Swedish professionals were too strong for council team

A Stirling Observer reader sent in these photos but was too shy to reveal his name.

He was at pains to point out, however, he didn’t take the pictures - the snapper cut out the keeper in the team photo but thankfully, he appears in the other photo.

The picture shows Stirling Hawthorn which was run by Ian Masson and was almost entirely a Stirling District Council summer team.

Back row: Hughie Mcdonald (Central Regional Council Roads Dept. and right winger in Cambusbarron’s first two Scottish Amateur Cup Final victories in 1968 and 1969); Ronnie Beveridge (CRC Roads Dept. and Denny Westpark); Ronnie Boyd (Richardson and Starling, Borrowmeadow Road. Stirling).

Ronnie had a career in junior football, playing with Boness, Steelend Victoria, Dunipace, Newburgh (scoring 60+ goals in 2 seasons), Sauchie, Clackmannan and Tulliallan, winning the Fife Cup at East End Park, beating Glenrothes 4-3 in the final and scoring two of the goals.

He was also selected for Scotland Juniors against Glenrothes at the opening of their new ground, Warout Stadium and played in a Fife Select against a Scottish Junior Select, which included Celtic and Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish (Cumbernauld United). In 1972, when

Ronnie signed for Sauchie Juniors his transfer fee was £200, which was a fair sum in those days.

Beside Ronnie in the pic is Peter Mcintyre (Stirling District Council Architects) and Ian Kenny (CRC IT).

Front row: Ian “Tiger” Bone from Cambusbarron, who played with Stirling Arcadians and Stirling High School FPS and was an expert at nutmegging opponents; Ian Masson from Bridge Of Allan, manager, and captain of the side (SDC Architects); Farquhar Mclean from Doune (Denny Westpark, Stirling HSFPS); Allan Gillies (SDC Libraries, Dunipace Thistle, Glencarron Ams., Denny Westpark Amateurs, Stirling HSFPS and Clackmannan Juniors); Neil Francis (CRC Architects, Stirling HSFPS),

Missing from the pic is keeper Richard Gondek who is in the other photo with Ronnie Boyd and Allan Gillies.

The photo was taken around 1979 when Stirling Hawthorn played Svendborg, a professional football team from Denmark, at the Haws Park, Bridge of Allan.

The local lads were soundly defeated 7-0 by their fitter and more talented opponents. Svendborg had travelled to Scotland to play friendlies and train at Stirling University.

The local team had a small crumb of comfort, however, when they defeated Svendborg 7-6 on penalties, at the end of the match.