Interview: Ian Bertram

In the club’s 114-year history, there have now been over 1000 players that have pulled on the blue and white stripes of Huddersfield Town in a competitive match. They all have their place in history. However, there are also many players that, despite being professionals, never got that far. 

Those players that didn’t cross the white line in a competitive match still have a story to tell and recently we spoke to one of them. Ian Bertram is perhaps not a name that most Town fans recognise but he was a goalkeeper at Leeds Road between 1965 and 1968.

Bertram hailed from Dundee, Scotland and was a keen footballer in his youth, playing in goal at a decent level: “As a schoolboy in Dundee, I had dreams of playing professional football. I was a goalkeeper and played for my city and was on the verge of playing for Scotland, but an injury prevented the opportunity” says Bertram. 

As they did in those days, children left school at 15 years of age and went straight out into the big wide world. By now, Bertram had already attracted interest from a number of professional clubs and was lucky enough to have a choice of where he wanted to go once he left school.

“When I left school at 15, I had the chance of going to West Ham United, Hearts or Huddersfield Town. After speaking with my family, we decided that a move to Huddersfield Town would give me the best opportunity”.

There is over 300 miles between Dundee and Huddersfield but Bertram embarked on the long journey down to Yorkshire on the train, though in those days, they probably weren’t affected by long delays and cancellations: “I remember the long rail journey from Dundee to Huddesrfield very well. I was going to live in a town I’d never visited, so I was very apprehensive”.

At the time, Town were managed by fellow Scotsman Tom Johnston, who had been in charge at Leeds Road since the early months of the 1964-65 season following Eddie Boot’s departure. His first season had seen a decent finish in 8th position. When Bertram arrived at the train station, Johnston was there waiting for him: “I was met by the manager, who then took me in his car to a bed and breakfast establishment. It felt really strange as I watched Mr. Johnston drive off. However, I quickly settled in and when a taxi came to pick me up and take me to Leeds Road for the first time, I was so excited”. 

At the time, the club had a fabulous reputation for developing youth players and in the years prior to Bertram’s arrival, the club had produced the likes of Denis Law, Ray Wilson, Mike O’Grady, Bob McNab, Derek Parkin, John Oldfield and Billy Legg, all players that were well thought in the game. As Bertram arrived, he would form part of a new generation that was working hard to progress through the ranks.

He remembers those early days well: “Once at Leeds Road, I met with all the ground staff and first team players, it was like a dream come true. Some of the names include Frank Worthington, Bobby Hoy, Geoff Hutt and Alan Jones. My nickname at Town was “Sam” after Sam Bartram, the famous German goalkeeper. However, my surname is Bertram!

“We all got on very well and besides training, we used to sweep the stands after any home game, then there was the job of cleaning the first team players’ boots. Nothing was an effort for us, as we all hoped we were heading towards the dream of becoming a first team player”.

Bertram quickly got his first taste of regular football at Leeds Road, or Beck Lane to be more precise, which had been the home of Town’s youth team since 1934: “I began playing for the youth team shortly after arriving at the club. My biggest memory from that period was a trip to Old Trafford to play Manchester United in the F.A. Youth Cup. As we arrived in the car park, I saw George Best’s car, which appeared to have lipstick on it! So the great man was coming to the game!”. 

Not only was the Northern Irish international in attendance, but also one of the game’s most successful managers.

“When we got to the dressing room, the great Sir Matt Busby was waiting to greet us and wish us well. Although we were beaten 3-0, with Brian Kidd scoring one of the goals, I was given the headline “Bertram looks a fine prospect” in a Manchester newspaper.

“I have two more wonderful memories that involve Old Trafford, I played in the F.A. Youth Cup where we lost 2-0 and another in the reserves where we drew 1-1”. 

While on the groundstaff, Bertram remembers an occasion where one of his teammates saw into the future: “Part of the tasks of being on the groundstaff was to go to Beck Lane, the home ground of the youth team, to carry out work on the pitch. On one occasion there, the late Frank Worthington said to me “one day I’ll play for England” and as we all know, that prediction came true!”.

