DUNDEE UNITED vs Aberdeen Saturday 17 May 2025 William Hill Premiership
AT TANNADICE PARK CalForth Construction Arena
Dundee United Football Club, The CalForth Construction Arena at Tannadice Park, Dundee, DD3 7JW
01382833166
Option 1 - Ticketing
Option 2 - Commercial
Option 3 - Retail
ADDRESS BOOK
MARK OGREN Vice-Chairman
UEFA Cup Runners-up: 1986–87
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
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 NICOLSON 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 everyone, and welcome back to Tannadice for the final game of the season!
We find ourselves with an opportunity that, if you’d offered it to us at the start of the campaign, we’d have taken without hesitation. A one-off game at Tannadice to finish fourth in the league - it’s a great position to be in.
We’re just fully focused on the job at hand now. What happened in the last four games obviously is not ideal, and we’ve not brushed it under the carpet. We’ve tried to analyse it and look at things we can do better, as you always do — but
that all goes out the window now.
The players have got the opportunity to go and do something quite special really, in terms of where we’ve been and the journey we’ve all been on over the last couple of years. To now be sitting here with 90 minutes of football to determine whether we finish fourth in the league — I think it’s very exciting.
I know people get caught up on a short run of games, but when you look back two years — obviously the club was relegated. Financially, personnel-wise, in every sort of way it was a bit of a mess. It’s been a hell
of a journey, and I think everyone should be quite proud of that.
It’s not just football, it’s society. Everybody’s got a real short view on everything — you’re a hero one minute, a villain the next. I always try to look at the bigger picture. Have we made progress over the last couple of seasons? Absolutely. Have we taken the club in the right direction? I think we all agree we have. Are we the finished article? No. But we know where we need to strengthen to make us even better.
There’s been so much hard work put in behind the scenes. It’s rewarding when you get days like
today — when all that work across nine or ten months comes down to one moment.
I want to thank you all for your immense support throughout the season.
You’ve all played a huge part in our journey and we’re all determined to give you all something to celebrate.
Let’s make it an afternoon to remember!
- Jim Goodwin
TODAY’S MASCOTS
BRODIE BEDWELL AGE: 8
FAVOURITE PLAYER: JACK WALTON
NOAH MACKIE
AGE: 11
FAVOURITE PLAYER: RYAN STRAIN
BEN ABERDEIN AGE: 10
FAVOURITE PLAYER: KRISTIJAN TRAPANOVSKI
JAKE MACKIE
AGE: 11
FAVOURITE PLAYER: KRISTIJAN TRAPANOVSKI
JAX DRUMMOND AGE: 8
FAVOURITE PLAYER: KRISTIJAN TRAPANOVSKI
JAMES DAVIDSON
AGE: 8
FAVOURITE PLAYER: SAM DALBY
HOME OF THE SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP
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FOCUS ON ABERDEEN
This afternoon’s clash is a straight shoot-out to decide who finishes fourth in the Premiership table.
Aberdeen made a blistering start to the campaign, matching Celtic stride for stride into November. However, a dramatic downturn in form has seen the Dons post the worst points return in the division since 22 November. A 14-match winless run ended any hopes of splitting the Glasgow giants, but they do have next weekend’s Scottish Cup Final to look forward to. They’ll go into it as clear underdogs against Celtic – a side that put six past them in November’s League Cup semi-final and five past them just last week.
This is our fourth meeting of the season, with all three previous games being tight affairs. A late Peter Ambrose goal earned the Dons a 1-0 win at Pittodrie, but it was our turn to snatch victory in December when Kevin Holt’s dramatic stoppagetime header sparked scenes of bedlam at Tannadice. A 2-2 draw in the third meeting continued the late drama theme, as Kevin Nisbet’s 90th-minute strike salvaged a point for today’s visitors.
Should United find the net today, it will mark our 200th home goal against Aberdeen.
Sunday’s defeat at Ibrox marked Jimmy Thelin’s 400th game in management. With a healthy win rate of 46%, it’s no surprise the Dons were determined to bring the 47-year-old Swede to Pittodrie.
