A Glasgow player, who
shall remain nameless, recently said that, though Robert Stevenson was now thousands of miles away in Australia, he is still
mentioned more often in the herald than any of the current Dynamos side. The allegation is probably true, which to my mind
only shows just how much the club miss their former top scorer, coach and inspiration – and how much he is missed by
the fans at Crossmyloof and every other rink on the circuit.
The
loss of Stevie was a big enough cross to bear, but it wasn’t the only problem Dynamos had to face. They had to start
the season without their next two leading scorers, Billy Lavety and Barrie Stevenson, through injury. They were without international
defenceman Allan Lavety for several weeks, also caused by injury – he first games Allan has missed since coming into
the first team in 1966. And to crown it all, new coach billy Laird walked out on the club after a month.
If
this was a story in a boy’s comic, Dynamos would have come through to win the league. This isn’t and they didn’t,
but never the less, the team did exceptionally well in overcoming tremendous handicaps to finish in a highly creditable fifth
place.
When
all else has been forgotten, last season will stand out in dynamos’ fans memories for at least one thing. In October
they unleashed on an unsuspecting public the most explosive and controversial figure ever to hit the Northern ice hockey scene
in the person of Canadian student, Doug Cameron. No matter whether you liked or hated the boy with the hip length hair, he
certainly brightened up the playing surface and it was a pity that his all out war with the referees kept him so long in the
cooler and obscured his undoubted talent as a hockey player.
A
sixth place finish in the Autumn cup was better than expected and put to shame a lot of the critics who forecast a wooden
spoon for the crippled Dynamos squad. Martin Shields and John Hester take a lot of credit here, accepting the extra responsibility
in the absence of the more experienced forwards and giving everything they had all the time they were on the ice. During the
Autumn Cup two important steps were taken to strengthen the side. Billy Lavety was appointed as coach and Steve McKay, an
old friend, was acquired from Murrayfield to bring solidarity in the nets.
Barrie
Stevenson returned to the fray in January and started playing himself back to full fitness, acquiring several valuable goals
in the process. Once a reasonable league position was assured, coach Lavety took the opportunity of blooding some of the Redwings
into the big time and Jim Robbie, Ian Barratt, Lester Gordon and Greg Reade all
got their baptism in top league action.
This
laddie Barratt looks a real hot prospect and I’d tip him as one to watch next season. Fast and powerful, he can add
strength to the defence once the rough edges have been knocked off his approach. But the crying need is still for goal scoring
forwards. Billy Lavety’s playing future is still in doubt and Martin Shields has gone to Canada, so the burden is going
to fall on Barrie Stevenson and John Hester, unless Larry McCain decides to stay over for another year after all.
Perhaps
the real key too the situation lies with Rudy Carroll and Davie Sinclair. If one, or both of them, can start hitting the back
of the net with regularity without letting up on their valuable checking work, then Dynamos can really start to hum.
I’ve
already said to watch Ian Barratt for next season; now I’ll give you one other name to keep in mind. Up to now the least
publicised o the Lavety brothers has been the youngest, Donnie. I’ve a premonition all of this is going to change shortly
and that the “last of the line” is going to make his more famous brothers take a back seat.
Farquhar
Matheson in 1972/73 Ice Hockey Herald Annual
