Jim McLean

[SouthLanarkshireWhite]

13 minutes ago, Owsley said:

Jim began his playing career at Accies and did very well, winning a move to Clyde then onto Dundee and Kilmarnock. Played the most games and scored the most goals while at Accies.

I loved his United teams of the 80s, and I loved Fergie's Dons too. It was great seeing the Old Firm have to take a back seat, especially in Europe. Really envious of those here who were at the 5-0 Monchengladbach second leg. Didn't they once scored five in Monaco too, before they got big? Wonderful, nerve wracking nights in front of the telly  as a teenager watching United beat Barcelona home and away, my Rangers supporting Dad cheering like mad when Clark and Ferguson scored in the Camp Nou. And the reunion with Monchengladbach in 87, Ferguson again and Ian Redford (RIP), more wild cheers in our house. Final was an anti-climax, as was the Scottish Cup final, when United were robbed by a ludicrous offside. I really wanted United to win, for Jim and for a group of players who really deserved it. 

RIP Jim, you miserable old bugger.

Very impressive record. Made the 80s much more interesting and gave Scottish football a lift away from the usual focus. Competed extremely well and almost certainly made some DUFC players better than they would have been elsewhere. 

[sheikyerbouti]

2 hours ago, Bob Mahelp said:

Apologies for a wee bit of self-indulgence here, but there will be a few of us on this board (I'm thinking Jacks' Grandad) who were around in the glorious days of the 1980's. 

For me, even a mention of Jim's name brings back spine-tingling, vivid memories of a packed Tannadice with it's steep terracing, and of a filled Pittodrie where games against United were the ones you looked for on the fixture lists and were the hottest ticket in town (no tickets though, get there early and queue). 

It brings back vivid memories of adidas kit, Paul Sturrock with his socks round his ankles, of Gordon Strachan scoring penalties, of seeing 4 of the best Scottish defenders ever to play the game....Miller, Hegarty, McLeish, Narey....battling it out on the same pitch, of Dundee man (and generally fine referee) Bob Valentine taking control, of two great teams going it at hammer and tong with nobody really ever knowing who would come out on top. Of Fergie, and Jim. 

It brings back memories of the time when the Old Firm were an irrelevance, and the New Firm controlled the back pages and the headlines on sports programmes. 

I'm not a United fan, but Jim McLean and his team were almost as big a part of my youth as my beloved Aberdeen. 

With his passing, another line is drawn under part of the lives of those who were involved in those wonderful years. 

Thanks for all the memories Jim. 

 

If i can add to that. 

I was at Aberdeen Uni in the 80s and it was enemy territory! I was at Pittodrie for most of the New Firm games in Aberdeen between 82 and 87 and can remember clearly what Bob talks about above. great days and if only I can get "we are the Dons " out of my head it would have been near perfect.

[ArabFC]

3 hours ago, IggyStooge said:

An absolute behemoth of Scottish fitba' and only Ferguson and Stein are ahead of him.

The very first season that club football magically appeared and appealed to me (after Mexico 86); I was with him and his VG-clad Tangerines all the way in 86/87.

Anyone who ever sat down after their dinner and enjoyed a 54321 biscuit remembers Clark and Gallacher putting Barcelona to the sword at the Nou Camp.

A true legend.

He supplied the national team with Malpas, Gough, Narey, Hegarty, Bannon, Sturrock, Gallacher during the 80s and 90s too, so he's alright by me.

We often boast about beating Barcelona four times out of four, but what is lost in it is that we were genuinely better than Barcelona.

It's not a heroic every man behind the ball defensive effort, with a goal sneaked out of nothing - we attacked them from the first whistle.

Hard to comprehend how that was possible now!

[pozbaird]

52 minutes ago, Owsley said:

Jim began his playing career at Accies and did very well, winning a move to Clyde then onto Dundee and Kilmarnock. Played the most games and scored the most goals while at Accies.

I loved his United teams of the 80s, and I loved Fergie's Dons too. It was great seeing the Old Firm have to take a back seat, especially in Europe. Really envious of those here who were at the 5-0 Monchengladbach second leg. Didn't they once scored five in Monaco too, before they got big? Wonderful, nerve wracking nights in front of the telly  as a teenager watching United beat Barcelona home and away, my Rangers supporting Dad cheering like mad when Clark and Ferguson scored in the Camp Nou. And the reunion with Monchengladbach in 87, Ferguson again and Ian Redford (RIP), more wild cheers in our house. Final was an anti-climax, as was the Scottish Cup final, when United were robbed by a ludicrous offside. I really wanted United to win, for Jim and for a group of players who really deserved it. 

