DUNDEE UNITED vs Kilmarnock Saturday 7 December 2024 William Hill Premiership
AT TANNADICE PARK CalForth Construction Arena
Dundee United Football Club, The CalForth Construction Arena at Tannadice Park,
Option 1 - Ticketing Option 2 - Commercial
Chief Operations Officer
JAMES ROBERTSON
Printed copies of Shed Talk are available via Curtis Sport. 14 9 18 33 21
Assistant Manager
First-Team Coach
DAVID BOWMAN Head of Goalkeeping
PAUL MATHERS
Head of Football Operations
ROSS STARKE Head of Player Care
NIALL NICHOLSON Head of Medical
MARCIN SZOSTAK First Team Analyst
AIDAN CROLL
First Team Sports Scientist
EWAN ANDERSON Strength and Conditioning Coach
ALLAN GARTSHORE Club Doctors
DR DAVID NICOLL
DR STEPHEN GALBRAITH Kit Manager
ANDREW BRYAN Head of Commercial
MARK CUNNINGHAM Ticket Office Manager
MOIRA HUGHES Head of Retail
STUART BOOTLAND
Commercial Sales Manager
DECLAN PRIDDING
Catering & Bar Operations Manager
JOHN RICHARDSON
Head of Stadium and Facility Operations
JONATHAN ROBERTS Head of Media
MARK MCCREERY Head of Marketing
LUKE BAIN Content Producer
YANNIS MARR Club Photographer
RICHARD WISEMAN
SHED TALK
Design and Editors:
LUKE BAIN AND PETER RUNDO Contributors
MIKE WATSON
RYAN HALDANE
LEE SMITH
THE GAFFER
Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to Tannadice!
Last week was the third time we’ve faced St. Mirren this season, and once again, we managed to keep a clean sheet—a testament to the resilience and character of our defence, as well as Jack Walton in goal.
We didn’t play our best football, and the game itself was scrappy. However, when it came to clear-cut chances, we certainly had the edge. It was another hard-fought victory and a step forward in achieving our goals for the season.
Derek McInnes’ teams are always well-organised and hard-working, so we know this afternoon will be another difficult test. Kilmarnock have been relatively unlucky this season, given their position in the table.
The reverse fixture in Ayrshire was an exciting affair for the neutral. We showed great character to rescue a point after a lapse in concentration during a crazy 15-minute spell in the second half. Resilience has been a hallmark of our season, but we know the importance of finishing games strongly and avoiding such situations.
We’re in a good run of form and aim to pick up where we left off last weekend. The focus is on us to impose ourselves in front of the home crowd and deliver a performance that matches the energy in the stadium.
It’s been a great start to the season, but consistency remains our priority. With it still being November, the message to the team is clear: no complacency. We’ll continue to work hard and push for results as the season progresses.
I hope you all enjoy the game!
- Jim Goodwin
A LOOK THROUGH THE ARCHIVES!
Welcome to a new feature where we shine a spotlight on unique team moments from Dundee United’s history. We kick things off by turning back the clock to the summer of 1963, when United embarked on their first-ever venture abroad—a close-season tour of South Africa. This historic trip marked a significant milestone for the club, setting the stage for future international adventures.
1963
1963
1963
1963
1963
1963
Back Row: Sid Dick, Benny Rooney, Stuart Fraser, Tommy Millar, Donald Mackay, Alex Gordon, Jimmy Briggs, Bobby Dougan. Front Row: Andy Dickson (Trainer), Dennis Gillespie, Walter Carlyle, Tommy Neilson (Captain), Jim Irvine, Ian Mitchell, Jerry Kerr (Manager).
TODAY’S MASCOTS
JACOB MACQUEEN
AGE: 9
FAVOURITE PLAYER: SAM DALBY
TOM GRIEVE
AGE: 8
FAVOURITE PLAYER: DAVID BABUNSKI
ARJEN KNAP
AGE: 11
FAVOURITE PLAYER: KRISTIJAN TRAPANOVSKI
ALEX MORRIS
AGE: 9
FAVOURITE PLAYER: DAVID BABUNSKI
OWEN PATERSON
AGE: 11
FAVOURITE PLAYER: JACK WALTON
MASON GLENNIE
AGE: 11
FAVOURITE PLAYER: WILL FERRY
AMARA POW
AGE: 5
FAVOURITE PLAYER: SAM DALBY
JACOB BROUGH
AGE: 7
FAVOURITE PLAYER: SAM DALBY
FOCUS ON KILMARNOCK
Whilst the fans had the thrill of trips to Brugge, Copenhagen, and Tromsø in the Europa and Conference League competitions in August, there’s no doubt the heavy schedule affected Kilmarnock’s start to the season.
