Saturday
30th March 2002, in the John Walker East League A division against
Newtongrange Star, marked Paul's 500th game for Whitburn.
In the
Club after the game, the Supporters Club and the Social/Football Club
made presentations to Paul to commemorate the occasion.
Here
are some pictures from the presentations.
President
Jack McLeish presents Paul with a gift from the Supporters Club.
Father Kenny
makes a presentation on behalf of the Social and Football Clubs.
Paul with
brother Kenny and Father, also Kenny, both former Whitburn players.
Paul with
Father and Daughter
Paul with
mother and daughter
Here
are some of the highlights of Paul's Whitburn career.
Paul first
joined Whitburn in 1987, from Berwick Rangers.
Season
1987-88
Scottish
Cup semi final v Auchinleck Talbot
Season
1988-89
League
Winner
League
Cup winner
Scottish
International cap
At
the end of season 1988-89 he stepped back up to senior football, with East
Fife.
Paul
returned to Whitburn from East Fife in 1991.
Season
1991-92
Fife
& Lothians cup winner
Scottish
cup semi final v Auchinleck
Season
1994-95
Scottish
cup runners up
Second
Scottish International cap
Season
1995-96
League
Winner
League
cup Winner
Season
1997-98
League
Winner
East
of Scotland cup Winner
League
cup Winner
St
Michael’s cup Winner
Season
1998-99
League
cup Winner
Fife
and Lothians cup winner
Season
1999-00
Scottish
Junior cup winner
Season
2000-01
Testimonial
season
League
Winner
Brown
cup winner
Season
2001-02
Played
500th game for Whitburn.
East
of Scotland Cup winner
Season
2003-04
Set
a new club appearance record, passing Dennis Graham's total of 547 games for
Whitburn.
Season
2004-05
Played
600th game for Whitburn.
League
winner.
Summary
4
League winners
1
Scottish Cup winners
4
League Cup winners
2
East of Scotland cup winners
2
Fife & Lothians cup winners
1
St. Michael’s cup winners
1
Brown cup winners
6
League runners up
1
Scottish cup runners up
10
local cup runners up
2
other Scottish Cup semi final appearances
Capped
twice for Scotland Juniors, in 1989 and again in 1995
Season
2000-01 was his testimonial season. Details of this, and more about Paul can
be found below.
This is Paul Taylor's 10th season
with Whitburn, and in recognition of this, there will be various testimonial
events organised throughout the season.
Anyone who remains loyal to one club for
10 years nowadays is fully deserving of such recognition, and the Supporters
Club commend Paul for his loyalty, wish him all the best for his testimonial
season and pledge our support.
His preferred position is left midfield
and he must be regarded as one of the best crossers of the ball from the
left ever seen at Whitburn, but he is also capable of playing at left back
or a central midfield role when required.
At the end of season 2000-01, Paul
has played
474 games for Whitburn and has scored 65 goals.
Paul first joined Whitburn in 1987, from
Berwick Rangers. Before that he had spells with Aberdeen, Mansfield Town,
Dunfermline and Dumbarton.
At the end of season 1988-89 he stepped
back up to senior football, with East Fife.
During this first period, Paul was one
of Whitburn's most consistent players, appearing in 50 out of 53 games
in season 87-88, and 49 out of 54 in season 88-89.
One of the highlights of season 87-88 was
a Scottish Cup semi-final against Auchinleck Talbot, who were attempting
to lift the trophy for the 3rd successive year. The first game ended in
a 1-1 draw, with Talbot winning the replay 2-1 before going on to beat
Petershill in the final. This was the furthest Whitburn had went in the
competition since their appearance in the 1966 final and they were unlucky,
particularly in the first game, not to repeat the feat.
Season 88-89 brought Paul honours in the
shape of League and League Cup winners medals, and also saw him win a Scottish
junior international cap, making 3 appearances for his country, before
signing for East Fife at the end of the season.
Paul returned to Whitburn from East Fife
in 1991 for his second spell with the club, and since then has played a
major part in establishing Whitburn as one of the top teams in Scottish
junior football, winning every honour available in junior football in the
process.
His achievements in the last 10 years are:
3 League Championship medals (4 in total if you include his first spell
with the club), 3 League runners-up medals,1 East of Scotland Cup winners
medal, 3 League Cup winners medals (4 in total), 2 Fife and Lothian's Cup
winners medals, 1 St. Michael's Cup winners medal, 1 Scottish Cup runners-up
medal, and 5 local cup runners-up medals before finally achieving the ultimate
prize in the junior game, a Scottish Cup Winners medal, last season.
Paul was also capped for Scotland, for
the second time, in 1995.
The following events
have been arranged for Paul's testimonial season.
Tuesday
November 7th 2000
Pie, peas and bingo evening.
Tickets £1.00
each, now on sale.
Friday
November 24th 2000
Race night/disco.
This will also be an
opportunity for many of Paul's former Whitburn team mates to have a reunion.
Tickets are £3.50
each and include a light buffet.
If you would like to
sponsor a race, book a table or buy a ticket, contact Gordon Brown, Secretary
of the Social Club.
Tickets for both the
above events are available in the Social Club.
Sunday
13th May 2001
Testimonial Match and
dinner.
Whitburn select v Former
Rangers select
This will be a game between
some of the best of Oscar's past and present Whitburn team mates, and a
team made up of an impressive line up of former players of Glasgow Rangers,
plus a couple of guests.
