Duncan Young, who played for Dundee United in the 1950s, has died.
A product of Butterburn Youth Club, he was signed by Reggie Smith in October 1955 and was with the club for four years.
A defender, he was a regular in the Tannadice side for the first two years before suffering an injury.
‘Infectious smile and sense of humour’
When I first joined DC Thomson in 1967 as an apprentice, Duncan was one of my journeymen, working on such publications as The Courier, People’s Journal, Secrets and People’s Friend.
He was always full of life, with an infectious smile and sense of humour, and always good for a story.
He was a very popular guy. Duncan, who was in his early 80s, resided for many decades with wife Bet in the Sherbrook area of the city.
He also played junior football for a spell with St Joseph’s.
Another to reply to our Dundee Sunday Welfare AFA tales was George Aimer.
Taxi driver of 30 years George opened: “A team not mentioned in your Welfare league article was the notorious Nelson Street Athletic, who played home games at Midmill Park, which is now Fairfield Park.
“I had occasion to referee two of their games in succession.
“I had booked a few players in the first match and wasn’t really looking forward to the second encounter at Midmill.
“This time the opponents would be Fernie Thistle, another team not on your list.
“Anyway, I ended up sending off two players and ordering one of their officials, who was a postman, out of the ground for abusive conduct.”
George (64), a Dundee United fan and well-known in football circles locally, continued: “I also sent off a Fernie player in a bizarre incident.
“He was about to be cautioned for scything down a Nelson player when the guy got up and headbutted him.
“I immediately red-carded the Nelson player.
“The Fernie player was knocked out, but came round as he was being carried off on a stretcher, so I gave him the caution for his original foul while he was still on the stretcher.
“Lo and behold, he threw his hand up and knocked my yellow card from my grasp.
“I then produced my red card and informed him and his manager there would be no substitute coming on.
“You can imagine the uproar that caused, but shouldn’t Paul Gascoigne have been dealt with in a similar manner while he was on a stretcher at Wembley in a cup final?”
‘I was glad I parked my car a good bit from the ground that day’
George, from the Law area of Dundee, reflected: “Furthermore, I probably should’ve red-carded a third Nelson player in that game as, when I was cautioning Chris Innes and asked for his name, he said: ‘You ken my name, you took it last week’.
“However, I wanted to get out of there unscathed and was glad I parked my car a good bit from the ground that day.”
Responding to previous Welfare stories on social media, DR10 commented on Midmill Swifts, offering: “A few Mid Craigie legends graced the hallowed turf of Drumgieth Park playing for the Swifts in Argentina strips. A great bunch of boys.”
https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/jimmy-johnstone-jimmy-greaves-celtic-dundee-fc-rangers-blether-with-brown/
Mike Stewart recalled: “I turned out for Planet Bar and remember playing against Bankies, Annfield, Burton, Drumvale and Trades.
“There were some very decent players on show.”
Mark Malloy told of his “auld man Jim playing for Ninewells”.
He said: “He always tells stories of big Sinky (the legendary late George Sinclair, a prolific striker) being kicked all over the park, especially by Dundee Celtic.”
Kirk Jack, however, bemoaned the fact Rosebank weren’t mentioned, while Paul Fitzpatrick offered the Whip Inn Rowdies.
Stephen Simpson put forward Dryburgh Cosmos, while the Taybag team was promoted by Alan Banks.
It’s season 1983-84 and this photo sees Dundee Sunday Welfare AFA side Butterburn FC getting new strips from The Three Barrels pub in Strathmartine Road, Dundee.
From left – Ian Halliburton, Roddy Stewart, George McDonald, Stewart Halliburton, John Martin, Jimmy Don, Steven Murphy, Dave Doogan, Derek Doogan, Davie Halliburton.
The latest tale on George McLean has materialised from a recent contributor.
Last week, Grant Howitt told of his time with Newport Sports Centre in the local Dundee Sunday Welfare AFA.
The team was run by Chris Symes, who later wrote a book on his football exploits called ‘The Life and Times of Symes’.
Chris also ran a Newport team in the Midlands AFA.
In one chapter of his book, he received a phone call from St Johnstone FC boss Alex Stuart.
“Alex asked for a favour,” revealed Chris.
“He wanted me to give George McLean, who played for Rangers, Dundee and Scotland, a run in our amateur game so he could assess his fitness.
“I duly did that Saturday – and we ran out 6-0 winners over a Dundee College side. George didn’t get on the scoresheet.
“The following day, I was stopped in the street by the league secretary who informed me there were complaints that we played a ‘ringer who was a Scottish senior international’ in our weekend fixture.
“I told him not to be daft and that somebody was just picking on us because we were a team from across the water in Fife and that we had won 6-0.
“The league secretary replied that ‘he thought as much’ – and we didn’t hear any more about the matter.”
Lisa Taylor sent in this wonderful photo.
She said: “We came across this photo of Shamrock FC from season 1929-30.
“My grandad Colin Taylor (born 1913, died 1977) is in the front row to the left of the ball.
“He was called Constantine (but known as Colin) and was brought up in the Blackness Road area of Dundee.
“He was employed as a chargehand toolmaker at NCR.
“I thought it might be something Blether with Brown might be interested in?”
It certainly is and, if any other reader knows anything more about Colin or this side, please get in touch.
Football players, managers and staff are always sought for quotes by the media. I’m continuing to share some of them with you.
Scotland midfielder Paul Lambert said of the 1998 France World Cup Finals squad: “The players I played with at that time were excellent.
“They were better, maybe, than we thought.
“Maybe had we won or drawn against Brazil, we would have been famous.”
https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/steven-graham-forfar-brechin-cowdenbeath-dundee-twin-brother-malcolm-blether-with-brown/
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.