Letham Minors Season 1969/1970

Manager Vince Smith ???

Secretary ???

Following last season's success, we had great difficulty in finding a manager. Alas also we were not diligent in keeping some of our young players. No one to blame but ourselves, nor blame the boys, as no one knew what was happening. Tom McEwan had moved on to our City Boy team following Alistair McAdam leaving the club to work and stay in Edinburgh.

Saturday 16th August 1969

Stanley/Murthly have withdrawn for this season. Southend (Perth) have applied for membership.

Saturday 23 rd April 1969

League Cup Draw

Section 1: Tayside, Letham, PCBC, Southend
Section 2: Roselea, Pitfour, Inchhead Athletic, Pitcairn

Agreed to start season with league matches before starting the League Cup campaign.

Saturday 6th September 1969

Letham U16 v Pitcairn (League - Home)

Wednesday 10th September 1969

Letham and Pitcairn seem to be having trouble obtaining assistance in the running of their Minor teams and will not be listed for fixtures this week in the hope that something may yet be arranged for them.
The Gannochy Trust is to donate a trophy for the League Championship.

Saturday 20th September 1969

Letham U16 v Roselea (League - Home)

Match off

Letham have been forced to postpone their league debut this season until next Saturday.

Wednesday 24th September 1969 League table
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               3 3 0 0 19  5 6 
    Roselea               1 1 0 0  3  0 2 
    Tayside               2 1 0 1  9  6 2 
    Inchhead Athletic     3 1 0 2 14 17 2 
    Southend              3 0 0 3  3 20 0 
    LETHAM                0 0 0 0  0  0 0 
Saturday 27th September 1969

Letham U16 v Southend (League - Home)

Nothing is known about the Letham side, but Southend are due a break soon.

Letham 7 - Southend 3

Letham got off to a good start in their first league match and were actually leading 5-0 before the plucky Southend team pulled 3 back to make the second half a more exciting affair.

Free days agreed for October 4th, November 15th and December 13th 1969 when Rangers, Dundee and Celtic play at Muirton Park.

League positions as at Wednesday 1st October 1969
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               3 3 0 0 19  5 6 
    Tayside               3 2 0 1 11  7 4 
    LETHAM                1 1 0 0  7  3 2 
    Roselea               2 1 0 1  4  2 2 
    Inchhead Athletic     3 1 0 2 14 17 2 
    Southend              4 0 0 4  6 27 0 
Saturday 4th October 1969

Free day

Saturday 11th October 1969

Letham U16 v Roselea (League - Home)

It will be interesting to see if the Letham side will have as close a contest with the 'Lea as they had last year when the two clubs met no fewer than six times with close scores in every game.

Letham 0 - Roselea 7

Letham looked as if they might get away with a point up to the interval when the 'Lea were only 1-0 and making heavy weather of a stubborn defence in which stand in keeper Martin Dixon played a starring role. Three goals in the first 5 minutes of the second half finished the game as a spectacle as the plucky "Tangerines" never really got over it although they came nearer to scoring then oddly enough than they did in the first half.

(Apologies for the English but these notes were written at the time by a schoolteacher)

League Table as at Wednesday,15th October 1969
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               3 3 0 0 19  5 6 
    Roselea               3 2 0 1 11  2 4 
    Tayside               3 2 0 1 11  7 4 
    Inchhead Athletic     3 1 0 2 14 17 2 
    LETHAM                2 1 0 1  7 10 2 
    Southend              4 0 0 4  6 27 0 

It was agreed that Perth City Boys Club be re-admitted to the League and participate in the Gillie Cup but not in the League Cup

Saturday 18th October 1969

Letham U16 v Southend (League Cup - Away)
Team from; M Dixon, S Nelson, P Henry, G Justice, J McLaren, D Ross, P McDermott, D Percival, J Dixon, W Bennett, R Lennie, P Gallagher, M Brown, R Stewart.

Southend 8 - Letham 4

The results prove just how close the competition is going to be this year and congratulations must go to the Southend lads for obtaining their first win of the season over a Letham side which kept fighting back gamely. Duncan Cameron seems to have recaptured the form he showed last season with Stanley/Murthly had a glorious nap hand.

