DUNDEE UNITED vs St Johnstone Saturday 12 April 2025 William Hill Premiership
AT TANNADICE PARK CalForth Construction Arena
Scottish League Cup Winners 1979-80 and 1980-81
UEFA Cup Runners-up: 1986–87
Dundee United Football Club, The CalForth Construction Arena at Tannadice Park, Dundee, DD3 7JW
Option 1 - Ticketing Option 2 - Commercial
ADDRESS BOOK
Chairman
MARK OGREN
Vice-Chairman
SCOTT OGREN
Director
JIMMY FYFFE
Chief Executive
LUIGI CAPUANO
Chief Operations Officer
JOE RICE
Finance Director
JAMES ROBERTSON
Manager
JIM GOODWIN
Printed copies of Shed Talk are available via Curtis Sport. 5 14 10 29 21
Assistant Manager
LEE SHARP
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
LYALL MACDONALD
THE GAFFER
Good afternoon and welcome back to Tannadice for our final pre-split match!
The last two performances haven’t been the prettiest, but they’ve been crucial. Two clean sheets. Six points. And they’ve helped get us into the position we’re in right now.
I’ve got a lot of respect for Simo Valakari and what he’s doing at St Johnstone. I like the bravery in how his team plays—they try to build from the back and play through pressure. Defensively, they’ve definitely improved so we’ll need to be better in possession than we have been lately and make sure our pressing game is on
point when we don’t have the ball.
I wouldn’t want to be Hearts, Motherwell or St Mirren going into this final pre-split round needing a result. We’re very pleased to have removed ourselves from that picture, but that doesn’t mean we take our foot off the gas. Far from it.
We’re expecting over 10,000 fans through the gates and they’re paying good money to support this club—we owe it to them to put in a performance.
At the start of the season, the aim was 45 points—we thought that would be enough for top six and
thankfully that’s proven to be the case. Now, we’ve got the chance to go beyond that—to hit 50 points with five games still to play would be unbelievable.
This group has exceeded expectations. They’ve shown what togetherness, character and a strong culture can achieve—and we want to build on that now.
Let’s keep pushing.
I hope you all enjoy the game!
- Jim Goodwin
TODAY’S MASCOTS
CALLUM STEEDMAN AGE: 8
FAVOURITE PLAYER: WILL FERRY
RORY WARWICK AGE: 9
FAVOURITE PLAYER: GLENN MIDDLETON
MURRAY STEEDMAN AGE: 11
FAVOURITE PLAYER: SAM DALBY
MAX ASLAM AGE: 8
FAVOURITE PLAYER: KRISTIJAN TRAPANOVSKI
JONNY ROBERTSON AGE: 9
FAVOURITE PLAYER: SAM DALBY
EUAN MACKENZIE AGE: 10
FAVOURITE PLAYER: ROSS GRAHAM
ALFIE GARDEN AGE: 9
FAVOURITE PLAYER: GLENN MIDDLETON
HOME OF THE SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP
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FOCUS ON ST JOHNSTONE
Although the previous three months have seen an upturn in form, St Johnstone arrive at Tannadice this afternoon still five points adrift of fellow strugglers Dundee and facing a return to second-tier football for the first time since 2009.
Last weekend, however, their stunning 1-0 victory over champions-elect Celtic will have given them renewed belief that they can pull off a miraculous escape.
Another victory this afternoon is all but essential. However, with United having
THE GAFFER
won both previous encounters this term, the omens aren’t in Saints’ favour.
With just one win from their first seven Premiership matches, Craig Levein was relieved of his duties. Unfortunately for our Tayside neighbours, there was no immediate boost, as only three wins were recorded between the start of October and mid-January. However, seven wins (four league and three cup) in the 12 matches since then have given them an outside chance of survival, as well as next week’s Scottish Cup semi-final to look forward to.
SIMO VALAKARI
In a move that took many by surprise, the Finn took up the reins at McDiarmid Park back in October.
