Liney provides friendly welcome at Dens Park (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Liney provides friendly welcome at Dens Park

12:20pm Friday 25th July 2008

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It’s always reassuring to see a familiar face pop up in strange surroundings.

Stepping into the old-fashioned, traditional entrance at Dens Park, I was delighted to be greeted by the toothy smile of Pat Liney.

Older City fans will recall the Scottish keeper, who made 166 appearances for the club in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Alongside Bobby Ham, he also holds the rare distinction of having played two spells with both Bradford sides.

But if Liney, pictured right, is fondly remembered in West Yorkshire, it’s nothing to how he is revered in these parts. In Dundee, he will always be known as the goalkeeper who won their one and only league title.

Liney turned pro with the Dark Blues in 1957 after being spotted saving FIVE penalties in one game for junior side Dalry Thistle. His spot-kick prowess came to the fore in dramatic fashion five years later.

With two games of the 1961-62 season to go, Dundee trailed First Division leaders Rangers by just one point. But at half-time, Dundee were winning 1-0 at home to St Mirren while the Gers were a goal down at Aberdeen. The scores were still the same with only 12 minutes left – when Dundee conceded a penalty.

Liney, a boyhood St Mirren fan, remembered some advice his father had given him before the sides met in the Scottish Cup earlier in the season. The Saints penalty taker always thumped it towards the right-hand corner.

So Liney dived in that direction and was able to parry the ball to safety.

Dundee added another goal late on while Rangers were beaten. A final-day 3-0 win at St Johnstone followed and the championship flag flew over Dens Park for the one and only time.

A change of manager meant Liney only played a couple more games for the club before Bob Shankly, brother of the Liverpool legend Bill, sold him.

Shankly refused to let him join Celtic, so instead Liney fulfilled a lifelong dream by signing for St Mirren.

But his place in Dundee history is immortalised – and still brought up regularly since he returned to Dens Park to work as a hospitality host, a role he also performed at Valley Parade until recently before returning to Scotland. He now works alongside Bobby Cox, captain of the title-winning team.

Liney was clutching a signed photo of the 1962 line-up on Wednesday night but admits he is still a bit embarrassed by the constant reminders to his part in their glory.

“People always say that my penalty save won the league but that’s not strictly true,” he said modestly. “But then goalkeepers usually only get mentioned when they make bloopers so it’s nice to be remembered for something like that.”

He still looks back with fondness to his days in Bradford – apart from the time that Bruce Bannister broke his nose with a flailing elbow in training.

“If I’d come round a bit quicker, I’d have got up off the floor and had him!” laughed Liney.