Blether with Brown: Some west coast clubs DID take part

Coming out in support of a recent claim by Charlie Walker is Larry King, of Lochee, Dundee.

“I can confirm Charlie Walker’s claim in BwB on December 20 that a large number of west of Scotland clubs didn’t take part when Violet won the Scottish Junior Cup in 1929.

“Several years ago, I asked a question in a letter to the Tele’s Sporting Postbag and this answer was published on May 3, 2005.

In 1929, the year Violet won the Scottish Cup, relationships between mainly west of Scotland clubs, the Scottish Junior FA and the Scottish FA were soured.

This centred around arrangements when a player stepped up to senior level, and the compensation involved.

Consequently, over 100 junior clubs refused to enter the national competition that season.

The final itself was also tinged with controversy.

The Pansies beat Denny Hibs 2-0 in the final at Tynecastle.

However, the Stirlingshire outfit successfully protested that Violet right-winger John Nelson was a signed Dundee FC player.

The game was replayed at Tynecastle in Edinburgh and finished 2-2.

The third game went ahead at Dens Park and Violet were 4-0 winners.

Denny protested again this time that another Violet player, Pryde, was also on Dundee’s retained list.

However, they were unsuccessful and the trophy came to Glenesk Park.

Larry concluded: “I hope this clears things up.

“By the way, I’ve known Charlie Walker for about 60 years and I’ve never known him to be wrong yet!”

Charlie’s original correspondence to this column stated . . . ‘West of Scotland sides did not take part in the competition that year’.

This put across the view that NO west clubs participated.

I then merely pointed out that two of the semi-finalists were from the west coast (Lanarkshire).

The pertinent definition that Larry uses . . . ‘a large number of west of Scotland clubs didn’t take part’ and the reply ‘over 100’ obviously left the door open for some to take part in the Scottish Cup that particular season.