DAY LES MET BILLY STEEL

LES DYER, of Brownhill Place, Charleston, Dundee, makes the claim that the Ashdale U/18 team he played for were the first Dundee youth team to go abroad.

“It was 1950, and the Ashdale U/16 and U/18 teams played games in Odense in Denmark,” said Les, who featured in the Carnoustie Panmure team group in BwB on February 18.

“I didn’t really have a long football career as I had to stop playing at 18 after a serious knee injury.

“But I enjoyed my time greatly with Ashdale and Carnoustie.

“At Ashdale, ‘Pop’ Simpson was the manager and he ruled everything.

“I actually don’t know his real first name as he was always just known as ‘Pop’.

“For the Danish tour, we travelled by coach to Newcastle, then on the ferry across the North Sea.

“The photo (bottom of the two at the foot of this column) is of the two Ashdale teams and players from a Danish team pictured at Odense railway station.

“I’m pictured fourth from left in the back row, while three along to the right is Ian ‘Boab’ Kerr, of the well-known Dundee dairy family.”

Les, who worked as a painter, continued, “Ashdale’s changing-rooms were at the top of Arklay Street, just behind the shops on the corner of Cardross Street.

“We used to strip there and walk along to Fairmuir Park to play our games.

“My greatest football story is one day when I was walking down Victoria Road, en route to playing a game for Ashdale.

“Dundee FC players at that time used to have their pre-match lunch in D. M. Brown’s in the town centre, then casually walk up Victoria Road and Dens Road to the park.

“Walking down the road, I met Doug Cowie and he introduced me to Billy Steel.

“The date was September 23, 1950, and Steel had just been signed.

“He was on his way to make his debut for the Dark Blues, in which he scored (along with Jimmy Toner) in a 2-0 win for Dundee.

“I’ll always remember that day.”

ABBY, OBE?

OK, OK, OK . . . so I wrongly predicted the score in the OVD Scottish Junior Cup Final, going for a 2-1 Lochee win.

Some readers want blood, others are even demanding a “retraction”.

Eh?

Tayport played very well on the day and fully deserved their victory — and I can confirm this was acknowledged in full by the many Bluebells players and officials I spoke to after the game.

It was a great day all round, though, and the silver lining for me was that I spent seven hours in the company of George Grier and his older brother John.

I’m better educated in football for that.

But back to Tayport and their third success from six finals in 15 years is a phenomenal achievement.

ABBY OSWALD and his backroom team deserve the highest plaudits for putting together the infrastucture from which ’Port coaches could mould successful teams.

I’ve no idea what the criteria is, but just what do you have to do to earn an OBE or similar national award?

Abby Oswald, OBE, has a wonderful ring to it, don’t you think?

HARP TROPHY

Former Harp player JIM McCAFFERTY, of Dundee, reckons the Beechwood club may have won a trophy called the Coronation Cup around 1953.

He wonders if anyone can give any info or, perhaps, even a picture of that Harp side?

LOCHEE HARP JFC 1972-73

LOCHEE HARP legend JIMMY ASHWOOD commented on a “scary photo” of Elmwood JFC, which we featured around then.

The likeable Jimmy was, of course, speaking about the waistlines, hairstyles and facial hair of that particular ’Wood team from 1973.

So, when sifting through our photo files recently, I came across “Oor Jim” with his Harp team-mates of the same year, some of whom were to be team-mates of mine with other teams.

So, here’s one (below, top) for the Elmwood boys to sit back and enjoy.

Back row (from left) — Connelly, Wilson, Wolecki, Watkins, Doull, Duguid.

Front row — Goodall, Ashwood, Myles, Laird, Falconer.