My plea for stories about the legendary North End Fives was quickly answered by Arthur Smith.
“I was working in a wee printing office with Angus Adam when he half-jokingly asked if we should get a five-man team up and running for the North End Fives,” opened Arthur.
“Angus said his brother Ali and his mate would take us up to four.
“I said OK and offered to ask my great (late) mate Jackie Shields to make up the team, which he reluctantly agreed to do.
“However, like me, his enthusiasm soon grew when we heard we were drawn against the holders Harp.
“We’d both played for the Beechwood club not long previously.
“We were playing under a name which was a date in Scotland history (which I can’t remember . . . maybe the 1450 Club?), Harp were unaware of our team.
“Anyway, they scored within 30 seconds but we equalised soon after.
“It was heading towards extra time when I forced a match-winning corner.
“As it happened, Angus had entered us in the Kirrie Fives, which were run at the same time. Twice we went there after winning our North End matches and won.
“The third time, though, Angus had to get our North End game switched to 7pm to allow us to get to Kirrie later on and a quarter-final.
“However, when we won that North End tie, we were told that other ties had to be played that night meaning we’d played and won four games that evening in very warm conditions.
“A few nights later, we beat Lochee Renton 4-2 not long after they’d won the Scottish Cup. Not bad for a side scraped together just five players and no subs.”
Brian Christie also fondly remembers the NE Fives.
“I used to go to them every night,” he remembered. “It was great fun and a good laugh at times. However, some teams took it for real.
“I once put a team in called the Mighty Midgets.
“We played three, won two and lost the third so did not bad.
“However, we really enjoyed it at the time.
“I remember the winners got a tea-set, with the runners-up getting a cutlery set.
“Those were the days . . . bring them back!”
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