Legendary Rangers manager Scot Symon was recently featured in a Dundee FC team line-up in BwB (Feb 3).
This prompted several responses, and quite a number of readers expressed surprise that he played for Dundee.
John Smith, from the Douglas area of the city, remarked: “I was astounded to learn Symon played for Dundee.
“Almost all of my family are Rangers supporters, apart from me, and this has never been brought up before.
“I’ve heard them tell tales of legendary games and trophy wins during the Symon era but Dundee was never mentioned.
“That is except when we took the league title off them in 1962. Heh, heh.”
Jim Milne, from Hilltown, Dundee, commented: “My dad used to speak about Scot Symon when he was at Dens as a player.
“He was a good player for Dundee and, obviously, went on to be a very successful manager for Rangers in the 1950s and early 60s.
“It was interesting to see the goalkeeper standing alongside him in the photo, Bill Marsh.
“Dad again remarked what a mountain of a man he was.”
My sportsdesk colleague James Masson remarked that Scot was Errol-born and raised and that his family are still well respected in the Carse of Gowrie.
Born in 1911, Scot lived until he was 73.
A defender, he played juvenile football in Perth with North End and joined Dundee as a 19-year-old. He played 150 games for them in his five years there, netting twice.
Scot then played 66 games for Portsmouth in his three years there, scoring six times and was transferred to Rangers in 1938, a year before Pompey won the FA Cup. Jimmy Guthrie, the Luncarty lad who was a Dundee team-mate of Scot’s, stayed on at Portsmouth to captain that FA Cup-winning team. He was a wing-half.
Brechin farmer’s son Jimmy Beattie, a bustling centre-forward, moved from St Johnstone to Portsmouth but missed being in the cup final team due to a knee injury.
Symon was at Rangers until 1947 but, mainly due to World War Two, played only 32 games, scoring three times.
He won one cap for Scotland and his managerial career started at East Fife in 1947.
In 1949, he steered East Fife to League Cup victory and they were also Scottish Cup runners-up.
He then took charge of Preston North End in 1953 and they were FA Cup runners-up during his time there.
In his 13 years as team boss at Rangers, from 1954-1967, they won six league championships, five Scottish Cups and four League Cups.
He also took Rangers to two European Cup Winners’ Cup Finals in seasons 1960-61 and 1966-67.
From 1968-1970, he managed Partick Thistle.
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