In response to a plea from former Dundee FC owner Peter Marr for information on his uncle James Houston came the following: “I had a quick look on archive websites but found nothing about Jim Houston and Everton,” said Donald Gellatly.
“However, there was a bit more about James Houston (Harris Academy) playing schoolboy football, including the attached team photograph (left) from December 1936.
“I also found some match reports that mention a Houston, who was a left-winger, turned left-back with East Craigie in 1949 and 1950.
“However, I can’t prove he was the same lad who played schoolboy football in 1935-36.”
The photo above is Dundee Schoolboy footballers, presumably U/15, who beat Montrose Academy at Tannadice in December 1935.
The caption on the back of the photo does not confirm if it is listing a back row and front row.
However, if it is, it will read: Back row (from left) — David Rae (Rockwell), William Landman (Grove), Alex Matthew (Rockwell), Earle Downie (Logie), Harry Bowland (St John’s), Robert Paul (Stobswell).
Front row — George Brannan (St John’s), John Lorimer (Grove), Thomas Eggo (Grove), John Smith (St John’s) and James Houston (Harris).
* Reader Matt Howieson reckons Dundee were one of the richest clubs in the country in the late 1950s.
“Around the time they sold Bill Brown to Tottenham Hotspur, another player also left Dens for a large fee,” he recalled.
“However, I can’t remember who the other player was.
“Dundee were getting decent gates at the time and these two transfer fees certainly swelled the club’s coffers greatly.”
Brown joined Spurs in June 1959 for £15,000 — then a record fee for a Scottish goalkeeper.
Two months earlier, Davie Sneddon had joined Preston North End for £12,000 — pretty decent money in those days.
They could have had another, too, around the same time as they turned down a £16,500 bid from an un-named club for Alan Cousin.
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