Hunter Devine is part of a unique group of footballers who can say that they have scored a hat-trick at Hampden and finished on the losing side but there are even fewer players that can say they have scored a perfect hat-trick at Hampden and finished on the losing side.
Devine hit home his header along with right and left foot shots for Queen’s Park on Easter Monday 1957 as they went down 6-4 to Rangers in a pulsating First Division game.
Rangers were chasing the title against a Queen’s side that were looking to continue the progress they had made a year before in winning the last ever ‘B’ Division title and the Hampden side were given a chance to open the scoring on 4 minutes only for Bert Cromar to miss a penalty.
George Herd, who we featured in last week’s newsletter gave Queen’s the lead, and then Devine headed in the first of his hat-trick before Max Murray scored for Rangers.
Devine then scored twice in a row to have Queen’s 4-1 ahead, before South African Jonny Hubbard grabbed a double before half-time.
Murray, Billy Simpson and Alex Scott all scored to turn things around in the second half after Queen’s had been reduced to ten men when Junior Omand was injured and in these pre-substitute days he had to stay on playing an ineffectual role.
A now 77-year-old Devine said, “I was really pleased with the headed goal as I got myself into a good position by running to the near post and then glancing the ball goalward. I have a really good picture of that goal where you see me looking round to check that the ball has gone over the line.”
“Ian Harnett helped me tremendously that day and he helped me complete that perfect hat-trick. Rangers’ two goals just before half-time changed things as did Junior’s injury but there were great goals throughout the match. I was fortunate to play in the game and there were lots of people between 30 and 40 thousand fortunate enough to say that they watched it.”
Whilst it was a great game the result still rankles over 55 years later with Devine adding, “We were devastated at getting beat. We had been 4-1 up and lost and we sat around afterwards disappointedly wondering how it could happen.”
“When the score went to 4-3 it became a different ball game and then when Junior Omand suffered from his pulled muscle it became different again. I think that Andy McEwan hit the bar in the second half so we did not just drop out of things totally.”
The seeds for Queen’s fine performance and season had been sown over the previous season with Devine saying, “That game is different to the game that is taking place this weekend as it was a top flight game and we could compete at that level then. We were not intimidated by any team and we had been the Second Division Champions so were used to winning games.”
“When we won the ‘B’ Division in 1955-56 we had a very strong team defensively. Donnie McLean and I forced our way into the forward line after Jim Ward, who was a Customs and Excise Officer got transferred to London.”
“I was a young lad who thought anything was possible and I scored against Albion Rovers in my first game and then scored against Morton at Morton. I played without fear and that was the approach we took to being in the First Division as well.”
Devine added, “After promotion we felt that we could beat any team and could not see any way in which we would fail even against top teams like Rangers. We were a genuine team where we pulled together and if anyone made a mistake they did not get blamed for it, we just got on with it. “
“We had gone to Rangers and drawn 3-3 in a snow-storm so playing them at home in front of 30,000 to 40,000 was a game we could take in our stride. If you could bottle the confidence we had and then sell it you would make a fortune.”
Unfortunately the team started to break up and relegation came at the end of their second season in the First Division with Devine absent for the closing months as he explained, “I had deferred from doing what was the traditional National Service but by Christmas time we were in a poor position. I was studying to be an Actuary and it suited me to take time off then and study for the exams I had to pass.”
“I went back and had a couple of more seasons in the Second Division before moving south in 1961 although I went back and joined the club for a tour in 1962.”
By this time Devine was doing National Service of a different kind as he explained, “I was working as an actuary with Scottish Amicable and they wanted me to gain experience of working in their London Office where I would see ‘the real world’. It was a route that a lot of Professional people had to take at that time to establish their career as people needed face to face contact and communication is nowhere near as instant as it is today.”
“Like a few people at Queen’s Park we were professional men not professional footballers. My mother insisted that was the way it was to remain, however if my career was happening now I am sure my father would overrule her as the rewards for playing football are so much greater these days.”
The Hampden club had come out with a novel plan to keeping Devine playing for them as he explained, “They actually offered to fly me up on a Friday and then fly me back on a Sunday but that would have been the wrong thing to do. My main career had taken me south and I was close to qualifying fully so I felt I should remain there.”
“I enjoyed London life and played my football in the Athenian League with Hounslow Town who had reached the FA Cup Amateur Cup Final in 1962. They had a Scottish captain I had met through the link-up between Queen’s Park and Middlesex Wanderers.”
Prior to his departure from the Spiders the 1959-60 season had seen Devine miss out on the second half of the season for Queen’s Park to become an Olympian for a Great Britain football side alongside Hampden team-mate David Holt.
Devine said, “Most of the early part of 1960 was taken up in preparing for that and this year a lot of fuss has been made of it on the back of the success of the Olympics in London. I was invited to a special lunch in London with other members of the 1960 team this summer before watching a couple of games at Wembley.”
“It was open to amateur players only at that time and it was a terrific honour to be chosen although of course some of the communist countries could bring a full squad. For me it was a case of being in the right place at the right time as if I had been at a club in the North of Scotland it would not have happened. We got there after we qualified through a mini-league after games against Holland and the Republic of Ireland.”
The British side played 3 games that summer against Brazil and hosts Italy with Devine saying, “We played Brazil in Livorno and were beating them 2-1 at half-time but then our right back Tommy Thompson of Blackpool had his leg broken. I was 40 yards away from him but I can still hear the crack now and we ended up playing against Brazil with 10 men and losing 4-3.”
The second game was against Italy with Devine saying, “That game was watched by a partisan crowd, however there was a moat between us and the fans so they never bothered us at all. It was a 9.00pm kick off but the weather was still really humid but we drew 2-2.”
The opening two results were not good enough to see Great Britain qualify for the next stage and they finished their section by beating Taiwan with Devine saying, “Everyone beat Taiwan and Italy beat Brazil and they went through.”
“I missed out on the last game as we knew we were out and we tried to give everyone a game.”
Over fifty years since leaving Queen’s Devine will be back this weekend however he knows his way around the ground well saying, “I took up the chance to get a couple of debentures a few years ago and have used my seats. I attended the Champions League Final when Zinedine Zidane scored that fantastic volley and I took in a Queen’s game a few years ago so I know my way around the old place.”
“I am also a great lover of concerts and have seen Rod Stewart there as well.”
Devine added, “I am looking forward to watching the game this weekend and hopefully another Queen’s Park player can join me in scoring a perfect hat-trick."
