Rab Wilson despairs at Dundee United’s current position.
He opened: “I can’t believe our club is not in the top league, with no sign of getting promoted any time soon.
“Anyway, the real reason I’m contacting BwB is that I remember when United were last promoted.
“There was great excitement in my family, but what sticks out in my mind was that the first league game the following season in the First Division was played on a midweek night.
“This would be very unusual in the modern game, nowadays.
“Do you have any details of that game?”
The Tannadice side’s first league encounter was on Wednesday, August 24, 1960, when they beat visiting Hibs 3-1.
Gillespie, Walker and McLeod scored for United, while Ormond netted for the Hibees.
United lined up – Ugolini; Graham, Briggs; Neilson, Yeats, Fraser; Carlyle, Gillespie, Walker, McLeod, Ormond.
Hibs’ side was – Muirhead; Fraser, McLelland; Falconer, Young, Baxter; McLeod, Johnstone, Baker, Preston, Ormond.
In the file, from which I gathered this information, there was a note attached.
It stated that United scorer Eric Walker played just another two games for the club — League Cup defeats from Stirling Albion (h, 0-3) and Brechin City (a, 1-2).
He joined Brechin City on leaving Tannadice.
Walker is featured in the Dundee United team group from 1960, which is shown above.
Also at the club at that time was Stewart Fraser.
And he was the subject of a call from Jim Wilson, of Charleston, Dundee, who got in touch to say he particularly enjoys our look back at the old Sporting Post queries.
“These queries were very often the subject of great debate on a Saturday night,” opened Jim, a retired electrician.
“These queries were eagerly awaited.
“The real reason I’m phoning is a query regarding Dundee United half-back Stewart Fraser scoring a hat-trick for a Scottish League select team.
“One of his team-mates was listed as ‘Allan (Aberdeen)’.
“I don’t seem to remember him around that time. Can you give details of his playing career?”
Willie Allan was signed by Aberdeen from Bo’ness Juniors in 1961 and was at Aberdeen for two years.
He left Pittodrie to join St Mirren for a season, before signing for Falkirk.
In 1965, he left for South Africa to join Durban City.
In addition to that Scottish League appearance in 1962, he also turned out for the Scotland U/23 side that season.
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