In honour of Euro 2012 we thought it would be nice to say a
little bit about the records we have relating to football. Many of you will
have seen the Peto image of Lajos
Tichy’s goal for Hungary on our
website.
Although not generally noted for photographing sporting events, Michael Peto
did take a series of photographs of this epic international friendly between
Hungary and West Germany in 1959 which ended
4-3 in the host nation’s favour. Peto had earlier taken official photographs of
England’s 7-1 defeat by Hungary in 1954.
We have a few interesting records relating to local sides
most notably a share prospectus and blank share forms for Dundee United dating
from 1925 (MS 261). Additionally in the Sidlaw Industries Collection (MS 66)
there are several aerial photographs which show Dundee United’s Tannadice Park
and Dens Park, the home of Dundee FC, in 1922.
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| Aerial view of Tannadice Park (on right) and Dens Park (top) |
These are significant because
they show how both grounds have been developed beyond recognition. Photographs of both grounds dating from the
1960s can be found in the Thomas C Keay Ltd Collection (MS 94). Both clubs’
grounds, which are the closest together of any senior football teams in the UK,
are located on the former Clepington Estate owned by William Neish of Tannadice
and Clepington, whose family’s papers were the subject of an earlier
blog.
The records of the University of Dundee and its predecessors
contain material relating to various student sporting teams including a number
of football XI’s. One of the most
interesting items is a photograph of a University College, Dundee team taken
during World War Two which features future Tottenham Hostspur and Northern
Ireland star Danny Blanchflower among the players. At the time he was attending a course at the
College, then part of the University of St Andrews, while serving in the
RAF.
 |
Blanchflower is second from the right front row
and Quskaly far right, back row |
A key figure associated with all
University sports teams in Dundee was Jack Qusklay, the Director of Physical
Education from 1936 until 1968, who had worked as a trainer to Dundee, Dundee
United, Celtic and the Scottish national team at various points in his career.
Quskaly was a very popular figure at the University and had been a talented
boxer in his youth.
Other collections also have some interesting football related
items. The papers of D. J. MacDonald (MS 93) feature photographs of that firm’s
football team and a speech its owner made at a football match to raise fund for
Dundee Royal Infirmary. The Kinnear
Local Book Collection features books on Dundee United, Dundee, Raith Rovers and
Dunfermline Athletic among others. The
collection also contains the Dundee Directories which provide good details of
club and association officials. The NHS Tayside Archives contain a number of
records relating to football being played in hospitals in Tayside, as well as a
photograph of St Johnstone’s long serving goalkeeper Derek Robertson
participating in a ‘beat the goalie’ competition at an event at Murray Royal
Hospital. Perhaps the most unusual
football related item we have is a picture of a team from the SS Active (a
Dundee whaler) posing on the Arctic ice in 1894!
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| SS Active team 1894 |
If you are interested in consulting these or any of our
collections please visit the archive or get in touch. Our contact details and
further information are
www.dundee.ac.uk/archives.
Our email address is archives@dundee.ac.uk.
Kenneth Baxter
