Berwick Rangers Supporters Trust Be the 12th Man! BERWICK’S FIRST HERO Sammy Reid (1939-2014) This issue is kindly supported by THE SEASON YOUTH INITIATIVE SO FAR PAYS OFF Issue # 25 • Winter 2014 • £2 (free for members) www.berwickrangers.org Berwick Rangers FROM THE Supporters Trust CHAIRMAN Newsletter No. 25 Winter 2014 Address: Chairman: Committee Members: Hello... c/o 10 Golden Square Michael Smyth John Bell, Ronald Kirk, David Spence, Ian Beresford, Gary Berwick-upon-Tweed Vice-Chairman: Welcome to this bumper edition of the Trust so those watching at home should at least learn Northumberland Gordon Dickson Smith, Stuart Lee, Brendan newsletter. I believe it is the first time it has the Gaelic word for ‘Berwick’! TD15 1BS Thorburn and Andrew Neville extended to 24 pages and I hope that you all Secretary: find within it, articles of particular interest. Seven Let’s hope we make it to the Cup Quarter Finals Telephone: 01890 860329 Isla Barber Designed & Published by: Paul Smith / www.vivadigital.net writers have contributed to this edition which and also the play-offs---at the top end of the table. Fax: 01289 306980 Treasurer: again, I think is a record. Few supporters will need reminding that this year, Gordon Dickson Pictures: Tweeddale Press, Alan SPFL 2’s bottom club will be involved in a run E-Mail: Bell, Brendan Thorburn, Loick Membership Secretary: On the field, it has been a frustrating season so far. off with a Highland or Lowland League club to [email protected] Mangala, Ian Beresford Bill Purvis Inevitably, when talking to fellow supporters about determine which plays in SPFL 2 next season. the team’s performances, opinions are mixed fb.com/berwickrangerstrust Editor: Michael Smyth FC Board Representative: ranging from, “I don’t really think the present For Rangers’ second team--the Development twitter.com/berwickrst John Bell Berwick team is all that good,” to “This is the best League side-- the main frustration has been the squad we’ve ever had and sooner or later, it’s going number of postponements meaning there is a to click.” bit of catching up to do as regards fixtures in the second half of the season. However, they My personal highlight to date was the 1-0 Scottish finished the first half of the year with consecutive Cup replay victory at Cliftonhill in truly terrible 2-all draws at Stenhousemuir and against league conditions. The person who invents an ‘all weather’ leaders Raith Rovers in Kirkcaldy where they came football kit, if such a thing is possible, could make a back from 2-0 down to take a well deserved point fortune out of Scottish football! from a team which early on, threatened to run riot. Already, fans are talking about our 5th Round tie Enjoy the rest of the season, in Edinburgh and despite Spartans being outwith the SPFL, this sems to be shaping up as the biggest game of the season so far. Ignore the fact that we Michael won at Ainslie Park in a pre-season friendly on Michael Smyth, an evening when there were more substitutions Chairman from both sides than there were film extras in ‘Ben Hur’! More pertinent to recall that a few years ago, Spartans put us out of the Scottish Cup at their old City Park ground. Another talking point is the scheduled television FOOT NOTE: appearance by Berwick Rangers on Saturday, If you have an questions or February 21st when we play Queen’s Park at issues, or any contributions for Hampden in a game with a 5:30 p.m. kick off. This our newsletter, email: match forms part of the SPFL’s deal with BBC Alba [email protected] By Martin Inglis SAMMY REID (1939-2014) Everyone involved at Berwick Rangers was in my mind, I can visualise it all the time and I can and when Sammy saddened to hear about the death of Sammy remember just how awesome a day it was to be a scored that goal it Reid, scorer of the club’s most famous goal, at Berwick fan.” was mental. The pitch his Wishaw home in Lanarkshire on November 9 was invaded by a few aged 75. John Bell, Berwick Rangers vice-chairman, hundred people and I said: “We were genuinely saddened to hear of was nearly on myself Sammy was part of the Berwick team which Sammy’s passing on Sunday as when we saw but was persuaded not famously defeated Rangers in the Scottish Cup him last there was no hint that he was ill and we to by a member of the first round on January 28, 1967 in what is still were fully expecting to see him around the club constabulary, although considered to be one of the biggest upsets in more often. The whole team – although Sammy I was part of the pitch the history