League Cup positions as at Wednesday 22nd October 1969
  Section 1 
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Tayside               1 1 0 0 13  0 2 
    Southend              2 1 0 1  8 17 2 
    LETHAM                1 0 0 1  4  8 0 

  Section 2 
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               1 1 0 0  4  1 2 
    Roselea               1 0 1 0  3  3 1 
    Inchhead Athletic     2 0 1 1  4  7 1 
Saturday 25th October 1969

Free Day - League Cup Final St Johnstone V Celtic

The whole club organised a special bus. Arrangements were Bus leaves for Hampden Park leaves King Street Garage at 12 noon, prompt. Meet at clubrooms tomorrow at 1.30p.m. when special facilities have been laid on for training. In view of this please ensure a good turn out. All expenses for last Saturday will be paid then.

Saturday 1st November 1969

Free Day

Wednesday 5th November 1969

Note in the P.A. : In view of that Saturday will be our first game for three weeks a good turnout is requested at the clubrooms tonight for team selection. Those not at training may be liable to be left out.

  League Table 
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               3 3 0 0 19  5 6 
    Roselea               4 2 1 1 13  4 5 
    Tayside               3 2 0 1 11  7 4 
    Inchhead Athletic     3 1 0 2  4 17 2 
    LETHAM                2 1 0 1  7 10 2 
    PCBC                  1 0 1 0  2  2 1 
    Southend              4 0 0 4  6 27 0 

  League Cup - Section 1 
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Tayside               2 2 0 0 17  0 4 
    Southend              3 1 0 2  8 21 2 
    LETHAM                1 0 0 1  4  8 0 

  League Cup - Section 2
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               2 1 1 0  8  5 3 
    Inchhead Athletic     3 0 2 1  8 11 2 
    Roselea               1 0 1 0  3  3 1 
Saturday 8th November 1969

Letham U16 v Southend (League Cup - Home)
Team from: M Dixon, E Watson, P Henry, R Stewart, J McLaren, G Justice, S Nelson, D Ross, P McDiarmid, R Lennie, M Brown, J Dixon, W Bennett, D Percival.

Letham will be all out to gain their first points in t5he League Cup, when they meet Southend for the first time

Letham 3 - Southend 3

Letham took the initiative early on in their match, but Southend kept pegging them back every time they got their noses in front and with better shooting might have pipped the "Tangerines" passing up two golden chances near the end.

  League Cup - Section 1 
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Tayside               2 2 0 0 17  0 4 
    Southend              4 1 1 2 11 24 3 
    LETHAM                2 0 1 1  7 11 1 
Saturday 15th November 1969

Letham U16 v Tayside (League Cup - Home)
Team from: G Spiers, M Dixon, P Henry, B Gunn, J McLaren, S Nelson, W Bennett, P McDiarmid, D Stewart, D Ross, J Dixon, G Justice, M Brown, D Percival, E Watson.

Letham meet Tayside for the first time this season in the League Cup business. The latter need only one point to clinch their section whereas The Tangerines must win both games against Tayside.

Letham 0 - Tayside 6

Tayside scored a comfortable win to secure the right to contest the final of the St Johnstone Y M League Cup

League Table as at Wednesday 19th November 1969
                          P W L D  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               3 3 0 0 19  5 6 
    Roselea               4 2 1 1 13  4 5 
    Tayside               3 2 0 1 11  7 4 
    Inchhead Athletic     3 1 0 2 14 17 2 
    LETHAM                2 1 0 1  7 10 2 
    Southend              4 1 0 3 15 30 2 
    Perth City Boys Club  2 0 1 1  5 11 1 

  League Cup - Section 1 
                          P W L D  F  A Pts 
    Tayside               3 3 0 0 23  0 6 
    Southend              4 1 1 2 11 24 3 
    LETHAM                3 0 1 2  7 17 1 

  League Cup - Section 2
                          P W L D  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               3 2 1 0 14  7 5 
    Inchhead Athletic     4 0 3 1 11 14 3 
    Roselea               3 0 2 1  8 12 2 
Saturday 22nd November 1969

Letham U16 v PCBC (League - Away)
Team from: G Spiers, B Gunn, M Dixon, W Bennett, J McLaren, S Nelson, G Justice, D Stewart, P McDiarmid, D Ross, M Brown, J Dixon, Colin D Percival, P Henry, E Watson, R Lennie.

