John, now 83, adopted a have-boots-will travel mentality throughout his playing days.
“I would go anywhere, any time, any place for a game of football,” he revealed.
“In fact, I always kept my boots in the boot of my car just in case I came across any team who were short.”
John’s football career spanned nearly six decades from the time he started out in the St Mary’s Lochee Primary School team (see pic at foot of column) until finishing his career with the Glendale team which played friendlies on Sundays.
Lochee Hibs, Arnot, Alyth Juniors, Coupar Angus Juniors, Lawside FP, St Joseph’s Juniors and Bathgate St Mary’s were among his teams.
Sheffield United, Raith Rovers and Celtic were just some of the senior teams who tried to sign John, but, for one reason or another, he didn’t put pen to paper.
“Sheffield United were particularly keen on me, but my wife Mary wouldn’t leave Dundee or Lochee,” he remembered.
“In 1947, Celtic had a few injuries and offered me a trial game against Queen’s Park at Hampden during my time with Bathgate St Mary’s.
“I was in the army (Cameron Highlanders) at the time.
“The Bathgate secretary said, ‘Jimmy McGrory has just been on for you and Vic Northmuir to play a trial game next week. However, we don’t have another left-back, so Vic can go, but you have to stay and play for us. Celtic said they will come back in for you in a couple of weeks.
“It was after that week that the snow came — you may remember 1947 being talked about as one of the worst winters ever.
“Anyway, the upshot was that all the games were put off for about four weeks and, by that time, Celtic had all their injured players fit again, so no call from Parkhead every came again.”
One of the more lucrative offers John received, though, came from a junior club — and he revealed a family connection.
“Although I was brought up in Tipperary, Lochee, my dad was from Garngad in Glasgow, now called Royston Hill,” John continued.
“I had two cousins who were on the committee of St Roch’s Juniors in Glasgow, who were basically the local team in Garngad.
“They offered me £7 a week to play for the team, and they would get me a job which paid another £7 a week.
“That was incredible money for that time, but, again, Mary wouldn’t budge.”
John revealed he played with some great names and characters throughout his football career.
“In the army team, I played alongside Tommy Docherty, Tommy Gallacher (at Queen’s Park at the time), Charlie Evans (WBA) and East Fife’s Tommy Adamson.
“There was also big Tam McKenzie, who played for Hearts and Scotland.
“He was a massive defender and built like the side of a house!
“He came to me in the dressing-room before one game and said, ‘They’ve got me down at right-back, but I can’t play there. I play left-back for Hearts, so will you swop me.
“Of course, I did, but I always thought it strange that he felt he couldn’t play on the right side.
“There were other instances like this.
“When at Arnot, our goalie was big Phillip Willard, a great keeper who couldn’t kick a dead ball, so I had to take his kicks. Mind you, he could kick the ball miles out of hand.
“Dundee-based scout Oliver Hamilton took him down to Blackpool for a month and they were very impressed with him and wanted to sign him — but only if his kicking improved.
“They worked on him for that month, but couldn’t get his dead-ball kicking to improve, so eventually had to let him go without signing.
“On the other hand, there was Stewart Gray at Alyth, who was the brother of Dundee FC’s Davie. He could hardly kick a moving ball any distance, but was deadly at free-kicks with the heavy ball we used in those days.”
One deep regret is John’s involvement in the North of Tay Cup in the 1960s.
“I was with Lawside FP at the time and we beat Grove in the final,” he recalled.
“Months later, the club received notification that a protest had been put in.
“I had to go through to the SAFA offices in Park Gardens and they told me I had once signed as a professional and had not been reinstated.
“There was no documentation to that effect, but only the word of another official.
“The cup was taken away from Lawside and I was very disappointed at that outcome — especially the way it was handled.
“In the 1960s, I went along to watch a game between Dundee FC old boys and Dundee United old boys at Craigie Park.
“Doug Berrie came out and said he was injured and asked me take his place, so it was into my car boot for the boots.
“I was up against the legendary Vic Ruse and United won the game.”
“I’ve been lucky”
John, who sadly lost his wife Mary last year, concluded, “In the main, it’s all been brilliant and I played with some great players. So I’ve been lucky.”
John has supplied BwB with several photos from his vast collection and I’ll use them all in the coming weeks.
SECOND-BEST GOALIE IN FAMILY
Broughty Ferry’s PAUL GIBB identified the “surname unknown” goalkeeper in the Travel Agents football photo on March 6.
“He’s Gary Smith and he is my brother-in-law” said Paul, a former goalkeeper himself with Lochee United, and who is now employed as one of ‘Tayside’s Finest’.
“He was obviously also a ringer at that game because he has never worked in the travel trade.
“Gary is, however, good friends with Stewart Ramsay of Ramsay World Travel.
“He played junior for Blairgowrie and something tells me he may also have played outfield. He also at some stage had a trial with Montrose.
“Gary was brought up in Douglas and attended Craigie High School, and now stays in Monifieth.
“However, he does know he’s second-best goalkeeper in the family!’”
IT WAS DREW
DEREK M. WHITE was enjoying a sarsaparilla in the Bell Rock Tavern in Tayport on Friday, February 20, and perusing through his Tele.
“I noticed there was a mention of Drew Peters,” said Derek.
“I have been a mate of Drew’s since 1963, working with him at Allisons Transport in Clepington Road, Dundee.
“In 1966, he played for Osborne and I played for Lochee Harp, then I moved on to Broughty Athletic.
“Drew emigrated to Toronto, Canada, with another mate, Brian Millar, who came from Kirkton.
“He returned to Dundee and had a travel agent’s business in Perth Road before moving back to Toronto about three years ago.”
KEEPER DETAILS
R. CAIRNS (r.cairns1@btinternet.com) is looking for details of legendary Dundee FC goalkeeper Wilson (Bill) Marsh.
“I believe he made the second-highest number of Scottish League appearances for the club after Barry Smith,” he emailed.
“Some record books have him as being born in Hunslet, Yorkshire, in 1894, but I’m not convinced this is correct.
“Another possibility is Sheffield 1903.
“Can any of your BwB readers come up with definite confirmation of his date and place of birth?
“Also, I believe he was a shopkeeper in Dundee for many years after he retired from football, but I can find no record of his death locally.
“Again, can anyone confirm date and place?”