His first managerial position saw him lead SJK to the top flight for the first time before they remarkably lifted the League, Finnish Cup and the League Cup under his guidance. After a spell at Tromsø, he went on to lift two Finnish Cups with KuPS, as well as the Latvian Super Cup whilst in charge at Riga FC.
As a player, the cultured midfielder began his
career in his hometown of Helsinki with KäPa before representing Konya and FinnPa. A life-changing move to Motherwell in 1996 followed. A fixture in the side, he mixed elegant passing with the ability to put the foot in when required and became a favourite amongst the Fir Park support, despite failing to score in 119 matches for the Steelmen.
Spells at Premiership side Derby County, FC Dallas and TPS followed before his retirement in 2009 due to injury.
ONE TO WATCH MAKENZIE KIRK
Born in Edinburgh, the 21-year-old striker began his career with Hearts and was touted by many at Riccarton as the ‘new John Robertson’, scoring for fun at youth level. Upon promotion to the B team, the Lowland League saw just how prolific the former Northern Ireland U19 international could be, as he plundered 43 goals in just 48 matches.
After a loan spell at Hamilton in 2024 didn’t work out as planned, the youngster was released, but Craig Levein immediately pursued him. After taking time to settle, he has now bagged nine goals from 22 starts (plus 14 substitute appearances) and heads the club’s Premiership goalscoring charts.
The United rearguard will be well aware of the danger he poses after his Boxing Day strike, where he showed great composure to create space and get his shot away – ultimately only a consolation in our 2-1 victory.
VICTOR GRIFFITHS
signed an 18-month deal in January. The 24-year-old previously captained his country at the U20 World Cup and has featured in the MLS.
SAM CURTIS has featured at youth level for Northern Ireland, and his presence has led to a marked improvement in Saints’ defence, with seven clean sheets in his 12 starts.
ANDY FISHER has been a revelation in Perth. On loan from Swansea, the 27-year-old Wigan-born
number one has recorded six wins (and six clean sheets) in just a dozen matches since his arrival.
JOHNATHAN SVEDBERG
is a 26-year-old Swedish midfielder with over 200 matches for Halmstads in his homeland.
DANIELS BOLIDIS was last weekend’s hero with the early winner over Celtic. The 26-year-old defender signed from current Latvian champions RFS on an 18-month deal in January.
ELLIOT WATT joined on a five-month loan from Burton Albion - despite being a regular!
ZACH MITCHELL has impressed since his January loan arrival. Still only 20, the 6’1” defender displays a maturity and understanding of the game which belies his tender years.
STEPHEN DUKE-MCKENNA came through the Everton Academy, but the Guyana international has had a nomadic career.
This is our home. This is where we roar.
We’re delighted to announce that 2025/26 Dundee United Season Tickets are on sale, and you can now secure your seat at Tannadice for the upcoming campaign!
For decades, we’ve battled, bruised, and conquered on home turf – roared on by thousands who wouldn’t dare choose another side! And now, we go again.
Each season, we aim to create a
package that appeals to our supporters, provides affordable football, and ensures our competitiveness on the pitch. We regularly evaluate our offering against other clubs to make sure our Season Ticket stands out favourably.
As in previous seasons, we remain committed to keeping prices as accessible as possible for our supporters, with a variety of finance options and an exclusive Loyalty Period for our existing Season Ticket Holders.
After freezing prices for the past three seasons, we want to be open and transparent with you about this year’s marginal increase. As we continue to face rising costs associated with stadium maintenance and matchday operations, a small adjustment has become necessary. While these changes help offset some of these increased operational costs, they also help support our ongoing efforts to ensure that Dundee United can remain competitive on the pitch.
A reminder that we’re making it easier for supporters to secure their season ticket
with our V12 finance options - at a lower interest rate compared to last season - allowing you to spread payments into manageable monthly amounts. During the loyalty period, you can take advantage of our four-month payment plan with no finance fee — making it even easier to secure your seat for the season ahead.