Just one win in thirteen saw them exit both continental competitions as well as the League Cup and left them floundering at the foot of the table. Wins over Dundee, Rangers, and Hearts gave them a foothold, but another streak of defeats has the Rugby Park side still fighting to keep themselves out of the bottom two spots.
Our previous meeting was a pulsating 3-3 draw as a 99th minute Ross Graham penalty salvaged a point in Ayrshire.
SUMMER SIGNINGS
BRUCE ANDERSON scored 22 times in three seasons at Livingston before being lured to Ayrshire in the summer as a free agent. The 26-year-old Aberdeen youth product is an instinctive finisher who has three goals to his name already this term.
ROBBY MCCRORIE came through the ranks at Rangers and kept his second clean sheet of the season against his former employers in October’s 1-0 win. Capped at youth levels up to under-21s, the 26-year-old goalkeeper has made the bench at full international level.
CORRIE NDABA impressed whilst on loan from Ipswich during the 2023/24 season and was rewarded with a three-year contract. The 24-year-old Dubliner can play left-back or centrehalf.
STUART FINDLAY is currently in his fourth spell at the club, having also previously spent three seasons as a permanent Kilmarnock player! The 29-year-old centre-half made his 200th Killie appearance earlier this term.
JACK BURROUGHS has been utilised in both full-back positions as well as in midfield already this term. The pacy 23-year-old former under-21 cap is on loan from Coventry City.
OLIVER BAINBRIDGE is at Rugby Park on a season-long loan from Sunderland. Despite starting the opening league match of the season, the 19-yearold has been a fixture on the bench.
ONE TO WATCH DAVID
WATSON
THE GAFFER DEREK MCINNES
The Paisley-born midfielder debuted for Morton in 1987/88, playing over 250 games before joining Rangers for £300,000. After limited opportunities and loans, he moved to West Brom, helping them win promotion. At Dundee United, he became captain, made 83 appearances, and earned a Scottish Cup runner-up medal.
After spells at Millwall and St Johnstone, where he won the Challenge Cup, he retired in 2007. As a manager, McInnes lifted the First Division title with St Johnstone in 2009, won the 2013/14 League Cup with Aberdeen, and secured multiple second-place finishes. Appointed Kilmarnock boss in 2022, he led them back to the Premiership in four months.
Having been with the club since the age of seven, local lad David Watson is the epitome of the phrase “one of our own.” The 19-year-old attacking midfielder signed his first professional contract in September 2021 and made his first-team debut the following day against Falkirk.
The son of a former Scottish women’s international, he himself has been capped ten times at under-19 level and was last season’s SFWA and SPFL Young Player of the Year after a stunning breakthrough campaign.
Currently under contract until 2026, he has already proved a thorn in United’s side this season by scoring a brace from the bench in the 3-3 draw at Rugby Park back in September.
By Ryan Haldane
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Central defender Chris Innes played for no fewer than 11 clubs over a career spanning 16 years. Kilmarnock and Dundee United were the two clubs where he first experienced top-level football, before becoming part of the rise and fall of the Gretna fairytale.
Born in Broxburn, he began his career with his local Junior club, Broxburn United, before stepping up to senior football with Stenhousemuir in August 1996 at the age of 20. He made 58 appearances and scored twice for the Warriors before their coffers were boosted by a £50,000 transfer fee from Kilmarnock in May 1998.
Initially, it wasn’t clear if the youngster could adapt to the demands of topflight football. After struggling to make a breakthrough in his first two seasons, he was loaned to St Mirren in 1998–99 and briefly to Falkirk the following season. However, his persistence paid off, and he secured a regular spot in the 2000–01 season, playing alongside Freddy Dandelion and Kevin McGowne in central defence.
A wholehearted and honest player, nicknamed “Johnny Bravo,” Innes also featured in UEFA Cup matches, notably scoring a late winner in a victory over Glenavon in Northern Ireland. Despite being a valuable squad member, making 88 appearances and scoring four goals, he was allowed to leave when Dundee United expressed interest. Tannadice boss Ian McCall was delighted to secure a tall, commanding central defender for £75,000, just before the 2003 August transfer deadline.
