Stripes from an ex-hoop caused friendly confusion
The football calendar has changed a lot over the years.
There were still friendlies being played on August 5, 1961, and many of them were trial matches.
Clubs would open the gates for a clash between their likely first team and the reserves.
Some games saw the line-ups being described by the shirts they were wearing.
For example, Celtic would have the greens playing the whites, Partick Thistle had the stripes facing the blues and Airdrie fielded the diamonds against the reds.
Dunfermline’s trial was delayed that year because they were in Northern Ireland for a game where shirt colour became a problem.
The Pars had agreed to face Coleraine because of an old Celtic connection.
Jock Stein had just led the Fife club to victory in the Scottish Cup, and his former Parkhead team-mate, Bertie Peacock, was the new boss of the Bannsiders.
His first move was highly unusual for a man who had spent many years playing in hoops.
Peacock replaced Coleraine’s blue-and-white hooped shirts with a striped version.
That caused confusion when they faced Dunfermline’s black-and-white stripes.
The game had to be stopped after 10 minutes and a new set of blue jerseys was produced.
The home team spent a couple of minutes changing on the pitch.
The lowly Irish side then gave the Pars a good game and took a lot of credit from only losing the match 2-1.
One of the men who played in two jerseys that afternoon was Scottish winger, Billy Horn.
He said: “It was the only time I ever had to change kit during a match.
“Although we were praised for the result, it was only a friendly and our team were trying hard to make an impression.
“Dunfermline were a top side under Jock Stein.
“I’m sure they didn’t lose too much sleep about the performance.”
Billy was playing in Northern Ireland after being released by Kilmarnock.
He went on: “I signed on at Rugby Park at the same time as Joe Mcbride.
“They finished second in the league and reached the Scottish Cup Final during my time there, but I only played a handful of games for the first team.
“I did my National Service in the RAF and was given a temporary transfer to Brentford.
“Their manager was Malcolm Macdonald, who had signed me for Kilmarnock.
“I played against Celtic in a game to mark the opening of new floodlights at Griffin Park.
“I knew quite a few of the Celtic players and we won 2-0.
“At school, I had played in a team with Pat Crerand at left-half, me at inside left and Charlie Gallagher on the left wing.
“I was the one that didn’t go on to a team that won the European Cup!
“During my time in the RAF, we played against England, most of my team-mates were with clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United.
“I went to Coleraine and they then sold me to Bangor, where Charlie Tully was manager.
“I flew over on a Saturday and trained with Third Lanark in Glasgow during the week.
Billy, now 80, had a couple of spells playing for Thirds and a short stint with Dumbarton.
In season 1966- 67, he played for Clydebank and then Raith Rovers. where they won promotion to the First Division.”
Billy said: “I was always an inside- forward until I turned professional.
“But I’m only 5ft 6 in tall and looked more like a winger. Every manager played me on the wing – but I was a rotten winger!
“I’ve no regrets though. I played at places like Celtic Park, Ibrox and Hampden.
“There was always someone willing to give me a game.”