The game will kick off
at 2.00 p.m. and entry will be £3.00 for adults and £1.00 for
OAP's and juveniles.
Derek Strickland and
George Fairley will take charge of Oscar's Whitburn team. Brian Fairley
is unable to attend the match as Stenhousemuir have an open day the same
afternoon, but he will be there for the dinner at night.
Paul will be selecting
a squad of 18 players for his Whitburn select, and although not confirmed
yet, some of the former players he hopes can manage are Scottish Cup winning
captain Stevie Prior, Colin Campbell, Gordon Belcher, Evan Balfour,
Davie Scott, Stevie McCormick, brother Kenny Taylor, and several
others as well as many of the current Whitburn team.
Jimmy Nicholl
will take charge of the Rangers select, which hopefully will include Craig
Paterson, Terry Butcher, Bobby Russell, Willie Johnstone, Chris Robertson.
Kenny Black, Gordon Smith, Alex Miller, Robert Prytz, Ally Dawson, Billy
Kirkwood and Sandy Clark as well as Radio Forth dj Scott
Wilson in goal and former Hearts and Scotland forward John Robertson.
Paul's daughter Amy and
nephew Cameron will be mascots for the game, and Paul would be grateful
to hear from anyone who can provide a Whitburn strip to fit a 4 year old.
The match will be followed
by a dinner in the Social Club, with comedian Scott Glynn and guest speaker
John Robertson and another to be arranged.
Paul Gascoigne has signed
a Rangers jersey and there will be other prizes and football memorabilia.
The dinner will start
around 7.00 p.m. with tickets, price £25, available from the Social
Club.
The game
Sunday 13th May 2001
(Photos of the game
will follow soon)
A good sized crowd turned
up to recognise the loyalty Paul has shown to Whitburn, and his contribution
to Whitburn's success.
The match was played
in one off the hottest and sunniest days of the year, which was great for
the spectators but probably not for those actually playing, especially
the ones who haven't played for a few years.
Whitburn's starting line
up was as follows:
(click to enlarge thumbnails)
Rab Burns
Bruce Clouston
Callum Milne
George Fairley
Stevie Prior
Keith Ferguson
Billy McPhee
Carlo Crolla
Kenny Taylor
Colin L.Campbell
Paul Taylor
The Rangers team was
managed by Rangers youth coach Robin Gibson, who was Derek Strickland's
assistant at Whitburn at the start of the season. Robin is well known in
local junior circles, having previously coached Livingston and Armadale.
The Rangers starting line up was as follows:
Jim Stewart
Ally Dawson
Craig Paterson
Stuart Williamson
Chris Robertson
Stevie Richardson
John Robertson
Jimmy Nicholl
Dougie Bell
John Macdonald
Dave MacKinnon
Former Whitburn sweeper
Stevie
Richardson was one player who could rightly appear for either side,
but on this occasion he turned out in Rangers colours. Another was Whitburn
manager Derek Strickland, who came on during the second half for
Whitburn.
Also in attendance, although
not in a playing capacity, was Former Rangers midfielder Ian Durrant, now
with Kilmarnock. With him were Kilmarnock team mates Gordon Marshall, Gus
Macpherson and Alan Mahood, and they are to be commended for their willingness
to sign autographs and pose for photographs for an endless stream of young
fans, all of which added to the atmosphere.
Rangers scored first
when John Macdonald met a cross from the left to volley home.
Whitburn equalised when
George
Fairley fired home from about 12 yards out from a right wing cross.
During the first half,
various substitutions were made in order to give all the players who had
turned up a chance to participate. Making an appearance were Colin Grant,
Derek Haston, Evan Balfour and John Perry.
Half time 1-1
Whitburn's team for the
second half was
Stuart Walker
Stuart Gilmour
Jimmy Rae
Colin Grant
Scott Cowan
Iain Ramage
Stevie McCormick
Colin J. Campbell
Robert Scott
Kenny Hannah
Paul Taylor
Rangers introduced
Scott Wilson of
Radio Forth in goal
Bobby Russell
Sandy Robertson
Whitburn took the lead
and appropriately it was Oscar who was in the right position at
the back post to slot the ball home. One of Whitburn's most prolific goalscorers,
Stevie
McCormick headed home to make it 3-1.
With Rangers tiring
in the heat, and short of substitutes, former Whitburn favourites Lee
Bullen, George Fairley and Evan Balfour pulled on a blue jersey,
and it was Lee Bullen who scored to make the score 3-2.
Making an appearance
for Whitburn during the second half were Derek Black, Glynn Bullen
and after some persuasion from the crowd, Derek Strickland.
Final score - Whitburn
select 3 Former Rangers select 2
Sportsman's dinner
The game was followed
later that evening by a dinner in the Social Club, with speakers John McKelvie,
John Robertson and comedian Scott Glynn, with committee member Bobby Malcolm
opening proceedings by providing a summary of Paul's career.
There was a raffle for
autographed Premier League football jerseys, and another for a mountain
bike. There was also an auction for a Rangers jersey which was signed by
Paul Gascoigne. The jersey was obtained for Paul by his friend Darren Jackson,
who made Gascoigne's acquaintance when they both played for Newcastle,
and who was in attendance.
The hall was full of
familiar faces of past and present team mates, friends, family and supporters,
and everyone had a great evening.
