Only one player and/or manager can claim anything like that sort of long service award – Jocky Scott. Jocky first walked through the players’ entrance in 1964, having firstly gone to Chelsea from school and he went onto serve the club, twice as a player, twice as manager and also as coach.
I delivered Jocky’s milk when he first moved to Barnhill in the late 60’s and, Aberdonian or not, there was usually a tip and I have always found Jocky to be a straightforward, approachable man, whether on or off duty – at Dens, or in the Royal Arch on a Saturday night.
My first memory of Jocky was in a league game at Tannadump in September 66, when as a swashbuckling young striker Jocky put two in the shed net as part of a 4-1 win. I remember the Dees fans at this game pointing in unison to United’s new “can-opener” stand and chanting – Aluminium, Aluminium, Aluminium! – Priceless memories.
It was over a year before Jocky became a first team regular and the song,
“ The Dens Park choir sing the song Jocky, Jocky, the Dens Park choir sing the song – Jocky Jocky Scott, was first aired around 68’ and sung with some gusto over a number of years.
As part of the Wallace, Duncan, Scott front three ; or playing alongside Bryce, Lambie, or Jimmy Wilson, he gave some truly magic moments, none more so than when tormenting the life out of United in 71, as Dundee raced to a 5-1 lead, (before the pedal came off for a 6-4 final score). To my dying day, I will remember an all white clad Jocky standing on the line at the TC Keay end, arms already raised, after having waltzed past the Dabs defence. He waited until a United defender lunged to put a tackle in, before nonchalantly rolling the ball into the corner of the net and the terracing dance began.
Other brilliant performances included high profile cup games against Cologne, Milan, Rangers and Hibs, although he always seemed to achieve anonymity in the annual semi finals against Celtic. In the 3-3 cup game against the Hibees in 1974, he opened the scoring, by sprinting Alan Wells style from the edge of the box to deftly intercept a pass back in mid air and knock the ball home in one movement – sheer poetry!
He also played a major part in Dundee’s first home win over Celtic in 11 years in Sept 72’ The Dees won 2-0 and we headed “doon the Hulltoon” after the game in joyous mood, bound for the Hansom Cab.
Much has been written lately about the perils of this route and just before the 6 of us reached the top of the Wellgate steps, we were jumped by a dozen marauding green weedgies. In the running skirmishes, which followed, one of their chief honchos sustained a broken jaw and another enjoyed an unplanned journey through a plate glass window (honest it wasnae me). It doesn’t pay to mess with the Dees in the Hilltown.
Then, during one of the perennial financial crisis at Dens, Jocky left to go to his hometown team Aberdeen, shortly after the start of the first Premier league season in 75-76 and it was no co-incidence that the Dees were relegated.
Within two years, Jocky was back and playing in midfield, although a combination of Tommy Gemmill’s panzer tactics and a serious back injury gave Jocky few chances to indulge in his characteristic surging runs; in addition, his telepathic soulmate Wallace was given a free by Gemmill despite being top scorer!
His last game was in 1980 and, he had to be substituted in his testimonial against Aberdeen in 81. Better days were to come and Jocky proved himself as coach under Archie Knox before being handed the poisoned chalice, as Arab Knoxy slithered off to Pitodrie to join Fergie. In his first spell in charge he was forced, firstly by Gellatly and then by Angus “Cook the Books”, to sell Robert Connor, Ray Stephen and John Brown, bringing in Keith Wright and Tommy Coyne for a fraction of the cost. Jocky also lost skipper Jim Duffy to injury in the infamous “studs caught in the Teddy Bear park turf tragedy”.
Under Jocky, the Dees had finished 6th and then 7th out of 12, winning more games than they lost and having a healthy goal difference. In this spell, there was some good midfield and forward play – Tosh Mckinlay, Rafferty, Wright and Coyne in particular could play, but the team was often undermined by poor distribution out of defence and this was a factor that would plague all Jocky’s sides.
Jocky’s second spell in charge saw promotion back to the premier and the highest league placing since 1962 – 5th and for a while in the second half of the 1998/99 season, Dundee were playing some decent stuff.
Things started to drift downhill in 99/2000 and again it was poor distribution out of defence – i.e. continually giving the ball away, which was Jocky’s downfall. However, Jocky successfully stabilised Dundee as a premier league club and I’d like to thank him for that and for all the positive memories, which he gave throughout the years as an international class player. If he played for one of the Glasgow giants he would have needed a built-in wardrobe to house all his caps – some things never change.
One truism in football is that fans are almost always around much longer than players, managers, or directors. A bonus we have at Dens these days is that the Marrs Bros. came from the heart of our fan base and can claim a pedigree of support back to the glory days of the early 60’s (nearly as long as I can!)
andy boyack