A central defender in his playing days, Thelin began coaching with Ljungarum in 2005 and quickly made a name for himself with two title wins. His rise continued at Jönköpings Södra, where he guided them to
Sweden’s top tier – the Allsvenskan – for the first time in 46 years.
His next stop was IF Elfsborg, where he took the club from mid-table mediocrity to the brink of the title, narrowly missing out on the final day. Known as a manager who builds long-term projects, Aberdeen fans will be hoping the best is yet to come.
ONE TO WATCH
KEVIN NISBET
Kevin Nisbet scored both goals for Aberdeen in our last meeting, taking his tally against United to seven career goals.
After a slow start to life at Partick Thistle, and modest loan spells, it was a move to Raith Rovers in 2018 that kickstarted his career. A stunning 34-goal season earned him a step up to Dunfermline, and then on to Hibernian, where he continued to shine with 39 goals across 101 appearances.
In 2023, he made the move to Millwall in a £2m deal. However, injury troubles and a falling out with manager Neil Harris led to a season-long loan switch to Pittodrie – and he’s been a key man for the Dons with 14 goals so far this term.
KRISTERS TOBERS,
the Latvian international captain joined from Grasshoppers Zurich for £700,000. The 24-year-old is primarily a centre-back but can also play as a holding midfielder.
JEPPE OKKELS, a winger familiar to Thelin from their Elfsborg days. The Danish U21 cap arrived on loan from Preston NE until the summer.
MATS KNOESTER,
a Dutch defender who signed a two-and-a-half-year deal following his release from Ferencvaros. The 6’2” stopper has also played for Heracles Almelo.
ODAY DABBAGH,
the Palestinian international winger joined from Charleroi on loan with an option to buy. He scored a hat-trick in World Cup qualifying and netted a dramatic extra-time winner against Hearts to send Aberdeen to the Scottish Cup final. IN THE DOOR
ALFIE DORRINGTON, a Highly rated centre-half signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur after making his senior debut just weeks earlier.
ALEXANDER JENSEN, a £650,000 signing from IF Brommapojkarna. The 22-year-old left-back is considered a future star.
You can now secure your seat for 2025/26 with Season Tickets now on sale to new and existing supporters!
Key Early Bird Details
This is the first opportunity for new Season Ticket holders to purchase their seats for the 2025/26 season.
This period offers renewals and new customers a discount that compares favourably to full-price Season Tickets.
Tickets bought in this period offer savings of up to £109 for adults compared to gate prices.
Supporters can split the cost over six monthly payments (8.3% finance fee) during this period.
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 Early Bird period, you can take advantage of our six-month payment plan — 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.
LEWIS
THOM
Hailing from Stornoway in the Isle of Lewis, Lewis Thom was one of the rare breed of professional footballers to originate from the Outer Hebrides.
He enjoyed an interesting playing career over a decade, starting as a 17-year-old at Pittodrie in 1961 before spending a year
at Tannadice.
Thereafter, the left-winger spent seven seasons with five clubs down south, eventually heading back to Scotland and turning out for a trio of Highland League clubs in the early seventies.
Aberdeen manager Tommy Pearson had originally been interested in signing Lewis when he was just a fifteen-year-old boy. However, talks with the player’s father saw him content to hold a watching brief as the youngster continued to star for Banks o’ Dee ‘A’.
IIn May 1961, Lewis signed for Aberdeen and debuted that September in a 3-1 win over Dundee, filling in for the injured George Mulhall.
With Mulhall highly rated and later capped for Scotland, Lewis struggled for game time. His chance came in September 1962 when Mulhall left for Sunderland, and Lewis scored twice in a 4-1 win over Third Lanark. Though he became a regular, manager Tommy Pearson lost confidence and brought in veteran Tommy Ring in March 1963.
Ring lasted just two games before Lewis returned. The 1963–64 season began with Bobby Hume in his place, but after a hat-trick for the reserves, Lewis earned a recall in September and impressed again. Still, he was in and out of the side, briefly sidelined by injury, before reclaiming his place to finish the season.