RIP Jim, you miserable old bugger.

Miles offside. Miles.

[DukDukGoose]

Jealous reading all these posts from the older generation.

[Sergeant Wilson]

2 minutes ago, Merkland Red said:

Jealous reading all these posts from the older generation.

Don't be. I'd rather be 20 again than have been around to see Dundee Utd winning the league.

[DukDukGoose]

1 minute ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

Don't be. I'd rather be 20 again than have been around to see Dundee Utd winning the league.

I missed the Dons in the 80s though. Played the team of the decade and glory of Gothenburg VHS' to death as a child 

[Grangemouth Bairn]

4 hours ago, IggyStooge said:

An absolute behemoth of Scottish fitba' and only Ferguson and Stein are ahead of him.

The very first season that club football magically appeared and appealed to me (after Mexico 86); I was with him and his VG-clad Tangerines all the way in 86/87.

Anyone who ever sat down after their dinner and enjoyed a 54321 biscuit remembers Clark and Gallacher putting Barcelona to the sword at the Nou Camp.

A true legend.

He supplied the national team with Malpas, Gough, Narey, Hegarty, Bannon, Sturrock, Gallacher during the 80s and 90s too, so he's alright by me.

Thanks for sharing - watched this as a 9 year old and was mesmerised by how good Paul Sturrock.

Got a wee lump in my throat watching today - we will never see the likes of the Utd and Aberdeen teams from the 80’s pumping Barca, Real, Bayern etc again sadly.

[Andy_K_97]

You really don't get men like Jim McLean any more. You cannot imagine someone like that getting a foot in the door for an interview as a manager any more, let alone getting the job itself. You cannot imagine the modern player taking to his training methods, his basic wage of a pittance but massive win bonuses, his bollocking a team for winning by a comfortable margin but not quite by enough for his high standards. You cannot imagine his no-nonsense style of punditry when commenting on games. 

But above all that, you cannot fathom someone taking a wee, provincial club which had done relatively well in the past decade but still very much the underdog in the city and overtaking the established "bigger club", winning their first major honours, a league and getting within a whisker of the European Cup final and the UEFA Cup itself with the resources at hand. One of the United fans I follow on twitter put it very well when he quoted the lyrics for Sit Down by James and said "if I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor". Without Jim McLean Dundee United would just have been another team, but you cannot imagine Dundee United without Jim McLean. Much like how when you mix two materials to create an alloy, they cannot be separated and are all the stronger for it. He deserves all the plaudits and more - while he may just have been "wee Jum" to many, to the Scottish game he was a colossus and we are worse off for having lost him. 

This Nutmeg article by Neil Forsyth is a smashing read and no matter who you support, it'll have you smiling. I hope the wee man's looking down on us all and raging that despite all the praise we're giving him, we're not giving him enough dues for his high standards. My word, we'll miss him.

[Lurkst]

Hard to beat an accolade like this...

 

[Bob in Denny]

Simply? LEGEND

[johnnydun]

Took a drive past Tannadump earlier to see it very busy with folk tying scarves and flags to the gates with the odd Dundee top thrown in.

Really moving when someone gains so much respect from both sides.

 

[Dunfermline Don]

I feel privileged to have been alive at the time he was Utd manager though as a Dons fan probably didn’t fully appreciate it at the time.
It’s hard to believe that both McLean and Ferguson turned down the Rangers job in 83 as they had better chances of silverware and European success staying where they were.
My sympathies go out to all Arabs and his family at this time.

[superbigal]

First memories as about 5 years old with big Andy Gray banging in 4 goals. (Might have been Dumbarton?)
Then was just about the perfect age of 11 when Willie Pettigrew banged in a couple for our first trophy at Dens.  Crammed into the Provy Road terracing what a night.
Then back the following year in luxury in the main stand. Sneaked through the turnstyle as tickets were like hens teeth for the Derby demolition.
What a period to be a season ticket holder through to mid 80s when I really started playing decent football myself on a Saturday.
Was an absolute pleasure to be growing up in that Era.
Wee Jim actually turned up in disguise Scouting me in a cup final at St Andrews Utd in mid 80s. I was never good enough for his standards, but it was an awesome feeling back then as a teenager to know such a legend had taken the time to watch.
 

