“Ged, whom Tom Finney took to Preston, played more for the U/15 side at the time,” said Bob.
“The photo taken with Doug Cowie, the Dundee FC captain at the time, was taken at the cinder pitches at The Coup (Riverside).”
See foot of column for captions.
Bob continued, “Sadly, both Billy and Frankie Strachan are no longer with us.
“We beat Rockwell 4-3 in the final of the Sports Cup on North End Park and the winning goal was by a ‘Hand of God’ from Podge Falconer.
“I always said our forward line was our ‘Famous Five’ — Scott, Buchan, Berrington, Falconer and Strachan.”
WHEN DUNDEE GAVE MANCHESTER UNITED FIVE
RUTH FINLAYSON emailed from Australia looking for information on a Dundee FC victory.
“Dundee beat Manchester United 5-1 in 1956 and my father George O’Hara was a member of the Dens Park team for that game,” said Ruth (ruth@scb.com.au). “Indeed, he scored in that game.
“He rarely talks about his football career, but he just mentioned this game in passing.
“I had a look on the internet for information, but could find very little.
“I would dearly love to know if any match reports or photos that exist of this game.”
Dundee beat Manchester United 5-1 at Dens on Monday, April 9, 1956, with George Merchant scoring a hat-trick.
The other scorer, in addition to George (from Shettleston), was Alan Cousin.
It was actually Bobby Charlton’s first game for the Old Trafford side, who had clinched the league title the previous Saturday.
In front of 11,000, the teams lined up:
Dundee — Brown; Gray, Irvine; Black, Stevenson, Cowie; Stables, Cousin, Merchant, O’Hara, Ritchie.
Manchester United — Wood; Greaves, Kennedy; Goodwin, Jones, McGuinness; Berry, Viollet, Webster, Charlton, Pegg.
Webster scored the Man. U. goal, and Whelan came on as a substitute for the injured Wood, with Kennedy taking over in goal.
In the book ‘Up Wi’ The Bonnets’, there’s a paragraph on the game which says:
There was a morale-boosting 5-1 win over Manchester United in a friendly at Dens.
The brilliant play of the newly-crowned English champions — including three players later to perish in the Munich air disaster of 1958 — earned them the title of ‘Busby Babes’.
That night, however, it was Dundee who sparkled.
TAM’S MEMORY STIRRED
The stories on St Joseph’s and the McLean’s Garage in Nethergate, Dundee — as relayed by Bobby Fitchett (Feb. 20) — stirred memories for TAM WELSH.
“One of the players mentioned was Bobby Weir, who played for Acton Central and played alongside a close friend of mine down here called Tommy Steen,” said Tam, of Northolt, Middlesex.
“He and another couple of players here — Terry Dunn and Foxy Gallacher — played alongside Bobby and constantly say how good he was.
“Maybe Bobby Fitchett remembers another fine player called Joe Mitchell.
“Joe is currently the manager of a very good junior side here called Brookhouse and is doing a very good job.”
DIVING GOALKEEPER DIDN’T LISTEN TO BRIAN
Dundee’s BRIAN CHRISTIE (brianchristie@blueyonder.co.uk) recognised the name EDDIE FLOOD as he read the February 20 article.
“I first knew Eddie when I was at St Mary’s Forebank when it was St Michael’s annexe,” recalled Brian.
“We had to go there as the one in Graham Street was full.
“I think he came from St Vincent’s, while I came from St Columba’s.
“Every playtime, most of the boys played football.
“One day, Father McBride came to us and suggested having a five-a-side competition between the four classes after school.
“The two teams which won would go on to Graham Street to play in an 11-a-side game with a trophy to be presented at the prize-giving at the end of term.
“Both my class and Eddie’s won.
“When our teams met, he had his best mate FRANNIE MUNRO in his team. Franny, of course, went on to play for Dundee United, Aberdeen, Celtic and Wolves.
“The score was 3-3 late in the game and Eddie’s team were awarded a penalty. When I saw Frannie was to take it, I said to our goalkeeper Peter McQueen to dive to his right.
“Peter, though, chose to dive to his left and we were beaten 4-3.
“Eddie and I also worked as van boys with Bilsland Bread in Dundee.
“He was a good guy and a good player.”
LUNCHTIME LEAGUE FOR BAG OF SWEETS
FRANK JORDAN, who does so much locally to promote swimming and water polo, reckons St Joseph’s Boys School, which was situated on Blackness Road in Dundee, introduced a number of pupils to various sports.
And, indeed, while raking around in his loft, he found this picture (top of page).
“This is the St Joseph’s team from 1946,” said Frank (right), of Quarryknowe, Lochee.
“A number of players in the photo played in various grades of football — amateur, juvenile, junior — while Jimmy Reid played for Dundee United.
“Frank McQuillan was an outstanding amateur boxer and I saw him defeat the Golden Gloves champion of the USA in the Caird Hall.
“I always felt Frank never got the respect due to him.
“The head teacher was Brother Sidney and he encouraged sport at the school.
“He organised lunchtime football at the Daniel Street School on the Blackness Road in the playground, with the winning team receiving a bag of sweets at the end of term.
“Laurie Blyth, who played for Rangers, also played there.
“Brother Sidney also arranged boxing and the PE teacher asked for volunteers to come forward in the ring with him, but no-one did.
“He then pointed to the lad with the red hair and said to Frank McQuillan, ‘You look like you could do something.’
“They went into the ring and, after just a few minutes, the teacher said, ‘Just go back to your place, you’re too good for me’.
“Brother Sidney also took us swimming every week to the old Dundee baths. There were no buses then, so we marched up and down.
“When I won the Dundee Schoolboys Championship, I received a bag of sweeties.
“A number of players in the picture played in the Rock Cup Final on Glenesk Park against St Peter & Paul, who were a crack team at the time.
“I was the goalkeeper as Brother Sidney felt, as a water polo player, I’d be able to hold and catch the ball better.
“We were beaten 1-0 by a goal that never was. I was a foot off my line when a shot came in high.
“I jumped back and caught the ball just under the crossbar. The referee Mr Dye blew for the goal.
“It was either one of the McDonald brothers or Martin Cord who had the shot at goal.
“They were all great players, though.
“It was then that a voice behind the goal shouted, ‘That was never a goal, referee’. The voice belonged to Dennis McGurk, who looked after the outstanding Dunkeld Amateurs team.
“After the game, he gave me a trial for Dunkeld, but it was swimming and water polo for me.”