Our payment options have been hugely popular with supporters in recent years, and we’re pleased to be able to offer a wide range of flexible finance options for the 2025/26 campaign.
Once you’ve secured your Season Ticket, you can easily download your digital season card, which can be added directly to your Apple or Google Wallet for quick and easy access on matchdays.
For those who prefer a physical card, we’re still offering them for a small admin fee of £2. These can be collected for free from our club shop closer to the start of
the season, or if you prefer, you can have your physical card posted to you for a postage fee.
Please note: when purchasing online, e-tickets are selected by default. If you would like a physical card, please ensure you select the required option on the drop-down when completing your order.
JOHN O’NEIL
John O’Neil was one of the bright crop of youngsters to emerge towards the end of the 1980s, featuring regularly in United’s highly successful reserve side.
A former Scottish Schoolboy international, he joined United from Fir Park Boys Club in July 1986 as part of the youth system, graduating to the reserves in the 1988–89 season.
A left-sided attacking player, he made a scoring debut in a 3-1 win at home to Danish side Brøndby in March 1989. His first competitive appearance
followed nine days later against St Mirren, coming on as a substitute for Billy McKinlay.
Over the next two seasons, he featured occasionally – most notably in the Scottish Cup final against Motherwell in May 1991, where he came off the bench to score United’s second goal. It was his first senior goal for the club.
Capped at Under-21 level for Scotland, he continued to make appearances for the first team, eventually establishing himself during the 1992–93 season. However,
injuries and disciplinary issues meant he didn’t feature as often as he should have during his six years at Tannadice.
By the 1993–94 season, he was rarely seen in the first team, although he played a minor part in United’s Scottish Cup success that year, coming on as a substitute in the quarter-final tie against Airdrieonians.
By the time John left United, he had played more often for the reserves (around 170 appearances) than he did for the first team (91 appearances and seven goals).
In August 1994, he was signed by former United teammate Paul Sturrock –then manager of St Johnstone – for a reported fee of £100,000.
John spent six successful years at McDiarmid Park, winning the First Division
title in 1996–97 and a League Cup runners-up medal in 1998. All told, he started 212 matches for the Perth club and came off the bench 22 times, scoring a total of 31 goals.
He then moved to Hibernian in June 2000, where he collected a second Scottish Cup runners-up medal in 2001 and earned his only full Scotland cap against Poland in April that year.
After leaving Hibs in August 2003, he helped both Falkirk and Gretna gain promotion to the SPL, collecting his third Scottish Cup runners-up medal in May 2006.
He later joined another former teammate, Brian Welsh, at Cowdenbeath in 2007 before finishing his career with East Stirlingshire in 2009.
FLASHBACK FOCUS
MAY 2001
ST JOHNSTONE 2
DUNDEE UNITED 3
This season, St Johnstone arrive at Tannadice desperate for points in their battle to beat the drop — but just shy of 24 years ago, the boot was on the other foot, as Arabs travelled to McDiarmid Park praying for three points in the penultimate match of the season.
After what had been a pretty miserable campaign, in which United’s Premier Division hopes had hung by a thread, salvation appeared to be at hand. Consecutive home wins over Motherwell and Dunfermline had brought light at the end of the tunnel, and securing three points from this Tayside derby would effectively ensure safety.
Alex Smith named an unchanged team from the side that had defeated Dunfermline Athletic the previous weekend. A United victory would all
but mathematically guarantee survival — regardless of how bottom-of-the-table St Mirren fared — thanks to the Buddies’ vastly inferior goal difference.
Smith’s men duly delivered in front of an overwhelming travelling support, but in keeping with the rest of the season, they made hard work of it.
With just five minutes on the clock, a Paul Hartley shot was blocked by Jason de Vos before Saints’ David McClune latched onto the loose ball on the right. In composed fashion, the 17-year-old brilliantly curled a shot into the corner, well beyond the reach of Paul Gallacher to give his side an early lead. It was the worst possible start for United.
