It was good to hear once again from Alex Bruce, a former neighbour of mine in my early days growing up in Douglas, Dundee.
Alex, though, is better known as the young Fintry Youth Club player who went on to Preston North End and had a long career in English football.
He also enjoyed a big-money move to Newcastle and ended up back at Deepdale.
He opened: “I was speaking to a friend of mine recently and it brought to mind your excellent article on developing our football skills with a tennis ball on the concrete in the playground at Morgan Academy.
“I can recall being up at 5.30am for a milk round in Douglas, which I really enjoyed, then back home for a couple of rolls before then catching the bus to school to meet up with great mates Ally Penman, Billy Gibson, Mike Kerwin et al for a game of football around 8am.
“My friend coaches at a Premier League academy in the north-west of England.
“He was telling me that young players in their early teens, when they sign on at the academy, are put in a private school. They are picked up and taken home each day to school and training by taxi. These youngsters also have their own meals prepared for them at training, have all their kit washed and laid out for them every day, and then have most of their training sessions on video and analysed with the coach!
“Give me a tennis ball and a game on a concrete pitch any day.
“Happy memories.”
The photo above is Alex’s Morgan Academy U/15 team from 1967. Back row (from left) Eddie Duguid, Brian Walker, Derek Strichen, Mike Kerwin, Ally Wilson, Mike Crooks, Alan Kelly.
Front Frank Blues, Davie Dodds, Ally Penman, Alex Bruce, Alan Penhale, Billy Gibson, Bob Blyth.
In addition to Alex, there are many on his photo I know.
Derek Strichen was a good friend at school, while Mike Kerwin was a team-mate in the Douglas Amateurs’ side which won several honours in the early 1980s.
Ally Wilson is currently mine host at the Longforgan Coaching Inn, while Alan Kelly also stayed in the same street.
Indeed, Alan went on to be very successful in business with Kelly’s Copiers.
Although I always reckoned Alan to be a Dundee United fan, Kelly’s Copiers were, at one time, shirts sponsors for Dundee FC.
Frank Blues, if memory serves me right, played junior football for Carnoustie Panmure, while I still see Billy Gibson around every now and then.
Ally Penman was a colleague in DC Thomson for many years and, indeed, we were sitting together just last year on a flight to Barcelona sharing many memories over vastly-overpriced drinks on the plane.
Bob Blyth, of course, is a regular contributor and has previously spoken of his admiration for Alex
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