Remberbuck Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 All clubs talk about how they encourage local talent, but there are few who have anything like a local base. For whatever reason, who should have Saints have signed from Perth but did not? My vote goes to Alex Grimmond, a wonderfully talented player who Dundee snapped up but should have worn the right shade of blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike180279 Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 I always thought young sergei was going to make it with us but as it happened, he wasnt really that good anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulfulsaint Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 All clubs talk about how they encourage local talent, but there are few have anything like a local base. For whatever reason, who should have Saints have signed from Perth but did not? My vote goes to Alex Grimmond, a wonderfully talented player who Dundee snapped up but should have worn the right shade of blue. Taught him all he knew. Alex Grimmond's auntie was my neighbour in Letham and one of the first photos I have is me and Alex playing football in street. Strangely enough Buck, he wasn't from Perth he was born and grew up in Glasgow and only came to Perth when he was in his early teens. Apart from that I agree. The other Letham 'players' of that era were goalkeeper Jim Blyth who went south to Coventry, Kenny Cameron was from Tweedsmuir and went to the Dee, Ian Millar from Kingswell (I think), he went to Blackburn and Swindon, Drew Melly went to Villa on trial but returned, Billy Elder to Rangers etc. Latterly my cousin Russ went to Brechin. Stuart White was Tummell Terrace and he did sign for Saints, along with other High School alumni Billy Beatson, Billy McManus. etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remberbuck Posted March 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Would never have guessed the Glasgow connection - the world can improve for those who are fortunate. Ralph Laahs - Forfar, but was worth more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jinky Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Stuart White was Tummell Terrace and he did sign for Saints Surely not the same midfield dynamo that still cuts the mustard for the mighty PSJ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulfulsaint Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Would never have guessed the Glasgow connection - the world can improve for those who are fortunate. Ralph Laahs - Forfar, but was worth more. Sorry I'm being a real smart ass now Ralph is my second cousin and was pals with Alex. His name is originally German and some of his family changed name to Laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint sid Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 I coulda been a saintee if i didnt smoke, drink, and trained daily instead of being a layzee fooker, but hey ho, im happy being an underwater-basketweaver:cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 Taught him all he knew. Alex Grimmond's auntie was my neighbour in Letham and one of the first photos I have is me and Alex playing football in street. Strangely enough Buck, he wasn't from Perth he was born and grew up in Glasgow and only came to Perth when he was in his early teens. Apart from that I agree. The other Letham 'players' of that era were goalkeeper Jim Blyth who went south to Coventry, Kenny Cameron was from Tweedsmuir and went to the Dee, Ian Millar from Kingswell (I think), he went to Blackburn and Swindon, Drew Melly went to Villa on trial but returned, Billy Elder to Rangers etc. Latterly my cousin Russ went to Brechin. Stuart White was Tummell Terrace and he did sign for Saints, along with other High School alumni Billy Beatson, Billy McManus. etc I wouldn't have guessed Alex Grimmond was originally from Glasgow. Kids from all ages used to just join up in games and used to be playing all over the place and you could just join in any games. It was good. Alex Grimmond I think lived on Struan Road, good lad. Ian Miller did live in Kingswell Terrace and Jim Blyth lived quite near him. I was in a team with them and Ian Simpson, Jimmy McKay and others when we were 15/16. Jimmy used to hang on the bar and go up on top of it when the game was really boring from his point of vioew. We thought he was practicing jymnastics or something. , Drew Melly lived in Tweedsmuir I'm sure. Maybe Ian McPhee should have played for Saints in the 80's. He played for celtic, Dundee Utd. and of course Forfar's best ever side. At my brother's wedding he sneaked up behind me and lifted my kilt right up. PERVERT! Actually it was a breath of fresh air since it was really warm. . If I'd known he was going to do that I would have wore underwear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remberbuck Posted March 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 Three thoughts from this. 1. Almost all these names are from the 1970s, maybe more of the later escapees are still to come? 2. These guys all made senior football at a time when there would have been no schools football of any note at all in Perth - Alex Grimmond, Ralph Laahs and just later Atholl Henderson and Lindsay Hamilton went to a rugby school! Was Perth club youth football in a golden age? 3. Must have been some place the Letham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 2. These guys all made senior football at a time when there would have been no schools football of any note at all in Perth - Alex Grimmond, Ralph Laahs and just later Atholl Henderson and Lindsay Hamilton went to a rugby school! Was Perth club youth football in a golden age? I think the whole of Scottish football was in a golden age and everyone thought it would naturally continue i.e. a conveyer belt of talent. You have to blame the adult generation(s) post 70's for taking away the facilities or street culture and not providing a replacement. There now is a lack of tolerance of the kids running about playing football anywhere that took their fancy which previous adult generations would have thought normal. I disagree with the schools not providing football in Perth Remberbuck. There was only one school not playing organised football competitions. At primary school level there was a full Perthshire league and cup - Letham Primary, St.Johns, Northern District (light blue), Craigie, Caledonin Road, Scone RD, Central District, Kinnoul, Dumbarney and others. I'm not sure what happens now though. At secondary school there were two Perth teams that took part in a league of schools from Perthshire, Angus/Dundee and Fife. These were Goodlyburn and Perth High School. I can remember playing against our local rivals Goodlyburn (always trouble), Dundee High School (down Riverside), Lawside Academy (out Kingsway), Harris Academy, Grove Academy, Morgan Academy, Pitlochry High School, Forfar Academy, Hal O' Beath (or something), Auchterarder High School, a school in cupar and others. I'm sure that was good for kids and it introduced those that were talented enough to experience competitive football before they went on to join clubs. I think the problem now is there are no school leagues and no kids playing in the street. It's dried up or at least a drought and I don't blame George Burley, Vogts or anybody for the problems of recent years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mongy Max Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Derek Hamilton, my uncle, machine of a centre forward! I'm sure he still holds a