VALLEYFIELD’S COPPER BATH

Long-time readers of this column may remember “The Davie Bruce Story”, which ran for around six weeks several years ago.

It came about during a chat with Davie, whom I’d known for years, and his scrapbook was full of great photos and great names from the local amateur and junior grades.

I spoke to Davie again recently when he responded to the High Valleyfield JFC query at the end of last year.

“The year after I left Lochee United, I spent a year with Blairgowrie before eventually moving on to Arbroath Vics,” Davie recalled.

“It was with Blair that we travelled to play High Valleyfield in the Scottish Cup.

“Their pavilion was just an old hut, but my most vivid memory is of a big copper bath in the middle of the dressing-room which was filled with piping hot water at the end of the game.

“Can you imagine a crowded dressing-room and this big thing in the middle?

“You could hardly move due to its size.”

Moving on to another subject, and Davie agrees with me the best player he ever saw play was Charlie Cooke.

“In fact, I remember playing at Dens for Butterburn Youth Club against Salvesen’s Boys Club from Edinburgh,” he continued.

“This was a curtain-raiser game prior to Dundee entertaining Chelsea in a pre-season friendly.

“The friendly was arranged as part of the Charlie Cooke transfer, Charlie having left Dens for Stamford Bridge for £80,000.”

Chelsea won 2-1 at Dens that day (Saturday, August 8, 1966) in front of 15,000 fans.

Jim McLean scored for Dundee, with Peter Osgood, who sadly died recently, and George Graham netting for the London side.

Chelsea lined up — Stepney; Kirkup, McCreadie; Hollins, Hinton, Harris; Houseman, Graham, Osgood, Cooke, Tambling.

Dundee’s team was — Donaldson; Hamilton, Cox; Murray, Easton, Stuart; Bryce, J. McLean, Penman, Houston, Rough.

The referee for this match was legendary Dundee whistler Bert Crockett.

SPONSORED BY HOOD’S

Lochee’s TOM WARD approached me at a recent football quiz evening, and showed me the above fixture list from 1906.

It lists all the fixtures for Dundee FC and Wanderers FC and was put together by Hood’s Bar, who were situated at the foot of the Hilltown.

It shows Dundee playing against all the usual teams, in addition to Port Glasgow.

However, in opposition to Wanderers were a team called Lochee and another called Lochgelly.

It’s interesting to note that Dundee and Aberdeen both put “A” teams in this division.

NONE WAS BETTER THAN JIM

Well-known boxing figure BERT WATT, from Glasgow, points out that Dundee had a great past in professional boxing.

“We all know about the great Dick McTaggart, who is a mate of mine, but the 1930s and 1940s produced great boys,” he stated.

“There was Freddie and Norman Tennant, Ken Shaw and Bobby Boland to name a few.

“However, none surpasses Jim Brady (1932-45).

“This ‘pro’ boxer travelled the whole country fighting all-comers.

“He had 173 recorded fights, winning 105 — an excellent record in those times.

“Jim even fought a 12-round draw with Scotland’s greatest boxer Benny Lynch, whom he fought three times.”

JIMMY TONER’S CAREER

Last December, our Junior pages featured a spectator at an East Craigie v. Fauldhouse United Scottish Junior Cup tie.

It was none other than JIMMY TONER, who won two Scottish League Cup medals with Dundee in the 1950s in a team which contained such household names as Billy Steel, Doug Cowie, Tommy Gallacher and Alfie Boyd.

This prompted a reader to ask for a rundown on his career.

The reason he attended this particular junior game was that he is a former Fauldhouse player.

It was from that club that Jimmy joined Dundee in 1946, having just won the Scottish Junior Cup with United when they beat Arthurlie at Hampden Park.

Indeed, Jimmy scored in the 2-0 victory in front of 44,326 spectators.

He left Dens in 1954 when he signed for Leeds United.

However, Jimmy, who still stays in Dundee, rejoined the Dens club in 1966 as a part-time coach and remained in that capacity for 12 years.

IAN SCORED AND SET UP FIVE GOALS, BUT RONNIE PICKED UP MAN-OF-THE-MATCH AWARD

Ian Thomas, of Earn Crescent, Dundee, also played in the former D. C. Thomson Tuesday Night League.

And he remembers these games well.

He said, “Your page is a joy to read, and there’s a lot of ex-players who like reminiscing, including a few who also played with and against you.

“I played for a D.C. Thomson Select against a Glasgow Select in Dundee and we won 7-0 around the early 1970s.

“Former Dundee FC striker George Falconer, who worked for the firm at the time, played in that match and scored three times.

“I set up five of the goals and scored one.

“I remember Sunday Post football writer Ronnie Scott being named Man-of-the-Match.

“Doug Baillie, formerly of Rangers, who also wrote for the Sunday Post, played at other times for Glasgow, but not that day.”

Ian concluded with a query.

“I’m involved in a pub bet which says Dundee United first used their new tangerine strip in 1970-71. Can you confirm?”

The website Answers.com gives Dundee United’s first game in tangerine as against Everton in a pre-season friendly on August 2, 1969.