Innes debuted for Dundee United in a 3-1 home defeat to Rangers and completed his first season with 31 appearances, scoring once in a 3-2 home win over Dunfermline late in the campaign.
Two more goals followed early in the next season – one against Stranraer in the League Cup and another against Inverness in the league. Although he was a regular in the first half of that campaign, his 50th appearance, a 4-1 home defeat to Hibs, proved to be his last for United.
After leaving Tannadice, he dropped three divisions to sign for Gretna, where he captained the side during their meteoric rise, which included three promotions and reaching the 2006 Scottish Cup final, where they lost to Hearts on penalties.
Innes was made redundant in March 2008 when Gretna entered administration. He subsequently played for Livingston, St Mirren, and East Fife before winding up his playing
DUDA HALF-TIME DRAW WINNERS
DUNDEE UNITED VS ST MIRREN
SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2024
1st prize £1000
Ticket number 241012
2nd prize £250
Ticket number 241058
3rd prize - Signed Top
Ticket number 241298
4th prize - £50 club shop voucher
Ticket number 241585
LOCAL SUPPLIER OF KEGS, BOTTLED BEERS/LAGERS, SPIRITS, WINES AND SOFT DRINKS SHORT NOTICE
DELIVERY SERVICE 7 DAYS A WEEK.
DUNDEE UNITED 2
HOLT 79’, ADEGBOYEGA 90+’
ST MIRREN 0
3PM SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2024 | THE CALFORTH CONSTRUCTION ARENA AT TANNADICE PARK | WILLIAM HILL
ATTENDANCE: 8,868
FINDING HEAT
After a scrappy opening, the game began to find some rhythm as we approached the tenminute mark.
Our opening chance fell to a man in rich form eight minutes after the first whistle. Simple in its creation, Kevin Holt curled a ball in behind the St Mirren defence for Sam Dalby to chase. Taking it in his stride, he raced towards goal but it was a rare misfire. Jack Walton can then consider himself lucky that no more than a caution came of his challenge on Olutoyosi Olusanya as St Mirren broke on the counter.
Will Ferry almost broke his United duck as he let fly with a driven effort that cracked the outside of the post just before the clock struck 30.
SHUFFLING THE PACK
With chances seeming to dry up, we made a double switch Louis Moult and Jort van der Sande took the places of Dalby and Middleton.
We were awarded a spot-kick with just over ten minutes to play as Ferry’s long throw sparked a scramble in the box. It looked like there were two separate incidents as Gallagher and Holt both went down - Marcus Fraser was the one penalised for a foul on our number 4. It was Holt who stepped up and was as cool as you like from 12 yards, sending Balcombe the wrong way and sliding the ball into the corner.
As we headed for five additional minutes, Holt was denied a brace after Matthew MacDermid once again pointed to the spot as Fraser hauled down Louis Moult inside the area - eventually being given his marching orders following a VAR check.
OUT FOR THE SAINTS
We weren’t denied a second for much longer as Holt met the resultant corner, forcing Balcombe into another stop before Adegboyega was quickest to react and turned the ball home on the slide.
It’s the on-loan defender’s second league goal against The Buddies.
FLASHBACK FOCUS
JANUARY 2016
DUNDEE UTD 5-1
KILMARNOCK | LEAGUE
of the season as they scored four first-half goals, without reply, to blow Kilmarnock away.
UNITED 5
Blair Spittal (8)
Mark Durnan (32)
Blair Spittal (39)
John Rankin (44)
Seán Dillon (78)
KILMARNOCK 1
Josh Magennis (82)
Not a season fondly remembered by Arabs, A crowd of almost eight thousand witnessed
United’s best performance
In the 8th minute, Blair Spittal opened the scoring after winning the ball in midfield and setting Ryan Dow off down the right wing. Dow delivered a precise pass to Murray, who controlled it well before rolling the ball into Spittal’s path. Spittal finished with a fine, angled
Murray’s relentless work rate in the opening half-hour was notable. He found the net on 16 minutes, showcasing speed and strength to beat Conrad Balatoni and finish from six yards, but the goal was disallowed for a push, leaving Arabs bemused.
The second goal came in the 31st minute, with substitute Durnan scoring his first goal of the season. Rising to meet Spittal’s corner at the near post, his powerful header was only parried into the net by MacDonald. Shortly after, Guy Demel, appearing
to strain his thigh, was replaced by John Souttar.
