Alex Connolly – Spiders legend with a near 60-year involvement

remained in that post until stepping down around 1980, marking a 50-60 year involvement.”

Bruce continued: “During this period, he notably oversaw the ground move to its current home in Balgowan Avenue, his bitter opposition to the formation of the Tayside Junior League and, latterly, the creation of the social club.

“A legion of players passed under his wing and, although the 1958 picture is a bit early for me, I do vividly recall the household names of the late 1960s, with stalwarts such as David Wilkie, Davie Fisher, Bruce Reid, Junior Buchanan and Jimmy Gray to mention but a few.”

On another theme,

Bruce went on: “I mentioned a second point of interest.

“It involves referee Bob Valentine, who has been mentioned in BwB in recent issues.

“Around the late

1960s, Bob was making his way up the referring ladder and I clearly recall, with the introduction of the Tayside League involving trips to the farflung edges of Angus, it was not uncommon for Bob to hitch a ride on the team bus.

“I remember him always sitting at the front and I suspect he may have been a little more nervous about the return journey depending on how the game had gone!”

Bruce concluded by enclosing a photo (above, right) which can only be described thus – magnificent!

He offered: “My grandfather worked in the Caledon Shipyard his entire career and I attach a picture from 1918 with him sitting in the front row, first on the left.”

n WHETHER it is a short or long tale, there have been a number of different bizarre stories down the years. The following, I’m assured, is true . . .

Lazio midfielder Luciano Re Cecconi’s sense of humour was his downfall. In 1978, he walked into a Rome jewellery shop and shouted ‘Stop! This is a robbery.’ The shop owner shot Cecconi, who died trying to explain the joke.