Despite a decent run, Lewis was released in April 1964 and immediately signed for United.
Unusually, although he was signed after the end of the season, he was able to make his debut in United’s black and white before the season officially concluded—courtesy of the newly introduced, and short-lived, Summer Cup competition.
By a strange quirk of fate, he made his debut against Aberdeen in May 1964, which resulted in a 4-1 United win.
He bagged the first of his eight United goals on the opening day of the following season, as United defeated Dundee in a League Cup sectional tie at Tannadice. He was very much a regular in the side that swept its way to a first-ever League Cup semi-final, in which United were unlucky not to beat Rangers.
However, United’s league form was wretched and culminated in the Scandinavian invasion, which included Swedish international Örjan Persson—consigning Lewis to the reserves. With the Swede returning home at the end of the league campaign, Lewis ironically scored his last goal for United against Aberdeen in the second and final Summer Cup. His last of 33 United appearances came in the first leg of the Summer Cup final at Motherwell in May 1965.
In September 1965, Lewis moved to England to join Shrewsbury Town, making 56 appearances and scoring five goals. After his release in 1969, he signed for Bradford (Park Avenue), scoring once in 31 games during their final Football League season. He later had a short stint at Altrincham before returning to Scotland to play in the Highland League with Elgin City, Clachnacuddin, and Nairn County.
After retiring, he became a talented amateur golfer and worked offshore in the oil industry. A workplace accident resulted in the loss of his leg, ending his golfing days early. He passed away in Aberdeen on 28 June 2019, aged 75.
FLASHBACK FOCUS
MARCH 1977
DUNDEE UNITED 3
ABERDEEN 2
This top-of-the-table tussle produced a superb advert for the Premier Division, then in only its second season.
United consolidated their second place with a second win over Ally MacLeod‘s side inside five days, and again it was only achieved by the narrowest of margins. The victory cut Celtic’s lead at the top of the table to four points after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Motherwell at Celtic Park on the same evening.
The game got off to a breathtaking, explosive start.
Dave Narey’s opener in just two minutes was one of two sensational early goals in the hosts’ favour. Narey, who was getting married the following day, picked up a clearance 40 yards out. As the Dons’ defence charged forward in an offside trap, he
coolly lobbed the ball high over their heads, then burst through the advancing wall of players to fire past Bobby Clark.
Four minutes later, a superb through ball from Paul Sturrock put George Fleming clear. Although his shot was blocked by Clark, Paul Hegarty scored with a brilliant overhead kick.
If the Dons were deflated, they didn’t show it— responding to United’s magic with a goal in the eighth minute.
Following a Willie Garner free-kick into the United goalmouth, Joe Smith took advantage of an opening to prod the ball beyond Hamish McAlpine and into the far corner of the net.
It was all-action stuff, and shortly afterwards, Arthur Graham was only inches off target with an angled effort.
Aberdeen’s swift response to those early setbacks gave them the incentive,
and Smith, Kennedy and Fleming all came close in subsequent Dons raids. Not that Jim McLean’s men were content to play second fiddle for long—they responded with several penetrating attacks of their own.
However, the woodwork came to United’s rescue on 31 minutes when Ian Fleming headed down a left-wing cross into the path of Smith, but his shot towards the far post rebounded off the crossbar.
In the 34th minute, United restored their two-goal cushion when Narey touched on to Tom McAdam, who supplied
the finish from close range.
The remarkable tempo of the first half continued after the break. A Graham cross endangered the home goal, but the ball was scrambled back to McAlpine.
With Aberdeen’s pressure going unrewarded, the United defence began to show signs of complacency, and the Arabs were quick to voice their disapproval of the side’s stalling tactics.
Ally MacLeod replaced Jim Shirra with Duncan Davidson, and a minute later only a fine save by McAlpine denied Graham from 12 yards out. With the Dons now in full cry, they deservedly reduced the deficit after 72 minutes.
A George Campbell–Davidson move on the left enabled the substitute to deliver a high cross, from which Joe Harper flicked home a header.
