The word legend in today’s football world is seldom used sparingly.
However, the term firmly and aptly applies to former Dundee United captain and director Dundee United’s Doug Smith.
As a young boy, I watched professional football in the city almost every Saturday afternoon, depending if it was United or Dundee who was at home.
Even as a Dundee fan, I also marvelled at some of the players the Terrors would roll out in their line-ups in the early 1960s Smith, Dennis Gillespie and Ian Mitchell the years before Scandinavians were brought over by manager Jerry Kerr.
At Dens Park, Dee skipper Bobby Cox was always regarded as the best uncapped left-back in Scotland.
Across the road at Tannadice, the mantle of best uncapped centre-half firmly applied to their captain Doug.
If Dundee’s towering Scotland international centre-half Ian Ure, with his long gangly legs, was seldom beaten in the air or on the ground, very few opposing players would get past Smith, such was his impeccable timing in the air and in the tackle, allied to a very uncanny turn of pace.
Upon joining the Tele sports desk, one of the first jobs given to this fledgling sub-editor was to collate the popular “Queries and Answers” page in the Sporting Post. Time and again, the question would come in: “Can you confirm that former Dundee United centre-half Doug Smith was never booked?”
Indeed, we could, because no match official in his incredible 628-match career saw fit to include him in their wee black book.
Indeed, I’m still asked that question to this day, the last time just a few weeks ago, which prompted this article.
Doug was one of the rare breed of men to only serve one club, and his enduring Tannadice association transcended from player to chairman.
Signed in June 1959 from Aberdeen Lads Club, he made his debut as a trialist against Alloa Athletic in April 1959, coincidentally playing alongside Ron Yeats, his former Lads Club colleague and the man whom he was to supercede for the next decade and a half.
As understudy to Yeats, he was restricted to a handful of first-team outings over the next two years.
However, when Yeats was lured by Bill Shankly to join Liverpool in July 1961, Doug made the centre-half position his own. Indeed, such was his consistency over the next 10 seasons, he missed a mere four competitive games.
Named the Supporters’ Club Player of the Year in 1964, he was a member of the side that humbled Barcelona both home and away and, in the late 1960s, was appointed club captain.
Into his second decade with United, he remained a regular in the side and took over the role of penalty-taker, rarely missing from the spot to boost his career goal tally to 27.
His proudest moment came in May 1974 when he led United out at Hampden Park for the club’s first Scottish Cup Final, which, unfortunately, finished in a 3-0 defeat to Celtic.
Over the next two seasons, he completed his United career, declining a move to Raith Rovers in October 1975.
After 17 years of loyal service, Doug was released in May 1976 and ranks fifth in United’s all-time appearances chart.
In August 1977, he was granted a testimonial from the Tannadice club, in which several former players and current stars from other Scottish Premier League sides took part.
In 1983, he returned to United as a director and remained on the board until 2002, spending his last two years as chairman.
Well respected in Scottish football, after serving on various national committees, he became president of the Scottish League in 1997.
Appropriately, Doug, who, sadly, died in 2012, was amongst the first group of players to be inducted into the Dundee United Hall of Fame in January 2008.
For me, there will be no greater Dundee United legend than Doug . . . at a push, some might be able to slot into first equal alongside him.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.