“The recent publicity about a possible new venue for the Dundee junior football side Lochee Harp brings to mind how they got Beechwood Park as their home venue,” opened Andy Walker, a regular contributor to these pages.
“At a corporation (old word for town council) meeting in 1920, Labour councillor Alex ‘Sandy’ Aimer asked that a ground be built for a junior football club to play on in the Lochee area.
“He announced it was for any side as the corporation had never done anything for the Lochee people since the last century.
“Folklore reveals the Lord Provost nearly collapsed in his chair at this statement.
“Year after year, he probed the corporation about nothing being done.
“It actually took 20 years for his request to be granted.
“Lochee Harp’s last match on Lochee Park was against St Joseph’s JFC on Saturday, March 11, 1939.
“The game was a thriller and finished in a 3-3 draw.
“Harp lined up — Mauchland; McWalter, Chaplain; Nicol, Duncan, Farquharson; Fleming, Pacione, Nicoll, Nicholson and Ryan.
“The St Joseph’s starting XI was — Reid; Mill, Pennycook; Bennett, Martin, Lavery; Clark, McKenzie, Donald, Fitzimmons and Hutchison.
“Harp scorers were Nicol, Pacione and Fleming, while Donald (2) and Hutchison hit the net for the Joeys.”
Andy, from Lochee, concluded: “When the official opening took place at Beechwood Park, the two teams were a Dundee Junior Select v Scottish First Division Select. The score was 8-2 in favour of the Dundee Juniors.
“The Man of the Match scored five goals and he went on to be a Scotland ‘legend’.
“He was none other than Gordon Smith.”
Smith, of course, went on to become part of the Hibs ‘Famous Five’ forward-line.
He also ended up with top league championship medals with Hibs, Hearts and Dundee — as we highlighted in our October 15 issue.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.