I’ve told in previous BwB articles that goalkeeper Sandy ‘Sy’ Thomson kept a report of every game he played in from a very young age.
These reports covered schoolboy, youth, junior and senior games.
And, with all that to refer to, Broughty Ferry-based Sy is able to help out a former team-mate.
In November last year, former Alyth United junior Jim Fordyce issued a plea for a photo of the Perthshire club with him in the line-up.
We weren’t able to oblige, and a photo still hasn’t surfaced.
However, Sy is able to furnish Jim with information about some of his games with Alyth.
He said: “With regard to Jim Fordyce’s time at Alyth United Juniors, I played for the club at that time. I can confirm that his first game was an away fixture against a good Kinnoull team on Saturday, April 15, 1972.
“It was 3-1 for Alyth after a goalless first half.
“The Alyth scorers were Eric Mollison, Alan Duncan and Murray Doig. Trialist Jim Butler scored a late consolation goal for Kinnoull.
“The Alyth team was — Sandy Thomson; Gordon Daly, A Clarke, Jim Fordyce, George Moir, Davie Powell, Alan Duncan, Eric Mollison, Murray Doig, Alan Grant, Alan Donald. Subs were Ewen Kirkpatrick and G Findlay.
“Jim’s next game, which has been mentioned a few times in BwB, was against Lochee United at Thomson Park on April 22 when Peter Gowans scored all the home team’s goals in a 5-1 victory.
“Trialist A Thorington scored for Alyth from an inch-perfect Alan Duncan cross.
“Tam Jamieson, who was in the Alyth 1974 team photo you featured in Jim’s original article, had his first outing for Alyth in that game, coming on from the bench.
“If Jim wants to contact me, I can give him more information on his Alyth career up to my last game for them on September 16, 1972, a 10-1 defeat at Jeanfield Swifts.
“I was then called up by Dunfermline after Ernie McGarr was transferred to East Fife.”
I can’t let those last few lines go without comment . . . “A goalie losing 10 goals in a game, then stepping up to senior?”
There’s got to be another wee twist to that!
Anyway, Sy can be contacted on sandythomson50@hotmail.co.uk
n BwB has been giving samples from the Readers’ Queries file in the old Sporting Post.
SP Query — In December 1987, ‘PB’ asked: “Can you give details of Jimmy Bonthrone’s playing and managerial career?”
SP Answer — Jimmy joined Partick Thistle in 1946 as a 16-year-old from Bowhill Amateurs.
After a year at Firhill, he was reinstated to Kinglassie Colliery Juniors, but was signed by East Fife two months later.
He played at Bayview for 12 years before joining Dundee, Stirling Albion and Queen of the South.
He won two ‘B’ caps in 1953 against England and The Army.
He was appointed manager of East Fife in 1963, leaving six years later to become coach at Aberdeen.
Jimmy succeeded Eddie Turnbull as manager of the Dons two years later.
He also had a spell as manager of the Scotland U/23 side.
n SOME statistics may have been altered or updated after being originally published in The Sporting Post queries section.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.