The 'Dunky Black' Interview
Name: Duncan Black
Date of Birth: N/A "Mature" "Very Private Man"
Occupation: Tank driver in the Army before becoming an apprentice enigeer. Spent 40 years as enigeer with Rolls Royce Aero Engines
Football Playing Position: Goalkeeper
Football Playing Career: After progressing through Amateur & Juvenile levels Dunky joined Ashfield Juniors then had spells with Clydebank Juniors & Stirling Albion. Dunky also played 3 games for Stranraer & 1 game for Clyde.
Physio Career: Started his career as physio at 'Third Lanark' which was "The Big Time As They Were In The First Division at the time" and later joined Irvine Meadow
Year Joined Irvine Meadow X1: 1967?
Meadow Managers Worked Under: 21
Favourite Away Ground? "Old Petershill 'Grass' Park - Good Atmosphere"
Favourite Medda Players In Your Time At The Club? "Favourite of favourites, Hugh O'Brien. He is the best junior player I have ever seen at Meadow Park. Hugh O'Brien, different class, whit a player he was".
"Allan Johnstone. Loved the guy to bits. Big Allan Johnstone was different class, liked him alot."
"There other wee ones, A wee captain of Meadow when we were in the Scottish Cup - Ada McLaughlin, wee half back, captain".
"Joe McAvoy, good good back. There was so many".
"Ronnie Adams. You could go on and on, there was so many wonderful players".
"Another guy that comes to mind - Eric Morris, outside left - went to Rangers. Different ooft, different class".
Who spent the most time on the treatment table over the years?
"Awk, there was a lot of phonies by the way, lot of phonies - that's the only thing I can say about that. They were alrite and that but they used to tell you alot of things that, that's why this and that's why that am no getting a game n aw this - they gave you stories of their life, I said am not interested in that. A lot of them were at it, they didn't want to train so that was the bottom line and I had to assess whether they were telling the truth or giving me fibs which was very difficult to do because you have got to be very careful as I told a player 'I don't think there is anything wrong with your ankle' and he stormed off the table".
"But, eh there was one big Michael Gillespie (went to Clyde from the Meadow), he was a big hard b*****d you know and he was up on the table and I was monkeying about his ankle and I said 'I cannae see much wrang with that' and he says, he was looking at me with the big face, you calling me a liar sir? Haha, a says 'al have another look at it' I remember that, that was funny you know that was funny but thats aboot aw - I didn't get much hassle from most of them".