Brothers" search for side of fifties

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A FORMER footballer from Howwood who played in a successful now defunct boys team wants to contact ex-players to celebrate a special club anniversary.

The team, Neilston Waverley, won their first league title 50 years ago and ex-players brothers Ian and Robert Young, who both went on to play for Celtic, want to commemorate with former players by holding a reunion.

The club was founded in 1956-57 by Ian and Robert"s father Tom, who was also one of the founding members of Neilston Juniors, and was their match secretary from 1945 to 1954 approximately.

In 1956-57 Express Weekly, a newspaper for young people published by the Daily Express, ran a UK-wide 5-a-side competition for boys under 15.

Tom entered a team of four boys from Neilston including sons Robert, born and brought up in Neilston, and Ian, who lives in Howwood, along with Duncan Howie and Jim Thorpe and two players from Barrhead Ian Wylie and Alec Kelly.

The side won the Scottish Region section of the competition, which involved about 100 teams, and went on to win the North British Region before losing 1-0 in the Great Britain final at Harringay arena, coming second out of between 1,500 and 2,000 teams which initially participated.

Ian 65, who was right back for Celtic and also played for St Mirren, recalled: 'We were welcomed back from Harringay by hundreds of Neilston villagers with a pipe band and civic reception.

'The following year 1957-58 the team was entered in the Renfrewshire Under Age League for boys under 17.

'In 1958-59 Neilston Waverley won the League and the Renfrewshire Cup which were the first of many trophies won by them in their seven years of existence.'

Ian said that many of the players joined Scottish and English senior clubs after leaving Waverley including Leicester City, Third Lanark, Motherwell, Celtic and Falkirk while others went on to play for Neilston Juniors and Arthurlie and many other junior clubs.

They included Jim Bowie -Third Lanark, Billy McDerment - Leicester City, St Mirren and Luton Town, John McCaw - Celtic, Raymond Clark - Leicester, David Kearney -Falkirk, Jim Orr- Celtic, Robin Kilpatrick - Queen"s Park and Partick Thistle, Ian Wylie, Arthurlie Captain.

Both Robert 67, and Ian would like to contact former club players with a view to having a re-union in Neilston on September 4.

If you played for Waverley in the 1950s or 1960s or have information about anyone who played during that time then contact Robert on 0141 242 1710 or Ian on 07866217735.

This article appeared in The Gazette 06 May 09

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