Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Billy still meets up with some of his ‘young’ players – 50 years on
remember it was me who brought Dave Baikie, who scored many goals under Billy Grier, into junior football.
“We were pals and he was playing for a BB team, while I was at Broughty with you.
“I brought him up to training one night and manager Tommy Mackle, the former Dundee and Forfar Athletic winger, liked what he saw and signed him. Not a bad decision considering what he went on to achieve.”
Derek also turned out for other junior clubs such as North End and Carnoustie Panmure.
Bobby Blackley enthused: “That was a great bit you did on Billy Grier and his brothers. My brother
Colin, in Melbourne, Australia, loved it. They were way ahead of their time.”
Colin Blackley was a Dundee ‘S’ signing and played for a very successful Celtic Boys Club.
He was capped for the Scotland U15 Schoolboys, and also at U16 level.
On X (formerly
Twitter), ‘mikeyboy’ said: “Loved the mini series on Willie Grier. Fantastic.”
■ QUITE a number of readers of this column who were involved in amateur football in the city will have come across Freddie Butcher.
The amiable Freddie, who recently passed away aged 79, was a well-known referee in the lower league circles for quite a number of decades, and was liked by everyone, due mostly to his cheery smile and calm demeanour. Indeed, he was still officiating games into his 70s.
He also, for a time earlier in his life, coached a few local football teams, such as Broughty United and East End Athletic.
He was born in Dundee and, having spent a few years of his early life in London, supported Fulham. Up here, his city preference was Dundee.
In the time I knew him, he was a bank manager, but he also tried his hand as a publican. In the broader football circles, guys like Freddie are few and far between, and he will be sadly missed.