Kenny Gorthy was delighted and overwhelmed by the response to his Linlathen story on February 18.
“The feedback has been tremendous,” opened Kenny.“I have had emails and texts from loads of boys and the original manager Dave Murray got in touch after seeing it in Australia!
“He is coming home in June, so the reunion will, hopefully, take place then.
“A lot of guys who didn’t even play for us have said that it was great to see a story about a team in the mid-80s, in which they could relate to a lot of the players mentioned.
“One thing that was mentioned by a few boys (including a couple of old foes) was the fact I did not mention the epic Scottish Cup game when we played our near-neighbours and fierce rivals Midmill Swifts from the afternoon league (Sunday Welfare AFA).
“Tales of this game still get mentioned to this day. There were a couple of players who had played for both teams.
“Sammy Hamilton, Alan McGivney and brothers Grant, Graham and Ally Gordon were some who fell into this category. On the day of the game, Sammy played for his beloved Swifts while the Gordon brothers stayed with Linlathen.
“Alan picked up a pre-match ‘mystery’ injury, as I remember, so he sat it out!” laughed Kenny.
The background to this game was what made it so competitive, as Kenny continued: “Both sets of players had grown up in housing schemes which backed on to each other (Linlathen/Mid Craigie/Midmill) and they were all on the ‘correct side of the water’ (Dighty).
“So everyone pretty much knew everyone else, plus, back in the bad old ‘gang’ days, the Linlathen Hula and The Mid were maybe foes but were still able to share a community centre (The Hub) without any kola cubes or vimto ever being spilled in anger.
“They kept to their side of the hall and we kept to ours.
‘Pre-match mystery injury’
“Even when the original Hub shut down (Linlathen High School annexe) and the new one opened at the bottom of Pitkerro Road and bang in bandit country, Midmill we were still able to share the venue.
“Linlathen’s Jim Smith even used to get to bring his Northern Soul records along on a Tuesday night, although I’m not convinced that Kung Fu Fighting was strictly Northern Soul.
“But it seemed as long as John Spink asked for it, it was deemed OK to play. Well, it was either that or the Happy Days theme tune!
“A few years on, and this still existing ‘ friendly rivalry’ was pushed to the limit when the two teams came out of the hat in the Scottish Cup in that 1981-82 season.
“The game was at the Swifts’ home stadium (Drumgeith Park) and the referee was meant to be the legendary Wullie ‘The Pitch Is Playable’ Reilly.
“However, his loyalties would have been severely stretched, so he was ruled out!”
Kenny recalled that a huge crowd was present at the game, with some fans still sporting the old gang coloured jerseys from the shop in Victoria Road.
“The game itself was pretty competitive with Linlathen’s Sammy Samson being red-carded,” continued Kenny.
“Sammy got involved in the noble art of fighting with Midmill’s Jim McKenzie but I’m not sure if Mr McKenzie was also red-carded.
“Some people reckon this feud had festered since The Hub had a table football competition, which Sammy won.
“The tackles were flying in and, in between the shouts of ‘Hula Rule’ or ‘Mid Ye Bass’, there was actually some decent football played with the aforementioned Sammy pinging one in the top corner from 35 yards before he disgraced himself and the team with his sending-off.
“Once the dust had settled the final score was Midmill Swifts 1 Linlathen 3.
“The Linlathen team that day was picked from the previously-mentioned players, while I am reliably informed from Alan McGivney (who went on to manage Swifts) that they had the following squad Joe and Stevie Stewart, Jim McKenzie, Ged Laing, Frankie McGuire, Charlie Buchan, Peter Heggie, Peter Anderson, Gordon Thompson, Graham Mollison, Brian Sellars, Bob Wild, Kevin Weir, Keith Milne (brother of Dundee United’s Ralph) Ali Strachan, Bob Rice, Geordie Breen, Jim Gallacher, Sammy Hamilton and Grant Cushnie. Committee men were Tam McKay, Bob Shand and Kenny Thompson.
“After the game, Swifts went back to The Longhaugh Hotel for refreshments, while the Linlathen boys headed for the Dockers Club.
“This ‘special’ game was resurrected and replayed in 1992 at the Maryfield all-weather pitch and then it was on to The Unicorn public house for a charity karaoke evening to help raise funds for young Tommy McKay.
“The game and the event were well attended and the night was a great success. Alan recalls that Linlathen won the football again but the Swifts won the singing!”
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