Neil, who is now 30, was a member of that very successful Lincraig team for around seven years.
Neil said, “I was a Lincraig boy since the age of eight.
“I saw an item in the Tele’s Club Notes appealing for players, so I went along to Mossgiel School which was where they trained at that time.
“When I arrived at the school, I was told by two of the other players to go and change in the girls’ changing-room.
“I was sitting there on my own for a few minutes before I realised they were having me on — this was their way of initiating a new boy.
“I was put into goal for my first Lincraig game, played at Finlathen Park and was given the Man-Of-The Match award.
“But I think that was just a ploy to make sure I came back again.
“Eventually I was moved from goal to left-back and that became my permanent position.
“At Finlathen, one of the touchlines was close to the Dighty Burn and, in one game, I overran the touchline in my eagerness to get to the ball and ended up in the Dighty.
“For most of the seven years I was with Lincraig, the team was the best in its age group, losing very few games and winning the league several times, as well as a lot of cups.
“A lot of the games tended to produce easy wins, but I always looked forward to playing Maryfield or Fairmuir as these were tough opponents and the games were usually close.
“I remember one Fairmuir player, whose mother came to watch his games.
“If she thought her son was unfairly tackled, she used to run on to the pitch to remonstrate either with the opposing player or the referee.
“As that player now plays for one of the Angus senior clubs, I wonder if his mother is still running on to the pitch.
“The day we won the Scottish Cup Final, mentioned by Peter in his article, was a great occasion, the best day in my life up until that time.
“It took place on a really hot day in May 1992 and the team chartered a double-decker bus to take the players and supporters through to Renfrew, where the game was played on the local juniors’ ground.
“The atmosphere going through was terrific and there was a nice spirit around everywhere.
“Of course, winning the Scottish Cup topped the occasion.
“We played a Glasgow side, Everton Boys, and won 3-0, the goals being scored by Steve Flight (penalty), Stuart Rhynd and Brian Stewart.”
Apart from these three and Neil, the other players in the cup final pool were Frank McGlinchey, Kenny Will, Dave Airlie, Peter Irvine, Jackie Thomson, Del Ross, Glyn Smith, Graeme Taylor, Raymond Ross and Scott Reid.
Neil continues, “When we got back to Dundee, we all gathered in Mains Castle for a celebratory evening.
“A lot of the credit for the team’s success must go to our manager Gary Skelly and his assistant Peter Irvine.
“Although, as Peter said in his article, some of the players went senior or junior, I didn’t reach these dizzy heights, contenting myself with playing a season or two with McAlpine in the Sunday Morning League.”
See photos at foot of column.
INFO REQUIRED ON GLENTORAN JUVENILES (1960)
A photo (second bottom at foot of column) was sent in by JOE RUSSELL, but he didn’t give much detail except that he played in the team.
The photocopy is not great, but I’m intrigued by this team for no other reason than I have never heard of them.
Joe bills them as GLENTORAN U/27 JUVENILES from the year 1960, and I’m presuming they were Dundee-based.
Joe is in the photo on the extreme right in the back row.
Back row (from left) — B. McWilliams, H. Cox, D. Carmichael, C. McInally, B. Quinn, J. Russell.
Front row — B. Geary, W. Cooney, J. Cox, T. Allan, T. Flynn.
So, if you have any info regarding this team — where they were based, where they played and any history, then get in touch.
WELL-KNOWN LOCAL PLAYER WON THE MILITARY MEDAL
Former Dundee FC director DEREK SOUTER has been doing some early spring cleaning.
He’s come across a piece on a couple of well-known Dundee footballers of times gone by — with the older player, from his army days, being awarded a medal for his ‘courage and coolness under extremely heavy artillery and mortar and was a magnificent example to his section’.
“We’ve been tidying up files and found this poignant ‘nugget’ (see bottom photo, below) from the Harp Centenary programme of a few years back,” said Derek, who heads DJS Creative Marketing in Foundry Lane, Dundee.
“It is a piece on JAMES ‘POM’ FLEMING and his son, HARRY.
“There can’t be many Dundonians who’ve won the Military Medal.
“CRAIG ‘SCOOP’ McGREGOR, who works with us, is the guy who designs all the DFC montages and so on, and is the nephew of Harry.”
