The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Author taken aback by Dundee’s love of Gillie
LEGEND: Biography on Dark Blues’ record goalscorer Gilzean now in paperback
He struck nine times in the European Cup for Dundee, outscoring the great Eusebio, after firing the Dark Blues to their first ever top division title.
It’s fair to say Alan Gilzean is more than a legend at Dens Park, he’s the king.
That might be the moniker given to him by adoring Tottenham fans but it certainly applies to his time with the Dark Blues.
He was once described as British football’s most famous recluse due to his disappearance from the limelight for 30 years after hanging up his boots, and that only increased the element of mystery surrounding the great striker.
Remarkably, Gilzean’s re-emergence came with a rock ‘n’ roll twist thanks to Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson’s love of the Dee.
The making of the legend, though, is very much tied to the City of Discovery and is chronicled in The King Of Dens Park, an authorised biography by Mike Donovan, which comes out in paperback on Monday.
Though a lifelong Spurs fan, Donovan admits to being taken aback by the love that remains for Gilzean in his home town of Coupar Angus and, of course, Dundee.
Having watched the elegant Gilzean play in Tottenham white, the author told Courier Sport: “I found it illuminating writing the book, not so much from his Tottenham days but the love he’s held in up in Dundee.
“I went up to talk to people and drove around Coupar Angus, where he grew up, and the fondness and level of respect for him was incredible.
“You see his stats – 169 goals in 190 games for Dundee – and you think ‘that’s pretty impressive’ but go round and speak to people who personally knew him and you realise what kind of a person he was.
“Nobody had a bad word to say about him, he was held in such high esteem and not just because he is Dundee’s greatest ever player.
“I was personally interested in the Spurs angle but it’s incredible to be a club legend at two different clubs. And he was a nice guy as well.
“I found the most interesting parts by a distance came from his story in Scotland.”
Much of that love came from the football club itself, with even current players more than happy to talk about the man whose impact is still felt within the walls at Dens.
First-team right-back Cammy Kerr, who has reached 161 appearances for his beloved Dark Blues, was more than pleased to help out with the book.
Donovan added: “I also spoke to some people involved with Dundee at the moment. In particular, rightback Cammy Kerr was fantastic, his knowledge of the club was incredible and he said he thought they should name the new stadium after him.”
In his later years before his death in 2018, Gilzean returned to the limelight to accept a place in both Dundee’s and Scotland’s Hall of Fame.
He scored 169 goals in 190 games for club and 12 goals in 22 matches for country.
His former Spurs team-mates, though, would still joke of ‘Where’s Gillie?’ instead of ‘Where’s Wally?’ Step in Snow Patrol. Donovan added: “When anybody spoke to Gillie he was more interested in them rather than talking about what he did as a footballer.
“I don’t think he liked adulation particularly – he knew he was good but wanted to be treated normal, just like everyone else.
“When he went to London, all his friends weren’t in football or the public eye. Then he disappeared off the face of the map for 30 years and nobody knew where he was.
“There were rumours and things but he just didn’t want to be a public figure. Even the clubs wondered where he was.
“That gave me motivation to do the book because there was something of a mystery about him and no one quite knew why he disappeared from the limelight.
“I was lucky enough to speak to (former Tottenham goalkeeper) Pat Jennings about the book and Jennings helped Gilzean get back in the fold.
“In fact, it was Snow Patrol’s keyboard player at the time, Tom Simpson, who played matchmaker.
“He was on a golf day and met Jennings and told him he was going to see one of Jennings’ old pals in a week or two at Dens Park. I think Gillie was a guest of the club that day.
“So Jennings told Simpson to pass on his number if he met Gilzean and after 30 years they were back in touch.
“After that Gillie was reunited with his old friend Jimmy Greaves as well.”
Gilzean was then inducted into the Tottenham Hall of Fame in 2013 after winning the 1967 FA Cup, two League Cups and the 1972 Uefa Cup during his time at White Hart Lane.
He scored 27 goals as Dundee won the title for the only time in their history in 1961-62 before striking nine goals, including two hat-tricks, in their run to the European Cup semi-finals.
The club’s all-time top scorer’s goal in the 1-0 win over AC Milan in the second leg at Dens Park, in front of 35,169 fans, remains the Dark Blues’ last in Europe’s premier competition.