of Scottish football and a result which does get singled out for scoring the goal – are invasion when the gave the Wee Gers some significant publicity in quite legendary and there’s no doubt that what final whistle blew. My the aftermath of the game. about nearly 50 years later. He was a great those guys did put Berwick Rangers on the map sincere condolences to character who didn’t suffer fools gladly, despite in Scottish football. It was also probably the single his family and friends Despite spending just one season with Berwick, being just 5ft 4in tall, but more importantly he biggest event that put the club on the map in and as far as Berwick Rangers are concerned, he Sammy’s left-footed strike on 32 minutes against was a good family man.” world football terms too with a lot of people won’t be forgotten.” a Rangers side laden with Scottish internationals regarding it as one of the greatest ever cup helped write his and his team-mates’ names into Alan Ainslie, also a team-mate of Sammy in 1967, shocks.” Elsewhere, Motherwell paid tribute to one of their Berwick Rangers folklore in what was a truly said: “I was the youngest in the team in ‘67 so he famous ‘Ancell Babes’ with Sammy an integral part unforgettable day for the club. was like the father figure to me in the dressing Dennis McCleary, Berwick Rangers club of arguably their finest team in the late 50s while room. I looked up to him, as did some of the other secretary, said: “It was just so sad to hear the news Falkirk, Clyde and Liverpool – who Sammy failed More recently, Sammy had been back at Shielfield younger lads like Kenny Dowds because at that about Sammy as he’d been looking ever so well to make a competitive appearance for after an Park on October 4 where he watched Berwick time, I was only 19 and he would’ve been around when he was last down here two or three weeks £8,000 move from Motherwell in 1960 – also paid defeat Formartine United 2-0 in the Scottish Cup 27 and he’d been around and played a bit more. ago and I even said to him that he looked fit their respects with articles on their official club second round and he had also planned to attend He had a lot of injury problems but he was the enough to be pulling on the number eight shirt. I websites. the fourth round tie against Albion Rovers on total professional and such a nice guy. The special was there (in 1967) with my mother among a lot November 29. thing as well about ‘67 is the team that played of Rangers fans in what is now the North Stand The club’s social media feeds were also against Rangers never played together again and was then cinder terracing and my dad was inundated with messages of sympathy from fans, Tributes poured in for Sammy from ex-team- because the following game Jock didn’t play, on a turnstile. I honestly thought, as did Jock highlighting the high regard in which Sammy was mates, club officials and fans alike and led by when it came to the Hibs game George Christie Wallace, that Berwick had a chance, although held. friend and team-mate Russell Craig, here are didn’t play and at the end of the season that was few believed it but we were in cracking form at some tributes to Sammy and memories of that it.” the time. For Berwick the publicity was immense. Neil McLain wrote on the club’s Facebook game in 1967. They filled Sunday and daily newspapers for days page: ‘Sammy the biggest name in the history Eric Tait, Berwick Rangers’ record appearance after with Sammy of course being the main focus of Berwick Rangers, gone but will never be Russell Craig, team-mate of Sammy in 1967, maker and goalscorer, said: “Sammy is somebody of attention with Jock.” forgotten. This legend’s name will be spoken for said: “I went about with Sammy for the last 25 I’ll always look up to because he was a legend many years to come. Always remembered. RIP.’ years and I knew him as a very determined and at the club and what he did is something that David Spence, Berwick Rangers Supporters Trust James Welsh wrote: ‘R.I.P. Sammy Reid. Berwick strong-minded man. He played with Clyde and will never be forgotten. I remember being in the committee member and 12 at the time of the Rangers legend. Thank you for the most famous broke his kneecap in a game at Easter Road which Ducket for the game as a 16-year-old at a time Rangers game, said: “I met Sammy about half a moment in Berwick’s history!’ put his career on hold before he was signed by when I never missed a game for many years and dozen times in the last 20 years and found him to Ian Spence at Berwick in 1966.