juniors record for most goals in game for Jeanfield, 9!! think he went to forfar, not 100% on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver_blue Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 The ultimate should have been a Saintee has to be Paul Sturrock who Jackie Stewart didn't think was good enough ! History shows us that it was the bold Jackie who wasn't good enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O'Rourke Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Derek Hamilton, my uncle, machine of a centre forward! I'm sure he still holds a juniors record for most goals in game for Jeanfield, 9!! think he went to forfar, not 100% on that. Manchester United youth too, or so he told me anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulfulsaint Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 I wouldn't have guessed Alex Grimmond was originally from Glasgow. Kids from all ages used to just join up in games and used to be playing all over the place and you could just join in any games. It was good. Alex Grimmond I think lived on Struan . Yes he came to his aunties for holidays aged about 4-10 then the family decided to move to Perth. Struan was his habitat. Drew was Tweedsmuir and another palyer from his era that Paul Sturrock often asks me about was Yogi Ogilvie, again Letham born and bred. Sturrock reckons with the right coaching Yogi could have been a star. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamwork Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Yes he came to his aunties for holidays aged about 4-10 then the family decided to move to Perth. Struan was his habitat. Drew was Tweedsmuir and another palyer from his era that Paul Sturrock often asks me about was Yogi Ogilvie, again Letham born and bred. Sturrock reckons with the right coaching Yogi could have been a star. Yogi Ogilvie ????? :shock: that was my nickname at school but i,m from Scone !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O'Rourke Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Yogi Ogilvie ????? :shock: that was my nickname at school but i,m from Scone !! I've seen you play "football" Yogi! You would never have played for Saints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulfulsaint Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Yogi Ogilvie ????? :shock: that was my nickname at school but i,m from Scone !! Suspect most people born in Perth called Ogilvie were nicknamed Yogi. The definitive Yogi was from Letham and was a Charlie Millar of his day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SALTIRESTJ Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Soulfullsaint - surprised you haven't mentioned the Joyce bros - Pat and Martin who both had trials for Villa in the 60's and played for Letham locally. You will remember them from the good ol scool days!! Great players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remberbuck Posted March 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Ronaldo - More than happy to be corrected - it was just a thought that occurred. My thinking was that Scottish schools football in the 1970/80s was totally dominated by Glasgow/Lanarkshire and that the opportunities to shine from Perth were very limited. And, senior clubs found their players direct from school teams to an extent unknown today - it was before the teachers' strike. That made me think that there were people in the likes of the City Boys' league that were getting it right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamwork Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 I've seen you play "football" Yogi! You would never have played for Saints. i played to a decent standard i,ll have you know !! i was a nippy winger/forward for the Police every wednesday in the half holiday league back in the day and where exactly have you seen me play then Mr O,Rourke ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O'Rourke Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 I'm a Scone loon too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 My thinking was that Scottish schools football in the 1970/80s was totally dominated by Glasgow/Lanarkshire and that the opportunities to shine from Perth were very limited. And, senior clubs found their players direct from school teams to an extent unknown today - it was before the teachers' strike. That made me think that there were people in the likes of the City Boys' league that were getting it right. Remberbuck you are probably right about the late 70's/80's, I was out of school by that time and I don't know how it went after that. You're totally right about the teachers' strike it really finished off school's football. In the past P.E. teachers were supposed to as part of their employment manage all the school's teams after school and Saturday morning. Their demands in the 80's led to that being considered overtime and so one by one the schools stopped for financial reasons. I remember the buses rolling up for games to go away from home (except Goodlyburn, well it was a 10 minute walk ) and the teachers tried to get the fixtures to have as many as possible of the school teams playing at a particular away school on the one morning so that the teams could share the buses. It was horrendous being put on the same bus as the girls' hockey team . It was like a giant tag wrestling match between the "Boys Of Form 3" and the "Girls of St. Trinians" followed by the girls getting told off and the boys promised the belt on Monday. 'Thank you sir!' we said gratefully. That's when I started to fight for sexual equality. I also remember a Boys Brigade summer league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remberbuck Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Ronaldo - delighted that the old school buses did what they should have done. I have no doubt that the memories of the hockey team remain equally vivid - is this the start of a new thread? BB football had a huge influence in Perth and Perthshire football below City Boys level. There was an informal summer league but the main business was in the winter. Each Saturday there would be about 8 fixtures on the South Inch and around the county. That is about 200 boys playing organised football every week. I don't think the Scouts had an equivalent. Alex Grimmond, who started this thread, was with the 6th company, Ralph Laahs the 7th, and Abi Ramsay the current director cut his football teeth with the 16th, who were looked after by the 1960s Saints winger, Doug Newlands. Heros all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mongy Max Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Manchester United youth too, or so he told me anyway. I believe aston villa were interested too, will double check with my old man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Ogilvie Posted September 6, 2019 Report Share Posted September 6, 2019 On 3/7/2009 at 10:42 AM, soulfulsaint said:  Yes he came to his aunties for holidays aged about 4-10 then the family decided to move to Perth. Struan was his habitat. Drew was Tweedsmuir and another palyer from his era that Paul Sturrock often asks me about was Yogi Ogilvie, again Letham born and bred. Sturrock reckons with the right coaching Yogi could have been a star. Would that be Ewan Ogilvie  (yogi Ogilvie) my brother i think played alongside Paul sturrock in a Perth select team , Ewan Ogilvie lived at 167 rannoch road also went to St Columbus Perth uk . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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