After spending his early career at Town in the youth team, he eventually made the step up to the reserve side: “My career was going well and my relationship with the ground staff and first teamers was great and I eventually got my opportunity in the reserves. Although I was extremely nervous, I performed well”.

By the 1966-67 season, Bertram was the regular reserve goalkeeper though had not managed to break into the first team, with the No.1 spot being occupied by John Oldfield. In the league, Town were hoping to reach the First Division, but eventually finished 6th. In March of that season, Town signed fellow Scotsman Joe Harper and he and Bertram quickly became pals.

“The club entered the transfer market and that season they signed Joe Harper for a fee of £30,000 from Greenock Morton and immediately we struck up a friendship. It was during this time I was either playing for the youth team or the reserves”.

During his first two years at Leeds Road, the man who brought Bertram to the club in the first place remained as the manager, despite being unable to guide the club back to the top tier. Bertram remembers Tom Johnston well: “Looking back and not to sound too controversial, Tom Johnston was more of a laid back manager. He spent hours and hours challenging players to games of snooker - the table was directly outside his office! To be fair, I felt it was easier to talk with Mr. Johnston about any concerns I had, especially being so far away from home”.

Bertram openly admits that by now, his lifestyle was going off the rails: “My life off the pitch was becoming erratic, I was going to nightclubs, including the famous Tahiti club. Frank Worthington was often seen there, as he loved soul and Tamla Motown music, Frank was an amazing dancer and always attracted female attention!”. 

“On a Saturday night after the first team had played at home, I would go to the White Hart, where a number of players including Jimmy Nicholson, Jimmy McGill and Joe Harper would go”. 

At the end of the 1967-68 season, Tom Johnston was relieved of his duties as Town boss after four years in charge. The club promoted from within and the chief coach Ian Greaves was appointed as his successor. 

“The coach Ian Greaves became the manager as I continued my progress in the reserves. I was a substitute at the age of 16 when the first team played Borussia Dortmund in a friendly at Leeds Road. Although I never got the opportunity to play, it was still a memorable occasion for me”. 

He recalls Greaves’ management style, which was complete different to that of his predecessor: “I always felt that Johnston empathised more than Greavsie did. Ian Greaves was a stronger character and he built up closer relationships with the first teamers rather than the youth or reserve players.

“He had his favourites at the club and Frank Worthington was one of them. He and Henry Cockburn were extremely close and often shared their memories of their days with Manchester United. I guess different managers have different ideas on how to run a club.

“Nowadays, there’s no managers, just coaches who will go on to the training ground to give tactics for the games. I suppose Greavsie did that often but I never saw Tom Johnston do it” says Bertram.

During his time with the second string, Bertram played under the reserve team coach Henry Cockburn: “I also have really fond memories of the trainer Henry Cockburn as he reminisced about his career at Manchester United”. 

Eventually, after spending three years at the club, Bertram’s time at Leeds Road was coming to an end and he saw it coming: “When I was reaching my 18th birthday, I felt that my career was wavering due to my outside activities. When Ian Greaves called me into his office one day, I wasn’t surprised when he told me that the club were letting me go. I remember being devastated but there was only one person to blame - that was myself”. 

Although Leeds Road is long gone, Bertram still has fond memories of the ground that was demolished back in 1994: “My memories of Leeds Road are all positive. I can still picture it now, every morning, we’d all go to a small window of the secretary’s office to collect brown envelopes with wages inside. No bank transfers in those days - just ready cash!

“The dressing rooms were quite small as I remember, with a large communal bath and a couple of showers. All the new groundstaff would have to go through an initiation of a random cold shower hosing down, something I’ll always remember”. 

It’s now 54 years since Bertram left Huddersfield Town and although he doesn’t have many momentos of his time at the club, he still has his memories to look back: “I have only got my Huddersfield Town tie as memorabilia. Unfortunately my other paper cuttings have been stored away for many years. At the age of 71, I had all the memories in my head so I didn’t need to revisit the cuttings!”.