Almost immediately, the visitors could count themselves lucky not to concede a penalty. Chic McClelland brought down Graeme Payne on the edge of the box, but referee Eddie Thomson deemed the offence to have occurred outside the area.
On 79 minutes, Campbell was replaced by John McMaster, and a minute later United brought on Gordon Wallace for Fleming.
There was still one more moment of drama in this classic encounter. Eight minutes from time, McAlpine could only parry
a Graham drive from the right.
Willie Miller, up in attack, lunged to get his head to the dropping ball, but it struck a defender, and McAlpine recovered just in time to trap the ball right on the goal-line.
Footnote – In the final analysis, United’s form tailed off as they dropped two places to finish fourth, whilst the Dons ended the season one place above the Tangerines, having garnered two points more.
FIRST TEAM SQUAD
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A LOOK THROUGH THE ARCHIVES!
Today’s spotlight falls on the testimonial of one of the Club’s greatest ever servants – Dennis Gillespie – a true hero for older Arabs.
Gillespie played a pivotal role in United’s rise from the second tier to become one of the country’s leading clubs.
Three months after Jerry Kerr arrived from Alloa Athletic to take the reins at Tannadice in 1959, he returned to his
former club to secure the services of inside forward Gillespie. The reported fee of £3,000 stands as one of the best pieces of business in the Club’s history.
Over the next twelve years, Gillespie amassed 455 appearances and scored a remarkable 113 goals – one of only ten players in Club history to break the century barrier.
In 1961, he became the first Dundee United player to be honoured at international level, earning a cap for the Scottish League.
When offered a coaching role by United, Gillespie opted instead to continue playing, joining Brechin City, where he saw out the remainder of his career. He retired at Glebe Park in 1976.
His testimonial – delayed until May 1973 – saw several well-known guest players join his United teammates and a Dundee XI at Tannadice. Over 11,000 fans turned out to pay tribute to a true legend.
Dennis passed away in June 2001, aged 65, after a long illness.
In January 2008, he was rightfully inducted into the inaugural Dundee
The United XI line-up for Dennis Gillespie’s Testimonial against a Dundee XI –Monday 7th May 1973.
Back Row (left to right): Hamish McAlpine, Doug Smith, Jimmy Briggs, Frank Munro (Wolves), Alex Bruce (Preston North End), Jackie Copland, Andy Rolland, Sandy Davie
Front Row (left to right): Brian McLaughlin (Celtic), Dennis Gillespie, Ian Britton (Chelsea), Mel Holden (Preston North End), Davie Wilson, Ian Mitchell
United won the match 2–1, with Dundee’s George Stewart scoring an own goal and Alex Bruce adding another for United. Jocky Scott found the net for the Dark Blues.
Dundee’s line-up featured several guest players who would later wear tangerine – Doug Houston (Rangers) and Iain Phillip (Crystal Palace). Others included Alan Gilzean (Spurs) and Andy Penman (Arbroath), a reflection of the great respect held for Dennis Gillespie across Scottish football.