The league match should provide a close encounter. The Boys Club no doubt anxious to get that first win in their match with Letham

PCBC 2 - Letham 11

League table as at Saturday 29th November 1969
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               3 3 0 0 19  5 6 
    Roselea               4 2 1 1 13  4 5 
    Tayside               3 2 0 1 11  7 4 
    Inchhead Athletic     4 2 0 2 32 17 4 
    LETHAM                3 2 0 1 18 12 4 
    Southend              5 1 0 4 15 48 2 
    PCBC                  3 0 1 2  7 22 1 
Saturday 29th November 1969

Letham U16 v Tayside (League Cup - Away)

Tayside's match with Letham is a mere formality as far as the winning of the section is concerned but the latter's big win over the Boys Club may give them confidence to make a closer fight of the return meeting.

Game postponed due to ground conditions

Saturday 6th December 1969

Free Day

As we don't have a game today will all players please meet at clubrooms at 2.00p.m. where special arrangements have been made. Please bring towels and strips.

Saturday 13th December 1969

Free Day

Wednesday 17th December 1969

Due to the lapse in games, all players are asked to report tonight at 6.30p.m. for training. Those not present will be liable to be left out of the team on Saturday.

Saturday 20th December 1969

Game off

Saturday 27th December 1969

Letham U16 v Roselea (2nd Rd. Douglas Blackley Cup - Away)
Team: All players meet at clubrooms 2.00p.m. prompt.

Roselea 7 - Letham 0

The 'Lea found a new look Letham side quite a handful in the first half and turned round only one goal up. The second half developed into one-way traffic once a quick double went in however.

Saturday 3rd January 1970

Free Day

Saturday 10th January 1970

Letham U16 v Tayside (League Cup - Away, North Inch)

Match off

Players report for training on Wednesday at 6.30p.m. This is due to ground conditions.

Saturday 17th January 1970

Letham U16 v Tayside (League Cup - Away)
Team: all players meet clubrooms at 2.00p.m. prompt.

Tayside 11 - Letham 0

The one remaining League Cup fixture was marred by the fact that both teams had to turn out short of a full side. Letham having eight players against Tayside's ten. The latter were already outright section leaders however.

League Table as at Saturday 17th January 1970
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               4 4 0 0 32  6 8 
    Roselea               5 3 1 1 16  5 7 
    Inchhead Athletic     5 2 0 3 33 20 4 
    LETHAM                3 2 0 1 18 12 4 
    Tayside               3 2 0 1 11  7 4 
    Southend              6 1 0 5 15 48 2 
    Perth City Boys Club  4 0 1 3  8 35 1 
Saturday 24th January 1970

Letham U16 v Pitfour (League - Away)
Team: All players meet clubrooms at 2.30pm.
Pitfour players will strip at clubrooms as well.

Pitfour 7 - Letham 2

Letham might well have improved the score line in the game against league leaders had they taken all their chances. They should do better next time if they begin their fight back a little earlier.

League positions following Saturday 24th January 1970
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               5 5 0 0 39  8 10 
    Roselea               5 3 1 1 16  5  7 
    Inchhead Athletic     6 3 0 3 45 20  6 
    Tayside               3 2 0 1 11  7  4 
    LETHAM                4 2 0 2 20 19  4 
    Southend              6 1 0 5 15 48  2 
    Perth City Boys Club  5 0 1 4  8 47  1 
Saturday 31st January 1970

Letham U16 v Inchhead Athletic (League - Home)
Team from: Gerrard, B Gunn, M Dixon, J McLaren, G Edwards, W Bennett, Newman, D Stewart, P McDiarmid, E Watson, J Dixon, S Nelson, D Ross, M Brown, P Henry.

Provided they are at full strength, Letham are capable of giving Inchhead a good run for their money and are bound to be looking for a better result than they have had of late

Letham 2 - Inchhead Athletic 10

Inchhead seem to have it more or less their own way against Letham. Interesting to notice that B Gunn came from Pitlochry, G Edwards from Blairgowrie. They had been named in a Perthshire Schools select team. W Bennett came from Fife.

