“I could not believe it when a friend of mine, who is supposed to be a ‘fitba man’, told me he had never heard of Gillburn Rangers,” said Jim, of Wielstaves Cottage, Balgavies, by Forfar.
“I was telling him how successful they had been and was astonished when he replied he had never heard of them.
“Could you, through your splendid column, give out some details of this team.”
Gillburn Rangers, made up mainly of Kirkton-based players, were members of the now-defunct Angus Amateur AFA for around four years and, although I don’t have details to hand, they certainly won at least three trophies and a league title.
Responding in this column in September 2005 to a Westgrove Albion photo, reader PETER REILLY revealed he was a Gillburn Rangers player, arch-rivals of Westgrove, and he revealed then that Rangers won the Angus Challenge Cup and Thomson Trophy, defeating St Clement’s in both finals, and also won the Second Division and the Fimister Cup the previous year in their first season.
However, it seems they were more renowned for other activities.
As Peter pointed out, they were expelled from the association in October 1967 after the committee looked into the circumstances of the abandonment of their game against Douglaspark at Claypotts Park two weeks previously.
At the time, it was reported in the Tele . . .
Douglaspark were leading 2-0 when the game was abandoned. The incident leading to the abandonment occurred after the award of a corner-kick.
A dissenting spectator on the line refused to move when requested by the referee.
A Gillburn Rangers official was asked by the referee to have the spectator removed, but declined to take action.
It was then the referee abandoned the game and subsequently reported to the association.
Gillburn Rangers had been in the association for four years. Last season two games in which they were involved were abandoned.
Their opponents on these occasions were again Douglaspark and Wellbank.
Gillburn Rangers were warned last season about their behaviour, and their renewal application for membership this season was given special consideration before being accepted.
No players were involved in this latest incident.
Mr Monty Jamieson, Balgarthno Street, Dundee, secretary of Gillburn Rangers, said the association’s decision was a great blow to the club.
“It is my whole life and when something of this sort happens it is hard to take. Last night I hardly slept for thinking about it.”
Mr Jamieson claimed the referee’s report had been in complete contradiction to what had actually happened at the match in question.
Scotland drew, but Duncan edwards didn’t play
With last month’s commemorative events in memory of the Munich plane crash in mind, reader M. McDONALD recalls possibly seeing the great Duncan Edwards play.
“Duncan Edwards and Tommy Taylor played for an England B team against a Scotland B team at Dens Park around 1956 or 1957,” said the reader, of Dalrymple Terrace, Dundee.
“I also think Bill Brown and Danny Malloy played in that game.
“Can you possibly list the match details?”
According to our files, Edwards did not play that February evening in 1956 at Dens Park.
The match finished 2-2, with McCulloch and Mulkerrin netting for Scotland, with the English goals coming from Taylor and Atyeo.
Scotland B — Brown (Dundee); Kerr (Partick Thistle), Rae (Falkirk); Neilson (St Mirren), Malloy (Cardiff), Glen (Aberdeen, capt.); Cullen (Luton), Yorkston (Aberdeen), Mulkerrin (Hibs), Turnbull (Hibs), McCulloch (Airdrie).
England B — Matthews (Coventry); Cummings (Burnley), Langley (Brighton); Wheeler (Bolton), Kennedy (WBA, capt.), Shannon (Burnley); Finney (Sheffield Wednesday), Broadbent (Wolves), Taylor (Manchester United), Atyeo (Bristol City), Perry (Blackpool).
Just in case any pub discussions start up, the Finney in England’s side was not the legendary Tom.
He’s Alan, who played over 500 games for Sheffield Wednesday between 1949-65, scoring 90 goals.
SPRINGFIELD UNITED AFC
“I came across this photograph (below) of the, sadly, no-longer-with-us SPRINGFIELD UNITED, who graced the Angus Amateurs for many a year,” said an EX-PLAYER, who is in the photo, but did not wish to be named.
“The team was managed by the legendary Bob Lamberton and assissted by Iain “Rosie” McDonald.
“This photograph was taken late 1970s or early 1980s.
Back row (from left) — E. Randall, F. Boyle, P. Doig, W. Reid, E. Davie, J. Morris, G. Strachan, G. Anderson, J. Hamilton.
Front row — N. Reid, B. Duncan, A. McIravey, D. Morris, B. Ogilvie, D. McCallum, M. Dewar, D. Robb.
