“Your comments about not knowing Jimmy must be tongue-in-cheek,” said the Clepington Road newsagent.
“Surely you have heard of Jimmy Reid?”
Not so, and I’m afraid (if not a tad embarrassed) that Jimmy must just have passed me by in my early stages of following football.
However, several other readers more than made up for my malaise.
Broughty Ferry’s CLIFF BLYTH, a former Stobswell Junior, was also surprised I hadn’t recognised Jimmy.
“I used to watch Jimmy play for St Joseph’s and he also went to Dundee United, where he was a very good player for the Tannadice club,” said Cliff.
“United always seemed to have a good connection with the Joeys at the time when the junior club played out of their Gillburn Park ground in Kirkton.
“Indeed, when United — then in the Second Division — were handed a good home draw in the Scottish Cup and were expecting a decent crowd, they used to borrow benches from the Joeys and place them around the perimeter of Tannadice so more fans could get in to the ground.
“Getting back to Jimmy, though, he was an outside-left and I’m sure he eventually went to Bury before coming back to Dundee and opening a shop in the Seagate.
“Also, your correspondent for that story was BOBBY CLARK. That may have been the same Bobby Clark who played with me at Stobbie during the MARTIN BREEN era.”
On the same subject, RORY McLEOD, of Broughty Ferry, describes himself as a “Long-time Arab”.
“Surely the Jimmy Reid in question is the one who played inside-forward for Dundee United in the mid to late 1950s.
“He played alongside other United legends such as Johnny Coyle, Willie McDonald, Dave Sturrock and Maurice Milne.
“An extract from the United History Archives from April 21,1956, reads:
Johnny Coyle scored four times in one match for the third time in his United career as United beat Berwick Rangers 8-1 at Tannadice in the second-last game of the season.
Jimmy Reid, Sandy Stephen, Maurice Milne and Dave Sturrock also scored as United go on to finish 13th in the Division Two table.
United scored their 2000th league goal in this match.
Rory continued, “Jimmy Reid also had an emporium in the Seagate for many years, which I think could now be the Celtic FC Shop.”
Tayport’s JIM RODGER commented that “the Jimmy Reid featured in the photograph is, indeed, the Jimmy Reid who had his shop, until recently, in the Seagate, Dundee.
“He was a great player for St Joseph’s Juniors and, latterly, Dundee United.
“I played for Broughty Athletic and Harp against a few who figured in the ‘Invergowrie pavilion’ photo.
“Bobby Clark was a right-back with Violet and, indeed, some 40 years later, I still have the bruises to prove it.
“Keep up the column, it’s something to look forward to each Friday.”
GLOBETROTTING ARCHIE LOOKING UP OLD FRIENDS
Further to bumping into former Forfar and Dundee manager ARCHIE KNOX in Broughty Ferry a couple of weeks ago — when he was catching up with friends Bryn Williams and Bobby Hopcroft — it seems this famous local footballing son is now on a crusade to look up long-lost buddies.
The former Rangers, Manchester United and Scotland No. 2 then turned up in Australia and called in on some more footballing friends.
Of course, BwB “spies” are now worldwide and this is why we are able to exclusively report this.
“This (above) is a photo of Archie’s visit to Brisbane with me and two of his former players at Ibrox — CRAIG MOORE and CHARLIE MILLER,” said JOHN SIME, a former team-mate of Archie at Station Park.
“He visited my club Queensland Roar for a week and stayed with me.
“He then visited another of his former Rangers players IAN FERGUSON for a week in Sydney.
“Ex-Dundee player ALBERT KIDD — forever ‘revered’ by Hearts fans — also travelled up from Adelaide to see his former Dens Park colleague.
“We also visited his good mate, the 1970s former Forfar team-mate GEORGE POTTER, who lives in Brisbane.
“As you can imagine, we had a great time.”
The photo below shows (from left) Charlie, Archie, John and Craig.
