Jimmy’s horror after train sped past his Arbroath stop
Arbroath reaching the Premiership via the playoffs would be one of the great football stories.
It’s extremely difficult for a part-time club to reach the top flight – and even harder to stay there.
Jimmy Booth has great memories of turning out for the Red Lichties when they were mixing it with the big boys in season 1968-69.
The present-day players should be delighted that the modern road network means it’s now a lot easier to get to Gayfield for games.
Moving around the country proved to be the only real problem for Jimmy and his team-mates.
He recalled: “There were three or four of us who were based in the west of Scotland.
“We used to train with Clyde at Shawfield during the week, and travel to Arbroath for home games.
“We would join in with their routines and practice matches. It meant we got to know some Clyde players better than our own lads, who we only saw on match days.
“I knew the late Harry Hood really well. He was with Clyde before signing for Celtic.
“Getting to Gayfield on a Saturday wasn’t normally a massive problem.
“But one weekend three of us jumped on a train at Glasgow’s Queen Street Station, and were ready to get off when it reached Arbroath.
“To our horror, the train thundered through the station and kept going.
“We had got on a football special that was taking Rangers fans to Aberdeen – and it didn’t stop at Arbroath!
“We managed to get off the train before it went
all the way to its final destination, and got a taxi back down the road to Arbroath.
“But it was too late to make the team by the time we arrived at the ground.
“The manager wasn’t too pleased, but it was an honest mistake on our part.”
Jimmy made the leap straight from Junior football to Scotland’s First Division when Arbroath went looking for a right-back after being promoted.
He said: “I was with Kilbirnie Ladeside, and had previously been down for a three-week trial at Oldham Athletic.
“That was a good experience, but nothing came of it. Their manager, the former Northern Ireland international Jimmy Mcilroy, said I played too much football for full-back.
“I went down there with my team-mate, George Easton. He joined Arbroath before they came in for me when I was 21.”
Pitting his wits against some of the famous names in football was something Jimmy relished.
He said: “I played against Colin Stein in his first game for Rangers – and he scored a hat-trick. “We were also facing Celtic’s Lisbon Lions team. “I remember Davie Wilson playing for Dundee United, and telling me I really didn’t have to tackle as hard as I was.
“Next thing I knew, he was crossing the ball into the net. Those experienced lads were always kidding you on to get an advantage.
“Although we had a couple of heavy defeats that season – like a 7-1 against Celtic at Parkhead – we weren’t often easily beaten.
“We had a victory against Hibs at Easter Road, and took three points out of four against Aberdeen.
“We finished bottom and were relegated, but we still had a chance to stay up near the end of the season.
“It was difficult as a part- time side but we weren’t far away.
“Albert Henderson was a great manager, and the club treated us really well.
“There was a tour to Ireland, and we were always put up in the best hotels.
“When we had a free Saturday in March, 1969, we went down to play Queens Park Rangers.
“It was something different to be facing the likes of Rodney Marsh.”
The Lichties lost 6- 3 at Loftus Road but a weekend in London was undoubtedly a nice bonus.
Jimmy, now 75, eventually returned to the Juniors when he was freed by Arbroath, and performed with distinction for Johnstone Burgh.