IN MEMORY 2025 FAN REMEMBRANCE
ALAN BLOW
ALAN BRADY
AVRIL THOMSON
BARRY MCHUGH
BARRY HALL
BILL FINLAY
BILLY WHITE
BRIAN FERRIER
CHARLES LAMOND
CHARLES ROBERTSON
CHRIS BEATTIE
CRAIG ‘MOGES’ ALLAN
CRAIG MCGEOGHIE
CRAIG WIGHTON
DAVID ANDERSON
DAVID LOW
DAVID WALKER
DAVIE HAY
DOUGLAS MITCHELL
EDDY MONTAGUE
FRED DEWAR
GARY CAHILL
GARY KEANE
GEORDIE MCDONOUGH
GEORGE MUNRO AIMER
GEORGE WALLACE
HARRY RITCHIE
HELEN HEPBURN
IAIN TAYLOR
IAN DRUMMOND
ISABELLA KENDALL CAMPBELL
JACK CLARK
JACK DICKSON
JENNA ROY
JENNY ANDERSON
JIM BLAIR
JIM LONG
JOE BOAG
JOE MCLEAN
JOHN HAMMELL SENIOR
JOHN MULLIGAN
JOHN WILLIAMSON
JP IMLAY
KEVIN SWAN
LARRY JACKSON
MARK DONNELLY
MARK STUART
NICHOLAS FITZPATRICK
NORRIE JACKSON
OWEN STEWART
PAUL TYNAN
PHILIP AGATHE
RICHARD HUTCHISON
RICK MCCANDLESS
RICO HUTCHISON
ROBERT “BOBBY” BLACKLEY
RORY HINDMARCH
ROXY MAVER
ROY GOODFELLOW
SAM MORRIS
SAM NICOLL
SANDRA PENMAN
SARAH (SAL) MCFARLANE
SCOTT DOWNIE
SCOTT ROBERTSON
STEPHEN DOLAN
STEVE DOLAN
TAM SINCLAIR
TONY GIBSON
VAL STURROCK
WILLIAM MCGREGOR
WILLIAM WHITE
YVONNE GRAY
17 MAY
While the season typically ends in May these days, that’s a relatively modern development. As a result, fixtures on this date are few and far between – just six in total – and not all bring fond memories. Still, they rekindle thoughts of the Club’s adventurous travels under Jerry Kerr.
1947
DUNDEE 5–0 UNITED | FORFARSHIRE CUP FINAL
In one of the coldest and longest winters of the 20th century, the season was extended deep into May. It ended in disappointment, with a heavy defeat to newly promoted Dundee. United’s lack of firepower in the inside-forward positions allowed the Dark Blues to dominate. Albert Juliussen did most of the damage, scoring twice in each half, with Johnny Pattillo’s strike sandwiched between.
1969
WEST HAM 6–1 UNITED | FRIENDLY (AS DALLAS TORNADO)
Facing a West Ham side featuring England’s World Cup-winning trio of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, United –playing as ‘Baltimore Bays’ – were heavily beaten. With their own kit lost in transit, the side donned gold kits provided by the hosts.
Trevor Brooking opened the scoring on nine minutes, and Moore made it 2–0 with a thunderous strike after the break. Hurst added another
shortly after. Alan Gordon grabbed a consolation for United, but Peters, Brooking (again), and Ron Bryce rounded off the scoring.
Manager Jerry Kerr later reflected: “I think we played some of the best soccer we have played in North America in the first half, but West Ham were just too good for us. The score should’ve been about 3–1. Geoff Hurst was absolutely fantastic.”
1970
TOLUCA XI 2–0 UNITED | FRIENDLY
Back in North America a year later – this time in Mexico – United faced a Toluca XI featuring several national team players in the sweltering mid-day heat.
After being awarded a penalty on 15 minutes, Jim Cameron stepped up, but his effort was saved by the legendary Ignacio Calderón.
The match remained goalless at half-time, but fatigue soon set in and the hosts took control. Javier Fragoso netted both goals to seal the win for the Mexicans.
2003
PARTICK THISTLE 0–1
UNITED | SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE]
Jim Paterson was the unlikely hero, scoring his only goal of the season to secure top-flight status in United’s penultimate game.
Chances were missed at both ends in a tense first half, with Danny Griffin’s close-range volley rattling the bar before the break. The breakthrough came just before the hour when Kevin Budnick parried Charlie Miller’s strike into the path of Paterson, who made no mistake from close range. Despite late pressure from Partick,
United held firm to retain their SPL place.
2019
UNITED 3–0 INVERNESS CT | PREMIERSHIP PLAYOFF
SEMI-FINAL (2ND LEG)
Holding a one-goal advantage from the first leg, Robbie Neilson’s side booked their place in the final with a confident performance at Tannadice.
Nicky Clark fired home a penalty on the stroke of half-time to ease any nerves, and Osman Sow doubled the lead nine minutes into the second half.
Clark was denied a second when he struck both posts, but Pavel Šafranko made no mistake late on to cap a 4–0 aggregate win and set up a final showdown with St Mirren.