Things almost went from bad to worse when Darren Dods tripped the onrushing Charlie Miller in the box, and the referee pointed to the spot. Despite the pressure,
Miller stepped up looking confident — but his rightfooted effort was weak and at least a yard wide of the target. It was his second penalty miss in a row.
The outlook darkened further five minutes from half-time, when John Paul McBride slipped Momo Sylla through on goal. The forward nudged past David Partridge and laid it into the path of Hartley, who slotted past the advancing Gallacher from the corner of the box.
United emerged for the second half facing a mountain to climb. But just three minutes in, the game turned.
Hartley — one of the game’s standout performers — paid dearly for his earlier post-goal antics when he was shown a second yellow card for a reckless twofooted lunge on Miller, reducing the hosts to ten men.
In the 65th minute, Craig Easton launched a hopeful ball forward that was chased down typically by Derek Lilley. From that move came a howler from former United
‘keeper Alan Main, who allowed Lilley’s cross to slip through his grasp. An unmarked Charlie Miller was on hand to head home at the far post, making amends for his earlier miss.
Ten minutes later, United were level. A Miller cross was met by Craig Easton, who powered a header past Main to make it 2–2, setting up a nail-biting final few minutes.
With just two minutes
remaining, United finally got their reward. Amid a scramble in the penalty area, it was Lilley who reacted quickest to stab the ball over the line.
Immediate bedlam followed in the stands — and when the final whistle blew moments later, hundreds of jubilant Arabs flooded the pitch, having just witnessed the ultimate game of two halves. United were safe.
There is no hiding Derek Lilley’s joy after scoring the winner at McDiarmid that effectively ended United’s relegation concern in May 2001.
FIRST TEAM SQUAD
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A LOOK THROUGH THE ARCHIVES!
Today’s contribution quite literally fits the bill in terms of the title — looking back at season 1960–61, Dundee United’s first campaign in the top division after a 32-year absence.
Perhaps more accurately described as Tactics Talk, this story recalls how
Andy Dickson employed a rather unsophisticated method to get his message across.
Having achieved promotion in his first season in charge, Jerry Kerr set about transforming the Club into a full-time operation. The appointment of
former Dunfermline manager Andy Dickson as trainer/coach marked a milestone — he became the first full-time assistant in the Club’s history.
Most of the playing squad followed suit, turning fulltime as well.
The group pictured here includes:
Back row:
Dennis Gillespie, Tommy Neilson, and newcomers Kevin Cairns — a full-back recommended by Army colleague Ron Yeats — and veteran goalkeeper Lando Ugolini, who had served Celtic, Middlesbrough, and most recently Wrexham.
Front row:
Wattie Carlyle (called up from Shettleston Juniors), Jimmy Briggs, Stewart Fraser, and Gibby Ormond.
Ron Yeats himself couldn’t commit to full-time football, as he was serving the final year of his National Service.
Not pictured, but key figures from the promotion-winning side against Berwick, were goalkeeper Alex Brown, Tommy Graham, Bobby Norris, Tommy Campbell, and Jim Irvine.
In truth, because Jerry Kerr had built such
a cohesive unit during the promotion campaign, few additions were required going into the top flight. Beyond those already mentioned, the only other notable close-season recruits were defender John Roe from Colchester United and Tommy McLeod.
Mid-season arrivals added further depth — winger Davie Boner from Everton, defender Alec Gordon from Armadale Thistle, forward Bert Howieson from Leeds United, and perhaps most significantly, Neil Mochan from Celtic. Mochan would go on to score 14 goals — just one shy of top scorer Dennis Gillespie.
The campaign ended on a high. A 5–0 thrashing of Scottish Cup winners Dunfermline in the final match took United’s points tally to 33 — the highest in the Club’s top-flight history at the time.
The icing on the cake? A ninth-place finish that, for the first time ever, saw Dundee United end a top-flight season above city rivals Dundee.
