Ged Kelly’s excellent memories of the famous North End Fives in Dundee was featured on January 27.
However, the tale had one major flaw.
Ged waxed lyrical about the ‘late Willie O’Neill’.
However, it turns out it’s far too early to say ‘late’ as Willie is very much alive.
His niece Maureen Morton said: “We had a right good laugh when we read in BwB of the ‘late Willie O’Neill’.
“He is still very much alive at the grand old age of 97.
“He stays in sheltered housing in Bruce Street in Dundee.”
Maureen, from Harestane Road, continued: “Ged was right, though, about him being a great character.
“One of my earliest memories was being taken up to North End Park by my dad and Uncle Willie would be bellowing out instructions on a loudspeaker.
“In his working years, he worked in Gow’s Gun Shop in Union Street.”
David O’Neill, another member of Willie’s family, also responded.
He said: “I also remember being taken, as a small boy, to the North End Fives by my father David, the brother of Willie the timekeeper.
“I seem to remember Willie’s other brother Tom assisting him by announcing the teams on to the park with a hand-held megaphone.
“This was often done with some witty and sarcastic remarks directed towards the players.
“Ged Kelly and your readers might be interested to know that Willie is, in fact, still alive. He is the last remaining member of a family of five brothers and a sister.
“He was a great servant to North End over the years and he can still be seen out and about at the grand age of 97 on the streets of the Hilltown area, where he lives.”
Meanwhile, BwB, it seems, has a relatively-new reader in Alex Campbell, who has recently came back to Dundee after living away for some time.
“Recently, I returned to Dundee, having lived in England for many years,” said Alex.
“I have been reading BwB and your articles and memories from the days of the North End Fives.
“I recall that, in the days before computers, iPads, mobile phones, etc, we all went out after school to play football in the ‘backies’, where games would be played all evening.
“Sometimes teams would consist of 15-20 players on each side.
“I would not be exaggerating to say, as well as some gifted footballers who never joined a club, the levels of fitness on show were outstanding.
“I recall suggesting we enter a side in the North End Fives and mistakenly thought there was a junior section junior as in youngsters.
“I rounded up a team of 15-17-year-olds and was horrified to discover we had entered with the senior junior teams. I recall our team was called Stewed Ants (students) On Toast’ and we went along to give it a go.
“It was testament to our fitness in the main (and a bit of football skill) to find ourselves in the final of the famous competition, having despatched several fancied junior teams I believe. We lost narrowly in the final but were so proud of receiving a canteen of cutlery as a reward for our efforts.
“This was a great effort for some young lads mostly from the Mid Craigie area whose passion was to play football no matter what their abilities and achieve a decent level of fitness without training as such.
“How things have changed since the late 1960s and early 70s. Great memories.”
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