Footballer with Aberdeen
Born: 7 May, 1932;
Died: 2 August, 2017
DAVE Caldwell, who has died aged 85 after a lengthy battle against Alzheimer's, was a footballer and one of the unsung heroes of the successful Aberdeen teams of the 1950s.
Born in Clydebank, Caldwell, who served his marine engineering apprenticeship at John Brown's, where he worked on the Royal Yacht Britannia, was playing for junior side Duntocher Hibs, then seen as a Celtic nursery, when he was spotted by legendary Aberdeen talent-spotter Bobby Calder, who sent him north to Pittodrie in 1953.
His timing was precipitous. Aberdeen boss Dave Halliday was assembling a great squad and several would earn international recognition – goalkeeper Fred Martin, left-half Archie Glen, outside-right Graham Leggat and inside-forwards Benny Yorston, Paddy Buckley and Bobby Wishart (who with Caldwell's passing becomes the last survivor of the side). However, the contribution which the likes of the ever-dependable Caldwell and the other “journeymen” made to a very successful spell cannot be overlooked.
The Dons lost to Celtic in the 1954 Scottish Cup Final, having famously thrashed Rangers in the semi-final, but the following year they took the Scottish League title to the Granite City for the first time, before also lifting the Scottish League Cup the following season, under boss Davie Shaw, the man whom Caldwell had succeeded at left-back for the club. Shaw had become trainer when he retired, before stepping up to manager when Halliday left for England.
In all, Caldwell played 132 games for Aberdeen, between 1953 and leaving for Rotherham United in 1960. His stay in Yorkshire was short however, before he returned to play for Greenock Morton for two seasons.
Next stop was Canada and a spell with Toronto City, before he returned to the north-east of Scotland to play-out his career with Highland League Fraserburgh.
He hung up his boots and joined the real world, where his marine engineering background saw him ideally suited to working in the then booming oil industry in Aberdeen. Caldwell's experience saw him spend a decade and more, up until his formal retirement, as a quality assurance manager with Kaeverner.
His sporting instincts were sustained on the bowling green, where he was as keen and successful as he had been on the football park. He seldom attended football matches, however – he was not a good spectator.
Dave Caldwell was proud of his physical fitness, maintaining a tough fitness regime into his ninth decade, before the ravages of his illness became too much. He was pre-deceased by his wife Eleanor Jane and is survived by daughter Diane and son Dave and their families.
MATT VALLANCE
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