Called to book

I CANNOT believe the recent horror and shock expressed at large over the betting allegations raised against the Rangers player Ian Black. It is not at if it is something new.

In 1955 as a schoolboy in Inverness, I travelled in by bus from out country to attend the academy. One morning, we came across a resplendent quartet. Celtic had travelled north to play an Inverness Select that evening. The quartet consisted of Celtic’s then craggy centre-half Jock Stein and his equally illustrious team-mates Bobby Evans, Charlie Tully and Neil Mochan. Resplendent they were, neatly attired in club blazers and flannels. To our delight, Stein addressed us: “Hey son, is their a bookies around here?” Being country lads, we did our best to direct the bemused quartet to MacKays bookshop further down the High Street. Fortunately, a more street wise Invernessian stepped in to put them in the right direction.

Hugh T Grant

Swanston Avenue

Inverness