Davie Sturrock, one half of Dundee United’s first Milne-Sturrock duo, has died aged 84.
He played alongside Maurice Milne and Ron Yeats among others and always joked they were the first Milne-Sturrock pairing.
Davie had a five year career at Tannadice under managers from Reggie Smith to Jerry Kerr.
He left in 1960 to join Accrington Stanley before becoming a fixture with Bedford Town.
Davie played 280 games for Bedford and scored 125 goals. During his time there he was close friends and team-mate of future Rangers manager Jock Wallace and the two lived next door to each other.
Famous victory
He was part of Bedford Town’s famous side that defeated Newcastle United 2-1 in the FA Cup third round at St James’s Park in January 1964.
His son, Davie, said: “That was certainly a memorable game for my dad and also my mum.
“The team and their wives and girlfriends left Newcastle by train and got stuck into the champagne.
“The story goes that they were a bit noisy and the police were called. It was all good humoured and ended with the police going out to buy them more champagne.”
Early years
David Sturrock was born in Dundee to David Sturrock and his wife Grace Black.
His father was an electrical engineer and foreman at Ferranti and Veeder-Root and he had a younger brother called Walter, now deceased.
Davie was educated at Saints Peter and Paul Primary School and St John’s High School and played football throughout his school years.
He went on to play for St Mary’s and was one of five players signed from that team by Dundee United in 1955.
Royal Air Force
Dave’s son David said: “During his time at Dundee United he had to do his National Service with the RAF and went together with Ron Yeats, who later signed for Liverpool.
“They were based around England and served with fellow player Ron Atkinson who was to become a successful manager and pundit. They were allowed to travel home by train at the weekends to play for United.”
Davie met Laura at the dancing in Dundee and the coupled married on St Valentine’s Day in 1959.
Wedding day match
It was a Saturday so the wedding was scheduled for the morning and the reception in the evening to allow Davie to turn out for United against Third Lanark, a game the Tannadice men lost by four goals to nil.
That was the game in which it is thought the title Arabs first became associated with United fans and their ground.
The Courier’s famous cartoonist John RM Mason produced a picture board sketch featuring Davie Sturrock and a camel suggesting that his honeymoon should have been held in the desert given the quantity of sand on the pitch.
The reason for the sand was that United had played four games at Tannadice that week and the pitch, at the end of winter, badly needed patched with sand.
He left Jerry Kerr’s Dundee United in 1960 after 110 games and 26 goals and had one season at Accrington Stanley before they crashed out of England’s senior leagues.
It was at Bedford Town the inside winger had his longest spell and highest goals tally.
After his senior career had ended he had spells with Corby Town and Rushton before returning to Dundee with wife Laura and children David, Sharon and Paul around 1970.
Davie went to work in Timex, Kestrel Marine and had a spell at Veedor-Root before his retiral.
Dementia
His son said: “My father was diagnosed with dementia about four years ago and it seems to be very common with footballers who have headed the ball; look at Frank Kopel for example. No one has said that definitively, I am just guessing.”
Davie was a regular visitor at Accrington Stanley and Bedford Town reunions and held a player’s membership at Tannadice.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
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