Although Bert Slater will always be remembered as Dundee's top goalie in the early 60's, here is a picture of him a couple of decades later when he was Dee coach in 89/90.A lesser known aspect of Bert is that he once appeared in a TV commercial for Wagon Wheels, the big round chocolate biscuit. The scene kind of resembled Custer's last stand, and Bert was one of the chaps who fell to the ground having been hit by an arrow. It's a wonder he didn't just put a bandage on it and carry on..!!
Here's a rare piece of film from March 1963. It's the final whistle against Anderlecht, and Dundee have won the European Cup quarter-final game 4-1 over at Heysel Stadium in Belgium.A few Dee fans run onto the pitch, go over to keeper Bert Slater and carry him shoulder high along the length of the pitch. A gesture that gets a warm ovation from the crowd!!
The grimace on Ian Ure's face shows that it is as painful to witness the above tackle as it is to be on the end of it!This shot was taken during the infamous 2nd leg tie of the European Cup in Cologne on the 26th Sept 1962.The German "tactics" were deliberately dirty as a consequence of what happened in the 1st leg at Dens.The incident that sparked this nasty retaliation was when the Cologne keeper was accidentally knocked unconscious in a collision with Cousin in the first couple of minutes. Without their goalie, Dundee went on to win 8-1.Humiliated, Cologne concluded that the collision was no accident and that Dundee's keeper, Bert Slater, would be on the end of the same treatment in Germany. Sure enough, Slater received a serious head wound within half an hour and off he went to be bandaged up. Although the injury was bad enough to consider a trip to hospital, Slater decided to see the game out and rejoined the match. Cologne still banged in 4 goals but it was not enough on aggregate.German fans invaded the pitch at the end and almost went on to beat up the Dundee team but there were a few hundred Scots on hand from nearby Army barracks to prevent a more serious scene occurring.Dundee made it home, battered & bruised but not beaten.!
Although Bert Slater will always be remembered as Dundee's top goalie in the early 60's, here is a picture of him a couple of decades later when he was Dee coach in 89/90.
