YET ANOTHER LOCHEE FIRST

ANDY WALKER, whose previous contributions to this column have attracted serious debate — not least his assertion that Denis Law once played at Lochee Park — is back in again, and has combined the two loves of his life — Lochee and Celtic.

“This is the Lochee Celtic team (pictured at foot of column) from season 1937-38,” he opens.

“I don’t know the names of the trophies, but there were some well-known Lochee personalities in the photo.

“Dr Dhani Saggar (front, third from left) was Lochee’s local doctor, and I believe J. McGowan’s (middle, third from right) sons were all scaffolders.

“N. McInally (front, second from left) is now 90 years of age, but was able to put names to all these players.

“Lochee Celtic ran for a few seasons up to the war.

“According to local rumour, the reason Dr Saggar was there was because the team had a goalkeeper who was deaf and dumb, and he would not have been allowed to play unless a ‘medical person’ was available during a game.”

Back row (from left) — Orchardson, J. Farquharson, A. Finlay, W. Cochrane, J. Christison, J. Clark.

Middle row — D. Stewart, Jun., M. Ferrie, D. Valentine, J. McGowan, W. Robertson, M. Coyle.

Front row — D. Wilkinson, N. McInally, Dr Dhani Saggar, J. Gorrie, T. Doyle, D. Stewart, Sen.

Andy also highlighted the unobserved anniversary of a sporting occasion and, yes, you’ve guessed it, once again there is a Lochee connection.

“The first friendly to be televised by the BBC was on a Wednesday evening in October 1954,” revealed Andy.

“Reading entertained Racing Club of Paris and it was played at Elm Park to mark the switching on of the Berkshire club’s floodlights.

“Remember, this was not an international or a cup-tie, and the BBC did not cover the first half, which was goalless. The second half was covered and Reading won 3-1.

“The Reading team was: Jones; Hall, Mansell; Davis, Reeves, McLaren; Simpson, Hinshelwood, Uphill, Campbell, Wheeler.

“Anyway, the reason for giving BwB this particular tale is that the Reading No. 6 was Edward McLaren, who played for the famous Dundee side Dunkeld Amateurs.

“Eddie came from Lochee, went to Blackpool, then Reading.

“So, yet again, a Scot (a Lochee lad) takes part in an important development of British football.”

PLAYED IN THAT FINAL AGAINST SPORTING CLUB

One of the players who played for Motherwell outfit St Brendan’s in the 1975 Scottish Juvenile Cup Final against Dundee’s Sporting Club (BwB, Dec. 24) was Brian McShane, who is now living in Fisher Street, in Broughty Ferry, Dundee.

And he was tickled to see the article on Christmas Eve.

“I thoroughly enjoyed your recent article on Dundee’s Sporting Club,” he said.

“As a member of the St Brendan’s team beaten 4-2 in that Scottish Cup Final, it gives me the opportunity to complain about the east coast bias in the Press!

“Seriously, though, I remember that final well.

“At 3-2 down with just a few minutes to go, I sent a header into the top corner of the goal. However, the Sporting keeper appeared from nowhere to touch it on to the bar and over.

“The rest is history.

“One of our coaches was of the opinion that, even had we managed to take the game to extra-time, we still would have lost and Sporting were just too big and strong for us.

“Something similar to a certain U/16 team from Saudi Arabia, some may say!

“Around four or five years ago, I met Davie Dodds and asked him if he remembered that game. He said he did and, given what he went on to achieve in his football career, for him to remember that U/16 final all those years ago is a compliment to both teams.

“Many thanks for the walk down memory lane.”

DUNDONIAN DOWN UNDER

Former Dundee resident GRANT ANDERSON, of Bonaly Grove, Edinburgh, was interested in last week’s piece on Dundonian Alan Boath going on to play for New Zealand.

“Great column, which I read online in the office every Friday,” said Grant.

“On the New Zealand theme, did Kenny Murphy, from Dundee, not also play for New Zealand around 1982?

“He played at youth level in Dundee with the likes of Graeme Payne and John McPhail, and I think he attended Lawside as a boy.”

Lawside pupil Kenny joined Dundee United in 1973, and also had spells with Forfar and Downfield Juniors before emigrating to Australia, not New Zealand.

In Oz, he played for Melbourne Knights, South Melbourne and Footscray.

Presumably, like Boath, qualifying on a residential ticket, he turned out 15 times for Australia (including against England twice) from 1983-86, scoring one goal. He also represented the Socceroos in another further 25 games against touring club sides and B internationals.

Grant also touched on Alan Gilzean after last week’s piece on the former Dark Blue.

“Why did Gillie not get a cap prior to 1964 when he contributed greatly to the Dees championship-winning side and the European run? Whoever kept him out of the Scotland team must have been mighty good.”

FANS TAKEN FOR A RIDE

Fans of Rangers and Celtic are, once again, being taken for a ride by the top men in their respective boardrooms.

The Hoops are currently struggling to bring in any big-money transfers, are being criticised for not using highly-paid players more often such as Juninho and Camara, and are out of Europe.

Rangers lag, yet again, behind their city neighbours, some of their big-earners have hardly kicked a ball for the club, and, oh yes, they, too, are out of Europe. You can almost hear the directors think, “What can we do to deflect the situation?

“I know, let’s bring up that old chestnut again . . . you know, the one about us gaining admission to the very lucrative English Premiership.

“The fans are bound to buy that. Money talks . . . and Sky TV are bound to want us because, er, we are the Old Firm.”

Most Rangers and Celtic fans I know are very intelligent people.

Some are even pillars of society and the business fraternity.

So it baffles me when they believe this nonsense spouted by Celtic’s Dermott Desmond and David Murray (Rangers).

I said five years ago that this move could never happen, despite many others “in the know” stating it would happen as part of the next Sky TV deal.

Well, it didn’t happen then — and, take it from me, it also won’t happen as part of the next new Sky contract in 2007.