[Sugar_Army]

Posted this on another forum.

Been looking at Wee Jim's record while following United.
73-74 SC final
79-80 LC Winners
80-81 LC Winners
80-81 SC final
81-82 LC final
82-83 LC semi
82-83 Premier League Winners
83-84 LC semi
83-84 European Cup semi
84-85 LC final
84-85 SC final
85-86 LC semi
85-86 SC semi
86-87 LC semi
86-87 SC semi
86-87 UEFA Cup final
87-88 SC final
88-89 LC semi
89-90 SC semi
90-91 LC semi
90-91 SC final

Between the seasons 77-76 and 92-93 United never finished lower than 5th.
Add to that the many glorious European nights, we were spoiled beyond belief but when you look at the players we had at the time I still cannot believe Jim only won 3 trophies in his career.

[ewan14]

3 hours ago, ArabFC said:

We often boast about beating Barcelona four times out of four, but what is lost in it is that we were genuinely better than Barcelona.

It's not a heroic every man behind the ball defensive effort, with a goal sneaked out of nothing - we attacked them from the first whistle.

Hard to comprehend how that was possible now!

IIRC Utd. home was a " different " team to Utd. away

At home it was getting down the wings and crosses in while away it was counter attack , starring Paul Sturrock

[ewan14]

14 minutes ago, Sugar_Army said:

Posted this on another forum.

Been looking at Wee Jim's record while following United.
73-74 SC final
79-80 LC Winners
80-81 LC Winners
80-81 SC final
81-82 LC final
82-83 LC semi
82-83 Premier League Winners
83-84 LC semi
83-84 European Cup semi
84-85 LC final
84-85 SC final
85-86 LC semi
85-86 SC semi
86-87 LC semi
86-87 SC semi
86-87 UEFA Cup final
87-88 SC final
88-89 LC semi
89-90 SC semi
90-91 LC semi
90-91 SC final

Between the seasons 77-76 and 92-93 United never finished lower than 5th.
Add to that the many glorious European nights, we were spoiled beyond belief but when you look at the players we had at the time I still cannot believe Jim only won 3 trophies in his career.

1 )  Aberdeen were pretty good at the time as well

2 )  Sevco cheated them in at least one ( LC ) final. A sensational Sturrock strike disallowed by a mason in the black 

 

[ewan14]

1 hour ago, Lurkst said:

Hard to beat an accolade like this...

 

Absolutely

[Jacksgranda]

3 hours ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

Don't be. I'd rather be 20 again than have been around to see Dundee Utd winning the league.

[Sugar_Army]

1 hour ago, ewan14 said:

1 )  Aberdeen were pretty good at the time as well

2 )  Sevco cheated them in at least one ( LC ) final. A sensational Sturrock strike disallowed by a mason in the black 

 

They were indeed a good team.  Strangely enough we have only faced Aberdeen in one cup final during his time, the same amount as Dundee, St Mirren and Motherwell.  

There were a few sore ones during those years.  That Rangers one you already mentioned would have given us 3 league cup wins in a row.

St Mirren 87 scoring through Ian Ferguson while we got one chalked off from our own Ian Ferguson only a few minutes earlier (probably the sorest as both teams were crap and it impacted on an even bigger game a few days later).

The Motherwell 90 could easily went the other way had we got the breaks on the day (Hamish French got one chalked off after a couple of minutes and Freddy Van der hoorn hit the post and it ran across the face off the goal for a goal kick five minutes after that), but sometimes your name is on the cup, like ours was in 94.

Celtic scoring two late goals in 85 and in 88 when we were 1-0 up in both games were gutting.

Even in Europe, we turned up to the Uefa cup final dead on our feet having lost the Scottish Cup to St Mirren in extra time a few days earlier.  I genuinely think that had we won the Scottish we could really have won the Uefa,  but in saying that Gothenburg were no mugs. 

The European semi was also a hard one to take despite all the shenanigans before, during and after.  Up 2-0 from the first leg, United had their chances but did not take them and if you ask any if the players they will tell you that they underperformed on the day.  Whether we would have went on to beat Liverpool and spaghetti legs Grobbelaar in the final is another story.

All in all The McLean years will be looked back on fondly by those who witnessed them, even if it is tinged with a wee bit of...what if?

Going to go and have a wee lie down in a darkened room after typing all that! 

Edited December 27, 2020 by Sugar_Army