Ken Drummond, president of Perth’s Letham Football Club, recently came up with details of a Perthshire Juveniles U/16 League Cup tie which was played on January 11, 1969.
The venue was the Fair City’s South Inch, with home side Roselea facing Letham.
Letham won 4-2 but what makes the game notable is that both goalkeepers went on to play in England’s top division.
Ken states: “Our keeper that day was Jake Findlay, who left us soon afterwards for Aston Villa, where he not only played in the old English First Division but also in Europe for them.
Jake also went on to serve Luton Town and Swindon.
And he was in the Luton team the day they escaped the drop to the Second Division with their manager David Pleat famously charging on to the pitch to hug his players after they had escaped the drop at Manchester City.
“The Roselea goalie was Jim Blyth, who soon left them to sign for Preston before going on to play for Coventry and Scotland. He was also a goalkeeping coach with Celtic among the teams he worked for.
“Both of them were in cracking form that day, with Jake saving a penalty in Letham’s 4-2 win.
“Before leaving for down south, both lads were involved in the Perthshire squad to play Fife at East Fife’s Bayview on April 19 of that year.
“That Perthshire squad also included Ross Jenkins, from Letham, who went on to sign for St Johnstone, and three Tayside players, who also went senior Bobby Smeaton signing for Dundee and Dave Cochrane and Brian Sampson going to St Johnstone.”
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