SOMEONE “POSED” GARY’S PUMA PELE RIOS AND THE TEAM SKIPPER HAD TO LINE UP FOR PHOTO IN HIS “BASIES”

JIM BROWN, whose grand title working with Allied Bakeries is “territory manager”, has contributed the excellent photo of the DRYBURGH PRIMARY SCHOOL team of 1969-70 (top photo at foot of column).

“This was the Dryburgh team which beat St Columba’s 2-1 to win the Thomson Cup,” said Jim, who stays in Monikie.

By his own admission, Jim’s football career didn’t reach any great heights, and he played for Boys League teams such as Fairmuir, Wellington and Dryburgh Athletic until the U/16 grade.

His time as a player finished on a high and low, as Jim explained, “Around 13 years ago, I was playing with Wellbank in the old Angus Amateurs League.

“We were playing in a final against Springfield at Harp’s Beechwood Park and I was carried off injured.

“The team went on to win the cup without me and, after the game, I went up to the DRI where it was revealed my leg was broken.

“So that was that as far as playing was concerned.”

In the Dryburgh photo, several names stand out for me.

There’s Davie Martin, who is now mine host of the Lochee Sports Bar. Davie, of course, is very well known in local football circles.

He played under me briefly in Sunday Welfare football with Bank Street Athletic, and eventually very successfully went into management in the juniors, guiding Lochee United to several honours, including a Scottish Junior Cup semi-final appearance.

Lindsay Milton was a team-mate at Broughty Athletic, along with brother Dave, and not very long ago was part of the management team at Coupar Angus juniors.

Jimmy Sorrie is one you might be hearing more of. He’s currently on the management team of Midlands AFA club St James.

Saints are a relatively-new team, but have been doing very well and are tipped by many to be challenging at the top amateur level in a few years.

Gary Strachan has been a friend for years and, in recent times, has been manager of Broughty Athletic, Downfield and North End.

On closer inspection of the photo, Gary is sporting a neat line in footwear. While his team-mates have gleaming football boots, Gary has donned a pair of baseball boots (“basies”, as they were known locally).

When I spoke to him recently, Gary was keen to put over his side of the story.

“I had a brand new pair of Puma Pele Rio boots,” he recalled. “But someone ‘posed’ (Lochee-speak for ‘hid’) them just before we put on our strips for the photo.

“It was a non-football day when the photographer arrived and we just got changed in the classroom. I don’t know who it was for sure, but I think Ian Pryor might have had something to do with it.

“I was the skipper of the side and we won the league and cup double that season. We were going for the treble, but St Clement’s beat us 2-1 in the Sports Cup Final at Thomson Park.

“In the other photo of Dryburgh (bottom photo at foot of column), this time it’s at North End Park after we won the Thomson Cup. That’s Ian Pryor on the right holding the trophy with me, with the old pavilion in the background.

“It’s amazing that, 30 years on, I should end up back there as manager.”

However, it should be pointed out that Gary’s colour photo still doesn’t show whether or not he played in the final in his PPRs or ‘basies’!

COs DECIDED IF PLAYERS TURNED UP

Lochee’s ANDY WALKER writes, “A few weeks back, a reader wrote in regarding the Scottish Cup tie when Dundee United beat Celtic 4-3.

“I don’t think it is correct that Celtic players were on £14 a week wages at that time.

“On October 18, 1945, representatives of the payers approached club executives and put forward a proposal of £6 a week basic, £2 for a win and £1 for a draw.

“The club rejected this, but offered £4 a week, £2 a win and £1 a draw. This was reluctantly accepted.

“The official line was that National Service was still ongoing and players were not guaranteed to turn up.

“Also, it was up to the goodwill of Commanding Officers if they turned up. Players who were in jobs or deferred National Service had to work Saturdays even after the war was finished.

“A basic wage of £14 per week for players was paid to First Division players in England in 1954.

“Changes in Scottish players’ wages only started changing slightly when economic changes happened in the 1950s.”

Returning to that 4-3 win for Dundee United, Andy continued, “The Celtic team that day certainly had Evans, McPhail and Tully playing, but the others were hardly household names. The team was — Miller; Boden, Mallen; Evans, McPhail, McAuley; J. Weir, Johnston, Gallacher, Tully, Paton.

“John ‘Jock’ Weir scored a hat-trick at Dens Park in the so-called ‘relegation game’, but, funnily enough, he’s more remembered for the two goals Celtic were disallowed.

“Dundee players were offered their biggest bonus ever to beat Celtic that day.

“John Paton signed in 1942 and, between then and 1949, he was in the RAF and on loan to eight clubs.

“Pat McAuley was ‘freed’ two years running, then signed again by Celtic.

“Jackie Gallagher no relative of William or his brother Tommy (Patsy Gallagher’s sons). Leslie Johnson took a size four-and-a-half in boots! Enough said.

“Of the rest, Miller Boden and Mallan have some varied careers at Celtic Park.”

And now, very unusually, Andy is looking for information on a match played between Dundee United and Celtic on December 23, 1944.

Did Jock Stein play for Dundee United in this match?

Alex Kiddie, of Stobswell Juniors, signed for Celtic after this game. He played a trial for Celtic against Motherwell in March of that year.

Before signing for Celtic, he played for Ashdale Juveniles, Angus Boys Amateurs, Jeanfield Swifts and Dundee Stobswell JFC.