FOUNDED AFTER BUNCIN’ UP FIR A BA’ . . . HOW DUNDEE HARP STARTED UP . . .
Billy Docherty’s inquiry about Dundee Harp prompted N ORRIE McBRIDE, of the city’s Naughton Place, to recall some time spent last year in the main city library.
“I was going through old People’s Journals on totally unconnected matters when I came upon an article in the issue of June 13, 1925, about this Harp side,” said Norrie.
“It concerned the death of one their founder members named Peter Rock.
“On reading your article (BwB, June 24), I went back to the library and got a copy of the article.
The club appears to have been founded in 1879 on the time-honoured basis of ‘let’s bunce up fir a ba’.
“The article does not identify which leagues the club played in, but they were clearly professional, and had the first private ground in Dundee near the gas works in East Dock Street.
“This Harp team also won 35-0 against an Aberdeen club on the same day that Arbroath beat Aberdeen Bon-Accord 36-0.
“Local football historians may write with documented records of the club, but this PJ article provides insights which perhaps nobody has come across.
“While in the library, I went through the Dundee Directories for information on local football clubs and Harp’s first appearance is in the 1884-85 edition when there were other clubs such as Our Boys, Strathmore, East End and Perseverance.
“Harp’s secretary was John Smith, of Young Men’s Hall, Tay Street. The last entry I found was in the 1893-94 edition when the clubs were Our Boys, Strathmore, East End, Harp and Wanderers.
“Harp’s secretary then was C. Mulholland, of 49 Wilkie’s Lane. The same Mr Mulholland appears in the 1894-96 directory as secretary of Hibernian.
“The clubs named in that edition were Dundee, Wanderers and Hibernian.
“I would stress that these events were well before my time as I’m only 65!”
JIMMY SCOTT “FINDS”
Has BwB broken new ground with an email coming all the way from sunny California?
ALISTAIR ROBERTSON got in touch regarding the July 15 piece on Melville Neil.
Alistair, a Dundonian, played for Morgan FP, YMCA and Arnot, before going into the senior ranks with Preston North End and Halifax Town.
“In 1955, I joined Preston North End approximately two weeks after Mel Neil,” he recalled.
“We were both products of Preston’s Dundee-based scout Jimmy Scott.
“Both of us remained at Deepdale until 1959, after which, I believe, Mel faded from the football scene.
“I have no recollection of him playing in the Lancashire Combination, where I finished my football career. However, I do agree with Mr Ogilvie that Mel was very much a Wayne Rooney look-a-like and he did possess a powerful shot.
“We both remained in Preston until 1966, at which time I moved to America, where I still reside in Huntington Beach, California.
“I believe Mel is currently still in Preston, as last year, when I was back visiting, his name was mentioned as still being around.
“Your column, which I read regularly on the internet, is great, keeping us all in touch with our heritage. Keep up the good work.”
DENS TUNE?
ERNIE COCHRANE and his brother were born in Dundee, and now live near London.
“I was a ball boy at Dens Park during the Billy Steel era,” writes Ernie.
“We are trying to find out what the ‘signature’ tune was called when Dundee ran out the tunnel at the start of a game at Dens.
“My brother and I are driving ourselves crazy trying to remember. Was it a de Souza march?
“Funnily enough, the gramophone was located in the ballboys’ room.”
NO ROOM IN TEAM FOR RAB?
Current Dundee North End JFC manager RAB “THE LEGEND” McLAREN reckons that, during his playing career, he played with some really talented local players.
In fact, he’s put together a composite line-up, which, on paper, is very impressive.
The most impressive thing for me, though, is that Rab has left himself out of the XI. — and that’s just not “The Legend” I know!
“I played with these players at junior and amateur level, and reckon this team would take some beating,” he commented.
“The two strikers, in particular, were devastating.
“In fact, having just lost my two strikers (Paul Blackwood and Darren Bonella) at North End to other clubs, what I would give to pick up players of their quality.”
Rab’s XI. is (in 4-4-2 formation) — Grant Clark; Jim McMulkin, Roy Price, Andy Sommerville, Grant Paterson; Davie Anderson, Charlie Adam, Colin Craigie, Jimmy McGregor; John Ruddie, Derek Mitchell.
GETTING IT BACK BIG-TIME
A few months ago, several Tele readers expressed their concern in our Sporting Postbag that Rangers and Celtic were conducting coaching roadshows in Dundee.
This infringed, they said, on our local clubs.
Indeed, one Dundee FC director was quite vocal in his condemnation.
However, are the Old Firm getting it back big-time in their own neck of the woods?
Italian giants AC Milan recently started their youth academy at Paisley University, on the doorstep of the Old Firm (not to mention St Mirren).
It was a two-week course run by San Siro coaches Mattia Bertani and Rudy de Paola.
Aspiring Paolo Maldinis paid £170, and were kitted out in AC Milan gear.
The Italians have other such courses booked in Sheffield and Paris this summer.
JIMMY GILL, BEM
The recent piece about the Dundee Amateur Boxing Club brought a response from my colleague James Masson, a man with a penchant for the noble art.
“Jimmy Gill was mentioned in the article and I remember the late Jimmy very well,” James told me.
“He trained, among others, the great Dick McTaggart, whose 1956 Melbourne Olympic gold medal was the highlight of an amateur boxing career that is without parallel.
“Dick also won an Olympic bronze in the Rome Olympics, reached the 1964 Tokyo Olympic quarter-finals, won gold at the European Championships and also gold at the Commonwealth Games as well as five ABA titles.
“Jimmy, who was disabled, was awarded the British Empire Medal for his work with fellow-disabled people, and was a well-loved and respected figure, not only in boxing but in life in general.
“Sadly, Jimmy has now passed on to the great boxing ring in the sky, but his memory remains vivid among all who knew him.”
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