Fitba 150
February 19, 2023
Event at Hampden Celebrating 150th Anniversary of the First International Football Match Share Tweet by Fraser Cairns During the 2014 World Cup, I stood at
Fraser and Ross engage in a conversation about the unique and exciting Dundee Derby, a football match between Dundee FC and Dundee United FC. They discuss the lack of hostility between the two sets of fans, who drink and laugh together before and after the game, and the intense rivalry between the clubs, marked by mutual respect and banter. The speakers reflect on the history and milestones of each club, including their Scottish Cup and League Cup victories and European Cup and UEFA Cup runs, which add to the intensity of the derby. Despite their rivalry, not much separates the two clubs.
Later on, they delve into their experiences as football writers and how the Dundee Derby changed their perceptions of football. They discuss the significance of Dundee FC’s successful period in 1962 when they won the league and qualified for the European Cup, nearly winning the competition under the management of Bob Shankly. The speakers reflect on the excitement of watching different teams compete and the impact it could have on the game as a whole, as well as the changes that have occurred in football since then, such as the introduction of the group stage in European competitions. They also touch on the successful runs of other Scottish teams, including Hibs, Hearts, and Rangers, and the importance of Dundee’s turn to compete in the 1962-63 season. The speakers reminisce about the thrilling atmosphere surrounding the games and the significance of the European Cup for teams at that time.
The conversation continues with the speakers discussing the matches Dundee FC played in the European Cup in the early 1960s, where they faced big names in European football, such as FC Cologne and Sporting Lisbon. Although they lost their match against FC Cologne, they were able to turn their fortunes around in the next round and win against another opponent. The speakers also discuss the historical significance of Dens Park, the home stadium of Dundee FC, and its proximity to Tannadice, the home stadium of their rival team, Dundee United. They talk about the size of Dens Park, which was a big bowl-shaped stadium, similar to Ibrox and Hampden in Glasgow.
Fraser and Ross also touch on the challenges and risks involved in attending football matches in the past, particularly the possibility of disasters occurring. They mention Dundee’s European Cup run and the Anderlecht game, where Dundee was able to win 2-1 away despite having only 200 fans present. They ultimately made it to the final against AC Milan, who were in the midst of a dominant period. Although Dundee played well, AC Milan ultimately won the trophy. The speakers also mention a video of different stadiums and describe it as amazing.
In the conversation, Ross brings up Jim McLean and the success he had as a manager of Dundee United Football Club. Ross mentions that although it was a team effort, McLean’s impact on the club was so significant that it could almost be attributed to him alone. Fraser, the interviewer, asks Ross about the title of his article on McLean, “22 Years of Heaven and Hell.” Fraser admits struggling to understand the choice, but Ross explains that it represents the many highs and lows of McLean’s career.
Ross goes on to talk about McLean’s history as a footballer and how he played for Dundee United before becoming the manager of the club from 1971 to 1993. Ross highlights that under McLean’s leadership, Dundee United won the League Cup in 1979 and then retained it the following year, defeating their local rivals Dundee in the final. However, Ross acknowledges that these victories are often overshadowed by Dundee United’s subsequent win of the Scottish Premier League.
In this audio clip, two speakers discuss the history of Dundee and Dundee United football clubs, specifically focusing on their participation in the European Cup. The first speaker talks about how Jim McLean, the former Dundee United manager, had an opportunity to go to Rangers when they were struggling, but he stayed with Dundee United and went on to create more history with them. The speaker then details Dundee United’s run in the European Cup, including their matches against big European names such as Roma. However, they ultimately lost in Rome in controversial circumstances. The second speaker talks about the history of the twins, Dundee and Dundee United, and their relationship with the rest of the Scottish football community. The speaker also briefly mentions Jim McLean’s involvement in other football clubs as a number two.
In this final section of the podcast, the speakers discussed various events and games that happened during Dundee United’s successful 1986-87 football season. Speaker 4 talked about Madrid’s achievement in winning European cups, and suggested that Dundee United had the potential to achieve more European success. Speaker 3 mentioned Gladbach, who had beaten Rangers in the UEFA Cup the previous year, and talked about United’s struggle to comprehend how they could have had both the UEFA Cup and the Scottish Cup if things had gone differently. Speaker 4 agreed that winning the trophies must have been an amazing feeling for the fans. The speakers also talked about the disappointment felt by fans when they lost the Scottish Cup final and the UEFA Cup final, both to Gothenburg. Speaker 4 suggested that the UEFA Cup was the one that got away, as the team may have been distracted by the Scottish Cup final, and speaker 3 added that the context was important, as losing a domestic trophy in between the two finals was still disappointing. The speakers also discussed the butterfly effect and the impact that winning one trophy could have had on the team’s future success.