League table following Saturday 31st January 1970
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               6 5 0 1 40 13 10 
    Roselea               6 4 1 1 21  6  9 
    Inchhead Athletic     7 4 0 3 55 22  8 
    Tayside               4 3 0 1 20  7  6 
    LETHAM                5 2 0 3 22 29  4 
    Southend              6 1 0 5 15 48  2 
    Perth City Boys Club  6 0 1 5  8 56  1 
Saturday 7th February 1970

Letham U16 v Tayside (League - Away)

Tayside 17 - Letham 1

Tayside inflicted a crushing defeat on Letham for whom Martin Dixon and right-back Barclay Gunn played very well. Outstanding for Tayside were wing halves Bryan Auchterlonie and Tom Hughes.

(Photograph PA Page 10)

League table following Saturday 7th February 1970
                          P W L D  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               7 6 1 0 55 13 12 
    Roselea               7 5 1 1 23  7 11 
    Inchhead Athletic     7 4 3 0 55 22  8 
    Tayside               5 4 1 0 37  8  8 
    LETHAM                6 2 4 0 23 46  4 
    Southend              7 1 6 0 15 63  2 
    Perth City Boys Club  7 0 6 1  9 58  1 
Saturday 14th February 1970

Letham U16 v Pitfour (League - Home)
Team from: Gerrard, A Doig, M Dixon, W Bennett, J McLaren, E Watson, D Ross, P McDiarmid, J England, G Edwards, M Brown, P Henry, Newman, J Dixon, S Nelson.

Letham 0 - Pitfour 6

Pitfour took the opportunity to increase their lead at the top with a comfortable win over Letham

Saturday 21st February 1970

Letham U16 v PCBC (League - Home)

Letham smarting from recent heavy defeats will be all out to make amends against Boys Club, who cannot be taken lightly however and might spring a surprise.

All Games postponed

Trial match for under 16's eleven to play East Fife under 16's

Black & amber Team : W Campbell-Pitfour, G Miller-Pitfour, G Roy-Inchhead Athletic, N McAra-Southend, H Mcgregor-PCBC, G Duncan-Roselea, L Hutchison-Roselea, D Norrie-Pitfour, D Cochrane-Southend, D Lennon-Pitfour, D McAlpine-Pitfour, D Cameron-Southend, A Thorington-Tayside, A Ferrie-Tayside, I Foster-Pitfour.
Blues Team : J Blyth-Roselea, B Gunn-Letham , R Garden-Tayside, J McLaren-Letham ,B Auchterlonie-Tayside, D Wilkie-Inchhead Athletic, G Edwards-Letham , J Kirk-Tayside, L Spence-Inchhead Athletic, A Grimmond-Roselea, I Mille-Roselea, T Petterson-Roselea, D Gibson-Inchhead Athletic, C Brown-Inchhead Athletic, E Turnbull-Roselea, T Hepburn-Tayside.

Wednesday 25th February 1970

All players report to clubrooms tonight at 6.30p.m.

Saturday 28th February 1970

Letham U16 v PCBC (League - Home)
Team from: All players report to clubrooms at 2.00p.m.

Letham 5 - PCBC 2

Boys Club were holding Letham 2-2 early in the second half when centre-half Hector McGregor received a bad face knock. This may have had some effect on the subsequent score.

Saturday 7th March 1970

Letham U16 v Tayside (1st Rd. Gillie Cup - Away)

Letham club secretary should note that Letham are in fact the home team. Tayside boys will be stripping at the South Inch Bowling Green. If no referee available the match to be played off as a league game and arrangements to play off the tie in mid-week.

Letham 3 - Tayside 6

The Gillie Cup Tie provided a high scoring match in which Letham did well to penetrate the strong Tayside defence three times, although the latter appear to have finished up well in command.

Tuesday 10th March 1970

Trial Select to play Inchhead Athletic
Goalkeepers: G Grant-PCBC, W Campbell-Pitfour
Backs: B Gunn-Letham , G Miller-Pitfour, R Garden-Tayside
Half-backs: J McLaren-Letham , J Kirk-Tayside, B Auchterlonie-Tayside, L Hutchison-Roselea, A Grimmond-Roselea
Forwards: I Miller-Roselea, T Petterson-Roselea, D Cameron-Southend, A Thorington-Tayside, E Turnbull-Roselea

League Positions as at Wednesday 11th March 1970
                          P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour               8 7 0 1 61 13 14 
    Roselea               7 5 1 1 23  7 11 
    Tayside               6 5 0 1 42 10 10 
    Inchhead Athletic     8 3 0 5 57 27  8 
    LETHAM                8 3 0 5 28 54  6 
    Perth City Boys Club  9 1 1 7 17 64  3 
    Southend              8 1 0 7 16 69  2 
Saturday 14th March 1970

