MORGAN HIT EIGHT AGAINST GREAT LAWSIDE

Former Morgan Academy pupil EDDIE DUGUID, now resident in Perth, Australia, was thrilled to read about Bob Blyth (BwB, March 3).

Indeed, he supplied the photo of his Morgan football team (see foot of column) and it brought back great memories to me as it was taken in the gym — always a focal point of the school, but now sadly lost in the great fire of a few years back.

“It was great to read your article about Bob Blyth,” said Eddie, who I remember from my days at the school, and he was, perhaps, a year below me.

“Bob was my techy (technical drawing) teacher, but, more importantly, he coached my year’s football team, which, at the time, was probably one of the best teams Morgan had ever had. As you may remember, the school did not have a lot of time for players of the round ball, preferring to push pupils in the way of rugby.

“We played in the season that the great Lawside team won the Scottish Cup and we were the only team in Scotland to beat them that year (1967).

“The score was 8-4 to us in a match played at Caird Park, and our striker Billy Gibson scored four.

“Joe Tront, who often writes to you from Melbourne, was in that Lawside team, and he told me he remembers the game well.

“Bob was one of the few teachers at the school at that time to support and promote football.

“Indeed, even when we beat Lawside, it was the last score mentioned in the school newsletter.

“We had some great players in the team. Led by Alex Bruce (mentioned in BwB on March 24), there was also Davie Dodds, the aforementioned Billy Gibson, Alan Kelly, and goalkeeper Mike Kerwin to name a few.

“However, this team would not have existed if it hadn’t been for Bob Blyth.”

Moving on to another previous article, Eddie continued, “I remember when Danny McAlpine (BwB, Feb. 24) came to Midlands AFA outfit St James as a player-coach.

“Saints supremo Willie Morton decided we needed a more attacking formation, so he picked a 4-3-4 (true . . . read on) formation.

“So we all got stripped and, by the time Danny went to get changed, it dawned on us that Willie had picked 12 men.

“Nobody would give up their jersey, so Danny ended up as a substitute for that day.”

MANY IN FEAR OF LEE WILKIE SYNDROME

As the Tennent’s Scottish Cup semi-finals loom this weekend, once again several players are in fear of the “Lee Wilkie” syndrome.

You’ll remember the towering Dundee defender was booked against Inverness Caley Thistle in the 2003 semi-final — thus missing out on the final against Rangers as it was his second booking in the tournament.

Now no fewer than six Dens Parkers will fear the match official flashing a yellow card against Gretna tomorrow.

Callum Macdonald, Scott Robertson, Simon Lynch, Kelvin Jack, Kevin McDonald and Tam McManus are the sextet walking the tightrope.

Gretna, too, have half-a-dozen — Ryan Baldacchino, James Grady, Chris Innes, Ryan McGuffie, Stevie Tosh and David Nicholls.

And, for the record — and for all you Hibees and Jambos out there — Jose Concalves (Hearts) is sitting on one caution, as is the Easter Road trio of Kevin Thomson, Ivan Sproule and Gary Caldwell.

RALPH’S EURO RECORD WILL NEVER BE BEATEN

Watching BBC Scotland’s “That Was The Team That Was” recently brought back great memories of just how brilliant that particular Dundee United side were.

The programme focused on the 1986-87 season, when United reached the UEFA Cup Final.

I’m aware the programme-makers couldn’t include everyone involved at that time, but I was disappointed a wee spot wasn’t found for United’s all-time top scorer in Europe — Ralph Milne.

The Dundonian scored in that particular UEFA Cup campaign against Lens, and also played in following rounds against Universitatae Craiova and Hadjuk Split.

Ralph is now back living in Dundee and, after talking to him recently, I can tell you he is still immensely proud of his European record.

Indeed, I don’t think I’m going out on too much of a limb if I declare his 14 goals for the Tangerines will never be equalled, never mind passed.

Never!

For the record, his other Euro goals came against:

81-82 UEFA Cup v. Monaco (1), Borussia Moenchengladbach (1), Winterslag (2).

82-83 UEFA Cup v. Viking Stavangar (2), Werder Bremen (1).

83-84 European Cup v. Hamrun Spartans (2), Standard Leige (2).

84-85 UEFA Cup v. AIK Stockholm (2).

The photo below (top) shows Ralph in action against Viking Stavangar in the 1982-83 UEFA Cup.