The Dundee v Celtic game of the 1947-48 season continues to create comment.
However, Rob Boag diversifies: “These Dundee v Celtic articles nudged my memory back to 1994 when the city of Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada, hosted a Scottish festival.
“Amidst the festivities was a football tournament.
“The teams participating were Aberdeen, Celtic, Hearts and Montreal Impact.
“One of my brothers is friends with a Mulhearn family from Glasgow, and Dr Jack Mulhearn was the Celtic doctor in 1994.
“After a few phone calls to my brother and Dr Mulhearn, arrangements were made for me and my son Robbie, who was 16 at the time, and his pal Ian May to meet Dr Mulhearn at the Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton, where the matches were to be played.
“This was the home of the Hamilton Tiger Cats Canadian football team.
“The date of the game was Sunday, May 22, and it was Celtic v Hearts.
“Dr Jack Mulhearn is a cordial, pleasant man, who steered us through security and into Celtic’s dressing-room.
“He introduced the boys to the team as Canadian football fans.
“John Collins then came over, shook our hands and introduced the boys to the players.
“Autographs were scribbled and, before leaving the dressing-room, I met Lou Macari, who had a brief spell that season as Celtic’s manager.
Rob, a regular contributor to BwB, went on: “Outside Celtic’s dressing-room, Dr Mulhearn asked if I would like to meet Mo Johnston.
“I replied: ‘Of course’.
“The doctor then went over to Hearts’ dressing-room, stuck his head in the door and called in: ‘Mo, there’s a couple of young Canadian lads who want to meet you’.
“In less than a minute, Johnston stepped out in his socks and underwear.
“He shook hands with us, and asked the boys if they played the game.
“The youngsters told him which team they played for, and Mo said: ‘Haud oan a minute’.
“He headed back into the dressing-room and, within a short time, came out with a couple of footballs.
“Autographs were written on them before he gave the balls to the lads and wished them all the best.
“I again met Mo several times in 2007 when he was back in Canada as manager of Toronto FC.
“A section of Celtic supporters slagged Johnston during the game but it didn’t phase him one bit.
“Celtic beat Hearts on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
“It was a scorcher that day, the temperature around 100 degrees on the astroturf playing surface.
“I was also impressed with the skill and workrate of a young Celtic player named Simon Donnelly.
“For the record, Celtic went on to win the tournament, beating Aberdeen 1-0 in the final.”
* A FAMILY discussion prompted Dan Cameron to write to BwB.
“On the back of an old newspaper photograph I have, there are the words . . . ‘Centre-half Jim Easton will know of his European ban soon after being sent off’.
“The shape of the photograph cut off the rest of the article.
Dan, from Downfield, Dundee, concluded: “Jim played in Dundee’s great run in the Fairs Cup in 1967-68 but I can’t remember him being sent off.”
Jim Easton played in five of Dundee’s eight games as the Dark Blues reached the last four of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
Dundee’s opponents were DWS Amsterdam, Royal Liege (Belgium), FC Zurich and Leeds United.
Easton stayed on the park for the full 90 minutes in all these games.
However, he was sent off when playing for Hibs in the Fairs Cup against Red Star Belgrade in season 1961-62.
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