and professional approach.”
l I agree with Morgan FP’s sentiments entirely. I don’t know when this “unwritten rule” crept into the game, but I’ve never fancied it.
Too many times, players have gone down very easily, apparently injured, but with the sole intention of stopping the flow of the game at a time when their team is under pressure.
I’ve always advocated that a player must go off the park for a designated time (say, a full five minutes) if they go down injured and require the physio to come on.
Over 50% of injuries on the field of play — in any grade, I may add — are feigned, and managers would soon cut out this practice if they were left battling with 10 men for a couple of periods during a game.
BELL’S SEMI-FINALS
Carnoustie reader RON McGREGOR asks, “Can you give the details of the Bell’s League Cup semi-finals the season Dundee United beat Dundee in the final at Dens Park?
“Also, can you confirm United played Celtic in four semi-finals that season and never lost?”
The 1980-81 semis were two-leg affairs.
After drawing 1-1 (Bannon) at Tannadice (crowd 14,500), United won the second leg at Parkhead 3-0 (Pettigrew, Sturrock, Dodds) in front of 21,000.
Dundee also drew 1-1 (Sinclair) in their first leg with fellow-Division One side Ayr United at Somerset Park (crowd 6800).
Just under 10,000 saw the Dark Blues win the second leg 3-2 with goals from Williamson, Fraser and Sinclair.
In addition to United’s two League Cup semi-finals against Celtic, they also met at the same stage in the Scottish Cup.
After a 0-0 draw at Hampden (att. 40,300), a Paul Hegarty double and an Eamonn Bannon single gave United a 3-2 win in the Hampden replay (32,300).
LIFF HOSPITAL FC
PETER QUINN, of Sidlaw Gardens, Birkhill, has submitted the photo below of LIFF HOSPITAL FC, from around season 1970-71.
“This team played in a very competitive league,” said Peter.
“The league contained teams from the various hospitals throughout the area, including Maryfield, Ashludie, Strathmartine, DRI, Murray Royal and others.
“The teams were made up of all grades of players — junior, amateur and juvenile.
“The Liff team pictured won the league and cup double that season.”
In addition to Peter, other committee members were Taffy Sullivan, Alex Coullie and Ronnie Collie.
Back row (from left) — P. Peebles, Unknown, D. Scott, A. Knox, G. Scott, N. Hughes.
Front row — Claude (surname unknown), E. Nicoll, J. Lamb, R. Dickson, Isaac (surname unknown).
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