The request by a schoolgirl reader was simply put.
Not by email, text or other electronic means but a simple hand-written note without any address, telephone number or other means of communication.
She simply signed herself ‘Kate’, and pleaded: “Help me find information about my grandad’s football team.”
She didn’t mention her grandad’s name or even give her own surname, and continued: “My late grandad was forever going on about a great football team he played for in the 1960s called Westgrove Albion.
“Over the years, he’d lost all the pictures and other information he had.
“So can you please help me with all your knowledge of football to find something about them so I can show all my pals at school.”
The only photo which emerged from our archives is the one of the team, which I also remember as being very successful in the 1960s, and the photo backs that up with two trophies on display.
The photo was taken at Riverside with a backdrop of Magdalen Yard Road.
Perhaps Kate may be able to pick out her grandad in this one.
BwB has already featured this photo of Westgrove Albion in an article in 2005. And I received quite a number of replies from well-known local amateur and junior footballers. I’ll now gladly repeat these for the benefit of Kate and any new readers.
Broughty Ferry’s Billy McLardy said: “They won everything locally in the early 1960s.
“My brother-in-law Dave Duncan was a stalwart in the team for many years. He used to take me with him to many of their games.
“The team used to strip in a derelict tenement at the top of Shepherd’s Loan, and used to enjoy a drink afterwards in the Campbeltown Bar.
“They had some really great players in the team, although skipper Bill Rennie and Jackie McGlashan are missing from the photo above.’’
This photo above is from 1967-68 when Westgrove reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Amateur Cup. The trophies on display are not listed but I would assume it is the league shield and either the Angus Challenge Cup or the Thomson Trophy, which were the two main cups played for at that time.
Jim Docherty said at the time: “There’s a good wee story regarding Willie McDonald.
“I was playing for St Mungo’s when we drew 3-3 against Westgrove at The Coup (Riverside) on a winter’s day, and underfoot was brick hard.
“Willie played the game in his suede shoes. He had unbelieveable ability.’’
A few weeks after the original photo appeared, Willie came on to relate his own Westgrove tale.
“This was the team which won the North of Tay Cup that season, and there’s a good story about that particular final,” he said.
“We played Wellbank in the final, which went ahead at Foxhall Park, Coupar Angus. We were a pretty poor team financially and didn’t have two halfpennies to rub together. Consequently, we didn’t have any money to buy anything to fill the cup with when we won.
“Wellbank were very confident of winning going into the final and, indeed, had their celebrations all lined up at the Wellbank village hall.
“They then invited us all the Westgrove players, committee and supporters back to the hall and we had our celebrations alongside the losing team.
“You don’t often hear that and it was a magnificent gesture by Wellbank. It was a great night.’’
Alan Strachan, who was sitting behind the league shield in the photo, told the same Wellbank tale.
“My wife still can’t believe that actually happened it would never happen nowadays,’’ said Alan, who, ironically, later lived in the village.
“Probably the best player in that team was Martin Scott, who wasn’t in the photo.
“I’m sure he had trials and a spell with East Fife in the 1960s.’’
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.