Ged Kelly, of Wellbank, also ‘fondly’ remembers the North End Fives (BwB, Dec 2 and Jan 20).
“I remember the North End Fives very fondly, and it was a big revenue for the Dokens,” he opened.
“Two weeks of Monday to Friday evening games, with the finals on the last Saturday.
“The Saturday finals days included highland dancing, cycling races around the park, and long-distance races which were all well supported and were followed by the fives finals.
“The North End Fives were split into various categories amateurs/pub teams, juveniles and juniors.
“The amateurs/pub category was the hardest to win because of the amount of entries.
“A player could play in only one category with one notable exception… Butch!
“Butch would turn up at the fives straight from his work as a coalman, all black-faced and with the sweat pouring out of him.
“He was a real ‘Dundee Worthy’.
“The late Willie O’Neill was the time-keeper and, from his seat in the old clubhouse, would start and end games with a hand-held bell.
“Willie would also look out for players who were playing more than once.
“He would ‘caution’ Butch but maybe only after his third appearance a decision well received by the usually large crowds.
“I recall North End keeping a spare set of jerseys for sides without.
“They seemed to be from the 1920s and made from something like heavy wool.
“By the time the second team to wear them put them on, the strips must have weighed a ton.
“Another great character from the fives was Coby Crerar. He was a Mid Craigie maestro, whose team always did well, despite him being a couple of stones overweight… or ‘slightly portly’ as some put it.
“Coby oozed class without covering too much ground.
“Come to think of it, if the rules were minimum weight 13st and maximum height 5ft 2in, they would have been world-beaters!
“I was lucky to be in a winning junior team in 1955-56 called The Teenagers, with a canteen of cutlery as the prize.
“Happy days.”
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