As I’d hoped, Dave Goldie answered the call.
The photo of the Huntly United U/27 Juvenile side which reached the Scottish Cup Final was featured in our December 3 issue.
Policeman Dave ran the side and had some great success.
Dave, now 85, said: “When I had to give up football with the police team due to knee trouble, I, along with Joe Grant, started up the Huntly United team for 12-year-old boys in the Craigie and Douglas area of Dundee.
“Joe worked with DC Thomson in their Kingsway branch.
“We had these same boys playing for us all through the years until 18, when we took them into the adult league — the Dundee and District U/27 Juvenile League.
“Stewart Heaton was the team captain and was a great-nephew of Henry Morris, of East Fife and Scotland.
“Stewart and Derek Brough eventually signed for Osborne after Stewart was released as an S signing from Dundee.
“We also had great assistance in running the team from Jim Gaffney, who was the father of Chris, another of our players.”
Reaching the final of the Scottish Cup was a “great achievement”, according to Dave.
“We were never expected to do as well as that,” recalled Dave.
“Indeed, when I phoned in the score of our semi-final against Rosslyn Sport in Aberdeen, on hearing it was 2-1, match secretary Jimmy Johnstone said: ‘Hard lines, Dave, never mind’.
“He was flabbergasted when I told him we had actually won the match 2-1.
“It was an all-Dundee final as we came up against a brilliant Fairfield side, run by Joe McFadyen.
“The final was played over two legs at Beechwood Park and North End Park and I really can’t remember the actual scorelines.
“However, I do recall we were well beaten!”
Dave, who lives in the Gotterstone area of Dundee, continued with a couple of amusing tales.
He continued: “As I’ve previously said, Stewart Heaton was our captain and a very good player. He signed for Dundee as an S signing and things seemed to be going well.
“So much so that he was told he was going on a tour of Holland.
“His proud mum took him down town and kitted him out with new clothes for the trip.
“A couple of days later, two letters arrived at the Heaton household.
“The first one said he would not now be going on tour, and the other letter a day later informed him he was being released.
“Both letters were signed by club chairman Ian Gellatly.
“Huntly had a cup final soon after and I alerted several senior clubs of Stewart’s availability.
“Senior managers and scouts — including Dundee United’s Jim McLean — turned up for the match.
“Also there was Dundee coach Hugh Robertson.
“Hugh asked the others why they were there and, on hearing they were watching Stewart, said that he was a Dundee player.
“He was then told Stewart had been released.
“Neither Hugh or his manager Davie White knew this had happened.
“Seemingly, the chairman had decided to run down the youth system but hadn’t told his senior coaching staff.”
Another of Dave’s tales concerned Jim Gaffney.
“Jim was a great guy and a real club man,” said Dave.
“When we played our home games at Drumgeith Park, the pitch was close to the Dighty Burn.
“Occasionally, the ball would end up in the burn and it was quite hazardous trying to retrieve it.
“Jim came up with a great idea.
“He got hold of an old fishing net and put it on the end of a massive metal rod.
“The sight on match days of Jim walking up with this massive net and rod was really funny.
“But it seemed to work OK as we never had any problems after that with getting our ball back.”
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