UNITED BOYS RULES THE ROOST
BILL MARR digs up a team from the past, posting his query from his current working post in sunny Qatar.
“A team I used to play for in the 1960s, probably 1963-67, was the Dundee United Supporters’ Club,” said Bill, a service co-ordinator with Power Well Services.
“We mainly played all our games on a Sunday, although there was no official Sunday Boys League at that time.
“We mainly played against west coast opposition home and away.
“There was a ‘big’ team and a ‘wee’ team. My memory is not too good these days, so I am struggling with names of players.
“I played in goal for the wee team along with the following names (if my memory is correct) — Ian Britton (ex-Chelsea), Norrie Porter (ex-Forfar), Harry Adams (eventual keyboard player for local live band Sweet and Tender Motion), Norrie Adams (no relation to Harry), Dave Young and Derek Meldrum (ex-Luton Town).
“For the big team, I can only remember Archie Muir (goalie), Frankie Strachan (great player and my hero at that time) and Ian Whyte (who went on to become a well-known local referee).
“We (the wee team) mainly played our games at Rodd Road or ‘Stobbie Park’ (East End Park).
“The guy who ran the wee team was Dave Menzies, who worked for the local cleansing department, and lived on the Kingsway facing Stobbie Park.
“Obviously, we played in United strips at the time with a style variation on the black and white colours.
“Our clubrooms were in the old Wellgate and, according to my mum’s old street directory, were in Bruce’s Entry at the bottom of the Wellgate.
“A team picture did appear in an edition of the People’s Journal, but I’m not sure when.
“I lived in Douglas (next door to Jimmy Milne, ex-Lochee Harp, Glendale and Auchterhouse).
“My ambition at that time was to get signed for Butterburn, but, alas, it never happened.
“Couldn’t see me replacing Hamish McAlpine anyway.”
Reading this letter from Bill stirred my memory banks and I actually played against this Dundee United supporters side on a couple of occasions.
They were well known in the mid-1960s — pre-Sunday Boys League days — for playing and winning most of the time.
A chap called Alec knocked on the door of my family home in Douglas and came straight to the point, “I’m trying to get up a team to take on and beat the All Blacks (as he called them, because they played in United’s all-black strip of the time)”.
Indeed, he rounded up some of the best players available in Douglas at the time, including John Connolly, Frankie Campbell, Dave Hutchison and his own son, also Alec.
We were told to bring “something white” and consequently took the field in a variation of white T-shirts, nylon shirts, and so on. I can’t remember all the scores in the games, but the first game was on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the bottom pitch at Caird Park.
There was a massive crowd at the game, who had heard about it only by word of mouth.
Despite some serious years being given away (eg 16-17-year-olds playing against players a couple of years younger), I think we were beaten, but not disgraced. A few weeks later, we played them at Claypotts and I recall we mustered a draw.
I also recall we played them again a few weeks later and were on the end of a 5-1 drubbing.
One player I do remember playing was a left-winger called (Johnny?) Shirkey, and he was very skilful, giving me a bit of a runaround in the final game.
It would be good if any reader can remember these games, and do a bit better than me regarding players, scores and scorers.
NOT-SO-BEAUTIFUL GAME
What a time it has been for our, it seems, not-so-beautiful game.
A Tayside junior match finishes with the referee being allegedly assaulted.
A local amateur cup semi-final ends after just over an hour as the referee felt he had to abandon the game after being threatened.
On top of this, my mole in D&D Youth League circles tells me a team in one of their older age levels has now folded after being severely disciplined after a recent after-match incident involving a referee.
The seniors are no better, either.
There were reports of skirmishes outside Easter Road when Hibs and Hearts met last weekend, and live TV picked up a Rangers fan’s attempt to share a soft drink with Celtic scorer Stilian Petrov.
While in no way condoning the fan’s actions, why did Petrov feel he had to celebrate like he did in front of the opposition support?
After the game, riot police were forced to storm a ferry after fighting broke out between rival Old Firm fans on a boat heading from Troon to Larne in Northern Ireland.
This mad bug is effectively ongoing in England, too.
What should have been a happy social evening for Arsenal’s Quincy Owusu-Abeyie with his team-mates and other fellow-professionals at the PFA awards ceremony in London ended when he was arrested in the early hours of Monday morning after an incident.
Former Newcastle, Tottenham and England man Chris Waddle also fell foul of the law at the weekend, and will have to answer a case after being arrested for allegedly beating up a 20-year-old football fan in a pub in Sheffield.
VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE
The decision to host this season’s OVD Scottish Junior Cup Final at Dundee United’s Tannadice Park is a victory for common sense.
After last term’s final between eventual winners Carnoustie and Tayport was played in front of just over 3000 spectators — the majority of whom made the near 200-mile round trip from Tayside — the live TV May 29 showpiece between Tayport and Lochee United should now attract at least double that.
But why all the fuss?
Surely, after last year, the Scottish Junior FA should have had “Plan B” in place for such an eventuality as two teams from the same area in the final.
Mind you, not one player or fan would have complained if the final had been scheduled for the national stadium at Hampden.
How many junior players get the opportunity to grace the hallowed turf in their careers?
Indeed, for over 40 years from the 1940s, the final was played at Hampden, before being hawked around Ibrox, Fir Park and Firhill.
The Scottish Junior FA have their offices at the national stadium and, indeed, the Scottish Amateur Cup Final is still played annually at the Mount Florida complex.
BELGIUM HAS MOVED
A further selection of Gaffta Awards — a recent publication by Mainstream.
“The Belgians play like their fellow-Scandinavians, Denmark and Sweden” — ANDY TOWNSEND.
“Queen’s Park against Forfar, you can’t get more romantic than that” — Commentator ARCHIE McPHERSON.
“Woodcock would have scored, but his shot was too perfect” — RON ATKINSON.
“The Champions League winners stand to make £10 million in prize money. That’s before any money they can make on programme sales and hot dogs and the like” — Commentator BRIAN MOORE.
“From that moment, the pendulum went into reverse” — Commentator GERALD SINSTADT.
“I’d like to play for an Italian club, like Barcelona” — MARK DRAPER.
“Liverpool are currently halfway through an unbeaten 12-match run” — Commentator ALAN PARRY.
MONIFITH TAYSIDE JUNIORS
ANDY CHRISTIE, of Milton Street, Monifieth, sends in this photo (below) of MONIFIETH TAYSIDE JFC.
“It was taken around 1946-47,” said Andy.
“There was a recent photo of Carnoustie Panmure in BwB about a cup-tie against Petershill in 1948-49 season and Alec Collins was in that team.
“Also Jock Myles spoke of Carnoustie in the 1950-51 season, and Bunt Lorimer was in that team.
“Alec and Bunt are in this Tayside team, and that’s how I reckon it was 46-47 season.
“I know only some of the names, but maybe some of the BwB readers may come up with some that are missing.
“The only ones I know are Bill Forbes, H. Martin, P. Moncur, Alec Collins, Bunt Lorimer and J. Smart.”
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