Quite a good chart trend highlighting the head to head records over the years in the Dundee Derby. Truthfully though on the day, stats are forgotten about n it’s about what the players do on the pitch! 💪🏾pic.twitter.com/VEWK5ttCQm
— Anish Tewari (@atewari3) September 13, 2021
Event at Hampden Celebrating 150th Anniversary of the First International Football Match Share Tweet by Fraser Cairns During the 2014 World Cup, I stood at
As the sun shown on the pristine Hampden turf, a far cry to what it had been when the same two sides had met earlier in the season, it was evident from the early stages that this Rangers side were bang up for the challenge.
“The near misses, the humiliations against minnows, the surprising wins and the shite managers have all contributed, to an extent, towards us eventually reaching a first major competition since the 1998 World Cup in France.”
Fraser and Ross engage in a conversation about the unique and exciting Dundee Derby, a football match between Dundee FC and Dundee United FC. They discuss the lack of hostility between the two sets of fans, who drink and laugh together before and after the game, and the intense rivalry between the clubs, marked by mutual respect and banter. The speakers reflect on the history and milestones of each club, including their Scottish Cup and League Cup victories and European Cup and UEFA Cup runs, which add to the intensity of the derby. Despite their rivalry, not much separates the two clubs.
Later on, they delve into their experiences as football writers and how the Dundee Derby changed their perceptions of football. They discuss the significance of Dundee FC’s successful period in 1962 when they won the league and qualified for the European Cup, nearly winning the competition under the management of Bob Shankly. The speakers reflect on the excitement of watching different teams compete and the impact it could have on the game as a whole, as well as the changes that have occurred in football since then, such as the introduction of the group stage in European competitions. They also touch on the successful runs of other Scottish teams, including Hibs, Hearts, and Rangers, and the importance of Dundee’s turn to compete in the 1962-63 season. The speakers reminisce about the thrilling atmosphere surrounding the games and the significance of the European Cup for teams at that time.
The conversation continues with the speakers discussing the matches Dundee FC played in the European Cup in the early 1960s, where they faced big names in European football, such as FC Cologne and Sporting Lisbon. Although they lost their match against FC Cologne, they were able to turn their fortunes around in the next round and win against another opponent. The speakers also discuss the historical significance of Dens Park, the home stadium of Dundee FC, and its proximity to Tannadice, the home stadium of their rival team, Dundee United. They talk about the size of Dens Park, which was a big bowl-shaped stadium, similar to Ibrox and Hampden in Glasgow.
Fraser and Ross also touch on the challenges and risks involved in attending football matches in the past, particularly the possibility of disasters occurring. They mention Dundee’s European Cup run and the Anderlecht game, where Dundee was able to win 2-1 away despite having only 200 fans present. They ultimately made it to the final against AC Milan, who were in the midst of a dominant period. Although Dundee played well, AC Milan ultimately won the trophy. The speakers also mention a video of different stadiums and describe it as amazing.
In the conversation, Ross brings up Jim McLean and the success he had as a manager of Dundee United Football Club. Ross mentions that although it was a team effort, McLean’s impact on the club was so significant that it could almost be attributed to him alone. Fraser, the interviewer, asks Ross about the title of his article on McLean, “22 Years of Heaven and Hell.” Fraser admits struggling to understand the choice, but Ross explains that it represents the many highs and lows of McLean’s career.
Ross goes on to talk about McLean’s history as a footballer and how he played for Dundee United before becoming the manager of the club from 1971 to 1993. Ross highlights that under McLean’s leadership, Dundee United won the League Cup in 1979 and then retained it the following year, defeating their local rivals Dundee in the final. However, Ross acknowledges that these victories are often overshadowed by Dundee United’s subsequent win of the Scottish Premier League.
In this audio clip, two speakers discuss the history of Dundee and Dundee United football clubs, specifically focusing on their participation in the European Cup. The first speaker talks about how Jim McLean, the former Dundee United manager, had an opportunity to go to Rangers when they were struggling, but he stayed with Dundee United and went on to create more history with them. The speaker then details Dundee United’s run in the European Cup, including their matches against big European names such as Roma. However, they ultimately lost in Rome in controversial circumstances. The second speaker talks about the history of the twins, Dundee and Dundee United, and their relationship with the rest of the Scottish football community. The speaker also briefly mentions Jim McLean’s involvement in other football clubs as a number two.
In this final section of the podcast, the speakers discussed various events and games that happened during Dundee United’s successful 1986-87 football season. Speaker 4 talked about Madrid’s achievement in winning European cups, and suggested that Dundee United had the potential to achieve more European success. Speaker 3 mentioned Gladbach, who had beaten Rangers in the UEFA Cup the previous year, and talked about United’s struggle to comprehend how they could have had both the UEFA Cup and the Scottish Cup if things had gone differently. Speaker 4 agreed that winning the trophies must have been an amazing feeling for the fans. The speakers also talked about the disappointment felt by fans when they lost the Scottish Cup final and the UEFA Cup final, both to Gothenburg. Speaker 4 suggested that the UEFA Cup was the one that got away, as the team may have been distracted by the Scottish Cup final, and speaker 3 added that the context was important, as losing a domestic trophy in between the two finals was still disappointing. The speakers also discussed the butterfly effect and the impact that winning one trophy could have had on the team’s future success.