BEST MAN “BROKE” GROOM’S LEG

Our main photo this week (see foot of column) is of Willow FC (early 1960s), whose name came from the company the players worked for, well-known former Dundee-based grocery chain William Low.

Third from the right in the photo is JIM McLAREN, who played centre-half for the Dundee Half-Holiday League team.

And there’s an amusing tale regarding Jim, and is relayed to BwB by DANNY WEIGHTMAN, now based in Australia.

“Prior to playing for Willow, Jim had played for Laings, a team based in his home-town area of Crieff, against a team called Balgowan,” said Danny.

“He was in direct opposition to me.

“On the day of the match, Jim turned up, having come from work or college, complete with jacket and tie,” he said.

“Prior to the match, Laings had been boasting about their centre-half and I decided to forgo my limited skill and revert to an enthusiastic approach.

“I caught him a real sore one on the leg.

“In those days, we wore boots with leather studs which had worn down and had a few nails showing through.

“All illegal now, but commonplace in those days.

“To rub it in, I also managed a well-placed elbow into the ribs.

“Jim managed to finish the match, but could hardly run and, all that week at work, members of the Laing team kept telling me how badly injured Jim was and how his parents were upset at their son’s alleged leg break.

“So I went along to their home to offer an apology and. while Jim’s mum didn’t exactly put out the welcome mat, his father was OK about it.

“Fortunately, it transpired that the injury was not as serious as had been made out.

“And, from that moment, a lifelong friendship endured.”

Danny and Jim eventually found themselves playing alongside one another at the Madderty five-a-side competition.

Danny continues, “We met a team of local farmers, used to the conditions (the pitch was full of cow pats) and the touchline on one side was an electric fence (as one of their players found out as he went too far back to take a throw-in).

“Their goalie was a ‘man-mountain’, who, legend had it, could toss a bag of potatoes over the crossbar with one hand and catch it with the other.

“Of course, I picked him as a target to slide in for a loose ball and caught him on the hands.

“He went ballistic, but, before anything could happen, Jim and another lad stood alongside me and faced him.

“None of us weighed as much as 9 st., while he must have been twice our weight.

“However, we stood our ground and the incident blew over. I knew that night what a good friend Jim was.”

Their friendship endured to the extent that when Jim married he asked Danny to be his best man, and when Danny, too, married, he asked Jim to return the compliment.

EDDIE’S FINAL QUERY

CHARLIE WALKER, elder statesman of the Lochee serial querier family, is usually the one who attempts to answer and further our knowledge on local football queries.

However, he’s enlisting the help of BwB readers to solve a few puzzlers on former Dundee Juvenile kingpins Renton.

1. The late Eddie McAuley played a big part in Renton’s Scottish Cup win against Arbroath Lads Club. Did Eddie also play in a Scottish Amateur Cup Final won by Cambusbarron Rovers?

2. Renton play a game against NCR at Glenesk Park when the “Cash” were Scottish Amateur Cup holders. What was the result? (Charlie reckons it was 0-0).

3. Eddie’s son Tony played senior football. Did two or three of his nephews also play for senior clubs?

MORGAN’S FIRST-EVER U/14 TEAM

“The mention of Preston North End’s Dave Smith (BwB, March 24) jogged my memory,” writes ERIC DARGIE.

“I’ve dug out this picture (see foot of page) of the first Morgan Academy U/14 team of 1947, in which Dave was my team-mate.”

“We beat St John’s in a cup final as, owing to the bad weather, the league was cancelled and a knockout competition was played.

“We beat Harris Academy in a replay, then Grove Academy in the semi-final.

“Our final win over St John’s came after a replay at Graham Street.

The photo is bit fuzzy, but, nevertheless, worth printing.

TWO-BOB PROGRAMME

This programme (below) is the property of R. Colman, of Great Yarmouth, who, I presume, is a Fifer.

I make that presumption due to the fact he has named his house “Kirkcaldy.”

“When I was a 20-year-old airman in the RAF, we were stationed in Salisbury, in Rhodesia,” he said.

“Dundee FC were touring at the time (1953) and, as they were due to play a Southern Rhodesia Select in Bulawayo, several of us went to watch the game.

“Not a lot of football was played in Rhodesia at that time.

“I am almost 73 now and it may be that a few of the players who played may also be still alive.

“The programme cost me 2/- (10p) — a lot of money in those days.”

From our records, I note that Dundee won this particular game 8-0, with goals by Flavell (2), Christie (2), Cowan, Turnbull, Cowie and Steel.