GOALKEEPER DAVE GOT ON HIS BIKE

It’s not often motorcycling features in BwB, but the photo of Clepington FC (BwB, April 7) stirred Dundee reader JOHN McMASTER into contacting me with a story about their goalkeeper Dave Reid.

“As a schoolboy walking home from Morgan Academy, I once summoned up enough courage to push open the door of a wooden garage in Fairfield Street which bore the impressive name North End Motor Cycles,” recalled John, who stays in Barnhill.

“Inside was a man I later found out to be the renowned motor cycle tuner Doug Lindsay.

“Doug tuned the bikes and ex-Cleppie goalie Dave Reid raced them.

“This was quite an occasion for me, a 12-year-old schoolboy who had admired bikes and rider from afar for several years.

“I knew the Scottish Road Race Championships were taking place that Saturday and was anxious to know if Dave would be competing.

“There was always a further meeting at Gask, outside Perth, the following day, which encouraged the best of the northern English riders up to Scotland.

“Add in the fact that the Scottish Championships took place on the last Saturday of June when many of the best riders were just back from racing in the Isle of Man TT Races and still had their IOM numbers on the back of their leathers, this weekend was to me one of the highlights of my summer.

“To the question, ‘Is Dave racing this weekend?’, I got a modest nod of the head, but that was enough to fill me full of anticipation.

“I knew that someone from my home town would be mixing it with the cream of the country’s top riders round Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy.

“To the best of my knowledge, Dave was still racing well into the 1980s.

“This despite the handicap of having lost an eye in a motor car accident many years earlier.

“I understand Dave still lives in Dundee, so maybe he reads BwB and will get to hear of this little bit of hero worship.

“His days in goal for Clepington FC were way before my time, but I would bet Dave never hesitated when called to dive at an opponent’s feet.

“All the best, Dave, and thanks for the memories.”

BONETTI AND WING AT TANNADICE

NORRIE BOTTOMS, formerly of Dundee, who now lives in Cape Town, South Africa, asks for help with several football queries.

“I’m an old Dundee United supporter in Cape Town and, in the local pub recently, I was discussing a game at Tannadice where I recall Scotland beating England 7-0,” emailed Norrie, a former employee of Timex and D. C. Thomson in the city.

“This was not a full international but a league affair, and it took place around 1968/69.”

In his email, Norrie asked for the following queries to be answered . . .

1. Peter Bonetti, who played in goal for England that night, signed for United the following day.

2. The Scottish team was selected by reader poll in a national newspaper.

3. Dundee United’s Swedish player Lennart Wing played right-half for Scotland, as foreigners could play as they played in the League.

4. Terry Paine played last game for England that night.

n In answer to these queries, Peter Bonetti joined United in August 1979 and was released in April the following year. I can’t trace him taking part in such a game, likewise with Terry Paine.

Lennart Wing signed on at Tannadice from Swedish outfit Orgryte in January 1965, and left in April 1967.

I couldn’t find any trace of Scotland playing England in a League international at Tannadice around that time, never mind winning 7-0.

League internationals in the 1960s included . . .

1962 — in Glasgow — Scotland 7, Ireland 0; 1963 — in Glasgow — Scotland 11, League of Ireland 0; 1965 — in Glasgow — Scotland 2, England 2.

1966 — in Glasgow — Scotland 6, Ireland 2; Scotland 6, League of Ireland 0; 1967 — in Glasgow — Scotland 0, England 3; 1969 — in Glasgow — Scotland 1, England 3.

So, over to BwB readers for any input on this.

PART-TIME UNITED HUMBLED CELTIC

ALEX KELLY, of Ferry Road, Monifieth, takes regular contributor Andy Walker to task.

“Andy seems to be determined to play down Dundee United’s achievement when they defeated Celtic 4-3 in the Scottish Cup in January 1949,” said Alex.

“When the game was played, United were struggling mid-table in the Second or ‘B’ Division as it was called then .

“Celtic were near the top of the ‘A’ Division.

“Dundee United were part-time and Celtic were a full-time team with at least five current internationals in their side (four Scottish and one Northern Irish).

“Celtic also thought enough of Leslie Johnston’s size four-and-a-half boots in order to pay Clyde a then Scottish record fee of £12,000 for his services (quite a fee in those days).

“It may not be counted among one of Celtic’s greatest all-time teams, but it was the best Celtic FC had to offer at that time.

“Dundee United’s achievement was no less significant and, arguably, even greater than the recent achievements of Inverness CT and Clyde in knocking Celtic out of the Scottish Cup.”

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE UNGENTLEMANLY CONDUCT RULE?

JOHNNY WATSON, of Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire, comments on recent controversy in the English Premiership.

He said, “Re the furore over diving in the English League, Sir Alex Ferguson makes the point that players are not being sent off for this.

“My other pet hate is the unsporting behaviour in taking the ball to the corner flag to kill time.

“Has the offence of ‘ungentlemanly conduct’ simply disappeared from the football rule book?”

UP ON THE ROOF

GARY STRACHAN reckons he knows where his Puma Pele Rios are (BwB, April 28).

“On the night you featured my piece, I stepped off the plane from Tenerife and my mobile was red hot with friends commenting about the article,” said Gary.

“One of the texts I received was from Brian Flynn, saying the Puma Pele Rios can be found on the school roof after all these years!”

CHELSEA BOYS 1970-71

ANNE GALLACHER, of Ashbank Road, Dundee, was prompted to get in touch after seeing and reading about some of the players in the column in recent weeks.

“My late husband George Gallacher started a football team in 1970-71 called Chelsea Boys,” she revealed.

“It was interesting to see some of the football players featured in your column in recent weeks.

“I bought 10 blue sweaters for them to play in from Andrew Morrison’s store — late of South Road when Lochee was a busy thoroughfare.

“They went on to become Dryburgh Athletic.

“The boys all came from St Clement’s and Dryburgh primary schools.”

The photo (below) is not of great quality, but it does reveal several players who went on to become well known at junior and amateur level in the city.