1913
DUNFERMLINE 1–1 DUNDEE HIBERNIAN | LOFTUS CUP (SECTIONAL TIE)
Only three clubs entered this shortlived tournament — introduced a season earlier as the brainchild of Tannadice legend Pat Kelly — with Dundee Hibs, St Johnstone, and Dunfermline involved. Having drawn with St Johnstone and defeated the Pars at Tannadice, Dundee Hibs were held to a 1–1 draw in the return at East End Park, the Fifers snatching a point with a last-minute penalty. In the end, it mattered little — the final game against Saints couldn’t be arranged and the cup was ultimately withheld.
12 APRIL
1924
UNITED 2–0 BATHGATE | LEAGUE (DIVISION TWO)
Matchwinner Bobby Bauld — the first player signed after the Club became Dundee United — scored both goals, taking his season tally to seven. In total, Bauld netted 30 times in 143 appearances before being sold to Bradford City for £350 in 1927.
In what was an uninspired end-of-season encounter, Jimmy Brownlie’s side
were comfortable winners, with only missed chances preventing a bigger margin. The opener was hotly disputed, but Bauld’s second was a fine longrange effort.
1948
UNITED 1–5 BIRMINGHAM CITY | FRIENDLY
Birmingham City became the first English side to face United, visiting
as part of the deal that took Frank McKee south—though injury kept him from returning to Tannadice.
The Second Division champions named a fullstrength side and proved too strong for Willie McFadyen’s men. George Grant briefly cancelled out Neil Dougall’s opener before the break, but Dougall went on to net a hat-trick, with Fred Slater and Jackie Stewart adding goals in a dominant second half.
1958
UNITED 2–1 MONTROSE | LEAGUE (DIVISION TWO)
Willie McDonald scored for United in a match where luck was firmly on their side. As the Sunday
Post put it: “United fluked their way to a win they neither deserved nor earned.” Montrose lost keeper Gullan to a torn Achilles early on and were frequently down to nine men. Despite that, Gilroy gave Montrose the lead, only for McDonald to quickly equalise. In the final moments, a Cameron cross deflected off Steven to hand United an unlikely win.
1967
ST MIRREN 0–1 UNITED | LEAGUE (DIVISION ONE)
Gerry Hernon, making his only domestic first-team appearance for the Club,
scored the winner in a dull match.
Signed from Ashfield Juniors alongside Jim Cameron and Wattie Smith, Hernon played at outside left and netted the only goal in the 72nd minute. Despite being in relegation trouble, St Mirren showed little urgency, allowing United to see the game out comfortably. Hernon would remain in the reserves until his release to Stranraer in April 1968.
1975
CLYDE 1–2 UNITED | LEAGUE (DIVISION ONE)
Shawfield had rarely been kind to the Arabs, but this visit marked a turning point—if not in entertainment, then in outcome. Chasing a European place, United made the most of their limited chances. Paul Sturrock opened the scoring on 32 minutes, and despite being floored moments later, play went on as Addison added a second after good work from Traynor and Gray. Clyde pulled one back through Bobby Ferris, but United held firm.
2005
RANGERS 0–1 UNITED | LEAGUE (SPL)
Fresh from a semi-final win over Hibs, United stunned Rangers to climb off the bottom of the
table. Gordon Chisholm reshaped the side, bringing in Mark Kerr and starting Collin Samuel over Stevie Crawford.
After just seven minutes, Stuart Duff followed up his own shot to head home the rebound from McIntyre’s cut-back. With Tony Bullock superb in goal, United held firm to secure a vital three points.
2005
2014 – RANGERS 1–3 UNITED | SCOTTISH CUP (SEMI-FINAL)
Jackie McNamara’s side weren’t at their fluent best, but still proved too strong for League One Rangers at ‘neutral’ Ibrox. Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven gave United a two-goal cushion before Steven Smith pulled one back. Only a superb save from Radoslaw Cierzniak denied him a second. But it was Çiftçi who sealed the deal — robbing Steve Simonsen and skipping past him before tapping into the empty net, sparking wild scenes among the Arabs packed into the Broomloan Stand.
