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Jim McLean


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On 28/12/2020 at 01:46, betting competition said:

Oh the memories of Jim McLean and Willie Miller having a set to at half time in an important cup replay at Dens.

I was at that game in the old stand at Dens right at the front row.

That was the game Paul Hegarty was sent off for the only time in his career for amfoul on Charlie Nicholas (who gave Hegarty a wee sneaky punch as he went down).

I remember that game for other reasons as I was at it with my mum, dad and wee brother. We were under orders to get home after it ASAP so she could check the camera hadn't spotted her giving Miller "a piece of her mind!"

 

On Jim though, outside of football he was a very decent man. When it came to football though he was a perfectionist. He didn't enjoy the victories (or even the achievements if he didn't win) as he was such a perfectionist as he would, as said previously, berate the team even in victory but it was himself that took the worst of it. He would always look back and have a go at himself for not doing this or that or that he could have done better.

It was the right time for him to step down when he did from managing as players had changed and the football had changed and I'm sure he said so himself, didn't quite relate to these times.

For a United fan like myself born in 75, I'm privileged to have grown up watching that. I may have appreciated it more as an adult, but as a child it seemed like it went on forever.

In 1984 while at primary school we had the school tv wheeled into the gym hall so that the school could watch the Roma away leg. 

When ever you had football at school it was shirt out and socks rolled down to the ankles and that floppy collared top, a thing of beauty. When ever we got a holiday and went to Majorca or Tenerife when you spoke to a local, or French or German tourists and told them you were from Dundee, it was "Ahh, Dundee United". Altough Jerry Kerr had good results in the Fairs Cup, that was down to Jim Mclean.

My wee lad is the same age now as I was in 87, it is absolutely incredible and incomprehensible to him that the club reached those heights consistently, were well known across the continent and nearly signed a Brazilian world cup star.

It will never happen again for various reasons, sadly for well run clubs everywhere, but I'm glad I saw it.

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33 minutes ago, Day of the Lords said:

We've had an almost ceaseless turnover of absolute fucking idiots in the boardroom since the late 60s. 

 

21 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

I know/knew four former Dundee FC directors and would concur.

Dundee have been very unfortunate with some of the people at board level.

 

One f****** idiot in the boardroom could be considered unfortunate.

A ceaseless turnover smacks of carelessness.

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21 minutes ago, Day of the Lords said:

GDS 😂

Whilst an extreme example, he didn't really have a huge amount of decision-making power as far as i remember, he was mainly a media-whore gobshite. I've probably missed a few out but here's a quick run down of the more notable nutters during my time as a fan:

  • Angus Cook - eventually done for fraud involving frozen chicken products. Also a massive Celtic fan.
  • Andrew Drummond - notable for being punched in his office by the above. I also vaguely recall some cross-dressing/fight/drunk incident in the papers
  • Ron Dixon - Lost interest. Built a greyhound track and wanted to build an 8000 seater stand where the Derry is, with a bridge over Dens Road to an ice rink. 
  • The Marrs - Took a massive gamble and almost completely finished the club. Basically set the club back 20+ years for 2 top six finishes and a shite cup final. See also aforementioned links to nutters like GDS, Arkan and various other dodgy individuals
  • Calum Melville - See above. Been involved in various alleged frauds I believe

There are a few others, not to mention the various backstabbings when the fans group were in the boardroom. 

Basically a near non-stop shambles for decades. 

Add to that the Gellatly era. Dundee should have been the one.of the richest clubs in Scotland and much more difficult for United to have over taken. The amount of money that "allegedly" taken out of the club was substantial. 

All rivalry aside, well run there is no reason Dundee shouldn't be Premiership regulars.

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24 minutes ago, Day of the Lords said:

GDS 😂

Whilst an extreme example, he didn't really have a huge amount of decision-making power as far as i remember, he was mainly a media-whore gobshite. I've probably missed a few out but here's a quick run down of the more notable nutters during my time as a fan:

  • Angus Cook - eventually done for fraud involving frozen chicken products. Also a massive Celtic fan.
  • Andrew Drummond - notable for being punched in his office by the above. I also vaguely recall some cross-dressing/fight/drunk incident in the papers
  • Ron Dixon - Lost interest. Built a greyhound track and wanted to build an 8000 seater stand where the Derry is, with a bridge over Dens Road to an ice rink. 
  • The Marrs - Took a massive gamble and almost completely finished the club. Basically set the club back 20+ years for 2 top six finishes and a shite cup final. See also aforementioned links to nutters like GDS, Arkan and various other dodgy individuals
  • Calum Melville - See above. Been involved in various alleged frauds I believe

There are a few others, not to mention the various backstabbings when the fans group were in the boardroom. 

Basically a near non-stop shambles for decades. 

Having read that, it's actually remarkable that Dundee are still around, never mind not scrambling about in the second division.

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On 28/12/2020 at 02:05, Owsley said:

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.

Ok this one is a bit like the St.Mirren were the reason Hearts didn't win the league in 1986, in that it's  nonsense.  This was the offside rule at the time... A player was considered offside unless three players of the opposing side are in front of him (includes goalkeeper).  The "goal " was adjudged  offside because when Iain Ferguson shot, there was a United player on the goal line. So as he struck the ball , a United player was in front of him and offside. The United player on the line, had at best, two St.Mirren players in line with him, not in front of him if they had been in front of him they would have been out of play as they would have been over the goal line, I hope that clears that up. Check the video from 2:00 in.

 

Edited by madmitch
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