| Bob 70-71 Home
Latest
News
70-71
Teams
A-Z
Players
Search
the Site
FAQs
Quiz
Thirty
Years Ago!
Articles
Where
are they now?
Quizlet
Links
Guestbook
E-mail me
Chat
About
Bob 70-71
|
Caught In Time
Featured
in the back of the Sports section of the Sunday Times,
the Caught in Time
series features a picture of a famous team, offers a
profile of each player, and answers the question 'Where
are they now?'.
Dundee
United win the Scottish title, 1983
by
Martin Greig
It was a
shock of seismic proportions. We think of Scottish
football and only Rangers and Celtic spring to mind -
they win the League every year, after all. Don't they ?
Well, no, actually. Twenty years ago, the Old Firm were
overshadowed by Dundee United, managed by Jim McLean, an
irascible character with an opinion on every subject
under the sun.
But on that Nay Day in 1983, he knew it was time for the
talking to stop. Incrdibly, his men were on the verge of
winning the championship. They 'only' had to beat city
rivals Dundee at Dens Park to win the Premier Division
for the first time in their history.
"With what the players are going out to play for,
there is no talking I can do," said McLean at the
time. "They know they will achieve near immortality
if they win the Championship, and if that doesn't make
them play, nothing will."
They played. A 2-0 win, with goals from Ralph Milne and
an Eamonn Bannon penalty, sealed victory for the
Tannadice side. Only 14 players were used during the
season, 11 of whom came through the club's youth system.
1 Iain Phillip
Preserved a wry sense of humour amid the tyranny of
McLean's reign. Once, on an away European trip, the squad
and journalists were being greeted by cabin crew at
Dundee's airport when, to howls of laughter, Phillip
solemnly said: "All smiles will now be
extinguished." V"on a League Cup medal with
Dundee in 1973 before moving to Crystal Palace then
Dundee United.
Finished his career at Raith Rovers.
2 Paul Sturrock
Made his debut in 1974 at the age of 17 and flourished
under McLean. Spent his entire career at Dundee United
before I retiring, aged 32, to become the youth team
coach. In 1994 he took over as St Johnstone boss and
returned to the Dundee United hotseat in 1998. Now
manager of Plymouth Argyle, whom he has led to the top of
the Nationwide Second Division
3 Hamish McAlpine
Legend has it that McAlpine once kicked I a ball from
Tannadice into Dens Park.
Urban myth? Perhaps, but there is no denying the fairy
tale qualities of the penaltytaking goalkeeper. McAlpine
signed for Dundee United in 1966 and stayed for 20 years
before spells at Raith and Celtic. He is a sales
executive in Dundee.
4 David Narey
Once held every club appearance record, playing 866 times
for United, and was the first player from the club to be
selected for Scotland. He won 35 caps. His most memorable
moment came in the 1982 World Cup when he scored a
30-yarder against Brazil.
Picked up a League Cup winners' medal with Raith Rovers
when they beat Celtic on penalties. Made an MBE in 1992
and is no longer involved in football.
5 Paul Hegarty
Signed from Hamilton in 1974 as a striker, but a switch
to defence for a f'riendly against Everton in 1976 saw
him man-mark England striker Bob Latchford out of the
match. Left for St Johnstone in 1990. Lost his job as
United boss in January, and is out of the game.
6 Richard Gough
Scored 13 goals from right-back in the 1982-83 season.
Three years later he snubbed interest from Rangers to
join Spurs, where he became a crowd favourite.
In 1987 he did join Rangers, leaving for Kansas City
Wizards after captaining the Glasgow side to their ninth
successive title.
Enticed back to Ibrox in a failed attempt to win 10 in a
row, then returned to the US to join San Jose Clash. In
1999 he moved to Nottingham Forest before being reunited
with fonner manager Walter Smith at Everton. His Scotland
career ended in 1993 after 61 caps when he criticised
coach Andy Roxburgh's tactics after a 5-0 defeat by
Portugal. Gough is a pundit and Sun columnist.
7 Davie Dodds
Scored in every round of United's run to the European Cup
semi-finals in 1983-84. In 1986 he joined Swiss club
Neuchatel Xamax, but soon returned to Scotland and
Aberdeen. He won a dream move to boyhood heroes Rangers
in 1989, and went on to coach the reserves until Dick
Advocaat's arrival in 1997. Dodds runs a pub in Dundee.
8 Derek Stark
An attacking midfielder who played a key role in the
title-winning season, but J was forced to quit football
with a serious knee injury in 1985, aged 26. He was Given
a testimonial, and works for Fife police.
9 Maurice Malpas
The youngest member of the League winning side was club
captain by 1987-88 and still holds the club record of 617
League matches. Began working as a youth coach towards
the end of his Tannadice career, and was appointed
assistant to Billy Kirkwood when United were relegated at
the end of the 1995 season. Lost his job at the end of
the Hegarty regime and is Terry Butcher's assistant at
Motherwell.
10 Ralph Milne
The skilful winger remembers the aftermath of that League
triumph none to fondly. "He (McClean) told all of us
- the entire first team squad - that the next day we had
to be available for a testimonial match against
Forfar," Milne recalls. "But deep down we all
knew that if it wasn't for him, many of us would never
have been players." Now runs a pub near Bristol.
11 John Reilly
Was 25 when an Achilles tendon injury appeared to have
ended his career. He was out of the game for five years
between 1986 and 1991, when he had an operation that
meant he could play again. He joined Dunfermline and then
East Fife, before eventually landing up as manager of
Cowdenbeath in 1993. Reilly is involved in sports
journalism.
12 Billy Kirkwood
Signed as an apprentice in 1976, and, with the exception
of his eight months at Hibs, remained right through the
McLean era until the Uefa Cup final defeat by Gothenburg
in 1987. Became a youth coach at Rangers and eventually
returned to Tannadice as manager in 1995. Managed briefly
in Hong Kong before joining Hull City as Mark Hateley's
assistant.
Then spent four years on the St Johnstone coaching staff,
where he was No 2 to Sandy Clark, then Billy Stark.
Released by the Perth club last season, but re-entered
the game at the start of this season when he joined the
Livingston coaching staff.
13 John Holt
The midfield anchor who powered United's engine room
finally ended his 14-year association with the club by
signing for Dunferrnline in September 1987. Managed
Forfar, Deveronvale and Montrose, then returned to
Tannadice as a Scottish FA community development officer.
Lost his job on the backroom staff when Hegarty was
sacked, and recently became part of Celtic's scouting
team.
14 Eamonn Bannon
A Scottish record buy when McLean signed him from Chelsea
in 1979 for 165,000 pounds. Won 11 Scotland caps and
played twice for Hearts before moving to Stenhousemuir.
After playing, he was reserve-team coach at Hibs,
assistant manager at Hearts, and then had a brief spell
managing Falkirk. Is currently in Australia for a year.
From The
Sunday Times 16 November 2003.
Sports Section
Return to
the Caught In Time Index
|
|