In the 40th minute, Spittal made it 3-0 with a whipped cross that evaded everyone, including MacDonald. Seconds before the break, John Rankin rifled in a fourth, perfectly volleying home from six yards with his right foot—an unusual feat for him!
United’s fifth goal was a delightful move involving Seán Dillon. He played a one-two with Murray, got a lucky break off a defender, exchanged passes with Mckay, and calmly slotted past MacDonald. Dow, impressive despite his lengthy absence, was replaced by Riku Riski in the final ten minutes.
Kilmarnock grabbed a late consolation when Magennis headed in from Slater’s cross following a series of corners.
1912
DUNDEE UTD 1-1 ST JOHNSTONE | LEAGUE
Despite inclement weather, around 3,000 fans turned up and witnessed a match where a draw was deemed satisfactory. However, it probably should have been a victory given the number of chances United had in the second half. It took Hibs’ star striker Willie Linn’s fine effort to cancel out Hamilton’s opener for the Perth side.
1929
DUNDEE UTD 2-2 FALKIRK | LEAGUE
Despite inclement George Henderson scored the goal that earned United a point.
Winning home games
7 DECEMBER
was key to survival in the top flight, but this was the third consecutive Tannadice match where both points eluded them. After spurning several chances, Eddie Smith eventually headed home from a corner to give United the lead. However, defensive lapses allowed Micky McGregor to equalise, and Bill Taylor’s handball handed Hamill the opportunity to put Falkirk ahead from the spot. Despite shortcomings in both attack and defence, George Henderson fired home a deserved equaliser.
1935
EAST STIRLING 2-3 DUNDEE UTD | LEAGUE
Bobby Gardiner was the matchwinner at Firs Park.
United found themselves two goals down within 20 minutes but mounted a remarkable comeback. McPhail and Brown scored for East Stirling, leaving United trailing at halftime. A Duncan Hutchinson double early in the second half drew the scores level before Bobby Gardiner struck the winner in the 67th minute.
1957
DUNDEE UTD 4-1 MORTON | LEAGUE
Transfer-seeking centreforward Johnny Coyle enhanced his market value by scoring a hattrick in a comfortable win over Morton. Coyle opened the scoring after 13 minutes and set up Jimmy Brown for the second just before halftime. Moments after the restart, he netted the third, completing his treble with a deflected effort 15 minutes from the end. Beaton scored a last-minute consolation for Morton.
1968
DUNDEE UTD 2-1 FALKIRK | LEAGUE
United overcame early injuries and a quagmire of a pitch to secure three points. Davie Hogg replaced the injured Davie Wilson in the first minute, and Jim Cameron, hobbling with an injury, was limited to a nuisance
role on the left wing. Despite these challenges, United fought on. Kenny Cameron opened the scoring with a penalty on 60 minutes, and Falkirkborn Ian Mitchell added a second eight minutes later. Substitute Tiger McLaughlan pulled one back for Falkirk, but a terrific save from Donald Mackay preserved United’s 100% home record and kept them two points behind leaders Celtic.
1974
DUNDEE UTD 3-3 CLYDE | LEAGUE
Two goals down with ten minutes left, United’s unbeaten home record was on the line. Alan Swan gave Clyde an early lead, and Jim Burns scored an own goal to level the match. Peter Boyle restored Clyde’s lead after 50 minutes, and Dom Sullivan made it 3-1 with ten minutes to play. However, a quickfire double from Jackie Copland and Paul Hegarty
salvaged an unexpected point for United
1996
KILMARNOCK 0-2 DUNDEE UTD | LEAGUE
Kjell Olofsson, the dashing Swede, scored twice to secure victory. United faced a managerless Kilmarnock side at Rugby Park. Newcomer Sieb Dijkstra had little to do as United dominated throughout. Olofsson opened the scoring in the 21st minute, heading in after a Maurice Malpas shot rebounded off the bar. He added his second six minutes after halftime, stooping to head Andy McLaren’s cross at the near post.
2013
DUNDEE UTD 4-1 HEARTS | LEAGUE
Stuart Armstrong began the scoring with a composed finish, continuing United’s redhot form of four-plus goals in four consecutive games. After Armstrong’s 16th-minute opener, Jamie Hamill equalised for Hearts from the spot following a foul on Jamie Walker. Brian Graham restored United’s lead early in the second half with a powerful header. Late strikes from Gary Mackay-Steven and a deflected John Rankin effort secured an emphatic 4-1 victory.
