The funeral of Dundee United icon Jim McLean has been held in private, the club has confirmed.
A spokesman for the Tangerines said the funeral took place on Monday, respecting the family’s wishes that it be private and not announced beforehand publicly.
It is understood that Police Scotland had also requested that no prior announcement of the funeral be made to deter too many people gathering in one place to pay tribute.
A standing ovation was held before the side’s 2-2 game against St Johnstone at Tannadice on Tuesday night.
The club spokesman said: “The family requested that Jim’s funeral was private and the club respected those wishes.”
Jim McLean died, aged 83, on Boxing Day after a long illness at a care home in Dundee. He had been suffering from dementia.
He managed Dundee United between 1971 and 1993, becoming the longest-serving and most successful manager in the club’s history, winning three major honours. He also memorably took the Terrors to a UEFA Cup final in 1987, beating Barcelona en route to the final, and the European Cup semi-final.
The club spokesman added: “The team wore special t-shirts ahead of Tuesday night’s game. The players are now going to sign these and they will be auctioned off in aid of Alzheimer’s Scotland.
“Proceeds from programmes sold at the game will also go to charity, as will the proceeds from the live streaming of the match.”
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Only hours after the Scottish football legend’s death was announced fans began leaving scarves, flags and other mementoes at the gates of Tannadice.
More appeared on a daily basis until by the end of the first week after his death a shrine of memorabilia took up the entire fencing at the club.
Other clubs were also represented, including city rivals Dundee FC as well as Celtic, Rangers and foreign teams such as Ajax and IFK Gothenburg, the latter of which defeated Utd in the UEFA Cup final in 1986.
Hundreds of tributes to Mr McLean, described as the best manager the Arabs ever had were paid by football fans from at home in Dundee, the UK and across the world.
Among those paying tribute was Sir Alex Ferguson, whose Aberdeen side famously broke the dominance of Rangers and Celtic alongside Utd in the early 1980s.
Sir Alex described Mr McLean as his greatest adversary in football.
Lawrence Shankland dedicated his 53-yard ‘wonder goal’ this week against St Johnstone to Mr McLean’s memory.
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