Perthshire Minors v Boys Club, Aberdeen
PM 9 - Boys Club 3

Wednesday 18th March 1970

Perthshire Minors Select to play Tayside Minors
Team from: G Grant-PCBC, W Campbell-Pitfour, G Miller-Pitfour, B Gunn-Letham, G Roy-Inchhead Athletic, J McLaren-Letham, D Robertson-Inchhead, L Hutchison-Roselea, R Grimmond-Roselea, I Miller-Roselea, D Cameron-Southend, D McAlpine-Pitfour, J Laing-Inchhead Athletic, C Brown-Inchhead

Tayside 4 - Pethshire Minors Select 4

J McLaren of Letham was selected to play in a further trial this time against Roselea

Saturday 21st March 1970

Letham U16 v Southend (League - Away)
Team from: All players report to clubrooms at 2.30 p.m. prompt

Southend 7 - Letham 5

Most amazing match of the day was won by lowly Southend. Playing with only nine players and down 2-5 shortly after the interval, it seems odds on a sound thrashing. However, the depleted homesters seized inspiration from their 3 goals to go on and clinch the game in an astonishing second-half comeback, with Jimmy Duncan taking the goalscoring honours by notching a nap hand.
What a disaster. Something had to be done here, as this team was the club's lifeblood.

League positions as at Monday 23rd March 1970
                           P W D L  F  A Pts 
    Pitfour                8 7 0 1 51 13 14 
    Tayside                7 6 0 1 49 11 12 
    Roselea                7 5 1 1 23  7 11 
    Inchhead Athletic      8 4 0 4 57 27  8 
    LETHAM                 9 3 0 6 33 61  6 
    Southend               9 2 0 7 23 74  4 
    Perth City Boys Club  10 1 1 8 18 71  3 
Saturday 28th March 1970

Letham U16 v Tayside (League - Home)
Team from: All players meet Clubrooms at 2.30 p.m.

Tayside should join Pitfour at the top of the table in the Championship Race

Letham 0 - Tayside 25

Tayside's score speaks for itself although no information concerning the game is to hand. Ken was going mental. Although he always said, "Every doggie has it's day"

Saturday 4th April 1970

Letham U16 v Inchhead Athletic (League - Away)
Team from: In view of the bad turn out for last week's game, would all players report clubrooms 1.30p.m.

Inchhead Athletic 6 - Letham 3

Letham once again played with only 9 lads, but Inchhead who took the opportunity of fielding 5 mini-minors, found that playing a depleted team was not as easy as it should have been.

Saturday 11th April 1970

Free day - Under 18 Schoolboy International Scotland v Wales at Muirton Park

Wednesday 15th April 1970

All players report on Wednesday at clubrooms 6.30 p.m. for training

Saturday 18th April 1970

Letham U16 v Roselea (League - Home)

Letham 0 - Roselea 9

In the only league match of the day 10 man Letham fought bravely but were no match for a goal hungry 'Lea who were minus 3 of their regulars.

League positions as at Saturday 2nd May 1970
                           P W D  L  F   A Pts 
    Tayside               10 9 0  1 76  14 18 
    Pitfour               11 9 0  2 63  16 18 
    Roselea               10 8 1  1 35   7 17 
    Inchhead Athletic     12 6 0  6 67  40 12 
    LETHAM                12 3 0  9 37 100  6 
    Southend              11 2 0  9 23  74  4 
    Perth City Boys Club  12 1 1 10 19  79  3 

J McLaren of Letham Minors was in the pool for Perthshire Select match against East Fife Secondary Juveniles.

Honours list for Season 1969-1970
                                 Winners   Runners Up 
    League Championship          Roselea     Tayside    (After two play off draws) 
    St Johnstone YM League Cup   Tayside 3   Pitfour 1 
    Gillie Bros. Cup             Tayside 5   PCBC 1 

This was not a good season. First of all not having a manager and then weakness in our re-signing policy. We were able to encourage some genuine talent to the club but lack of direction and willingness to work hard paid its price. If there is no enthusiasm from the top then this must rub off on the players.


Back to the Imps U16 index