The Associates singer Billy Mackenzie was Dundee United’s ’12th man’ when the club won its first major trophy in 1979.
Tangerines legend John Holt explained how an impromptu ‘team talk’ from Mackenzie got him fired up before the League Cup replay against Aberdeen at Dens Park.
Jim McLean’s men shook off their bridesmaid tag with a 3-0 win and never looked back as they went on to enjoy a decade of success both domestically and in Europe.
Mackenzie’s unwitting role in the triumph was among the memories shared by Holt as we asked him to pick his top five games for United during 14 years spent at Tannadice, ahead of next month’s testimonial dinner being staged in his honour at the Apex Hotel.
He made 406 appearances for United during his illustrious career after signing at the age of 15 in 1973 but these are the storied matches he will never forget.
League Cup final replay 1979
United made history by winning the replay 3-0 at Dens Park against Aberdeen on December 12 1979 with goals from Paul Sturrock and a brace from Willie Pettigrew.
Holt said: “We played Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen at Hampden on the Saturday and we didn’t play well and Wee Jim singled out the midfield for criticism after the match.
“I was playing in the midfield and he really took it out on us in the dressing room and we were really down in the dumps when we left Hampden on Saturday evening.
“He gave us the Monday off because the replay was taking place at Dens Park on the Wednesday and I remember going to the bank with my wife Linda.
“I was standing outside with my son John in the pram and walking towards me with his cap and his coat on and his whippets on the lead was Billy Mackenzie from The Associates!
“I had known Billy since primary school and it was nice to see a familiar face because I was still down after getting such a row from Wee Jim on the Saturday.
“Billy had just come back from London where he was recording some new songs and he asked me why I was down and I told him what happened after the game.
“Billy spoke for 10 minutes with me and told me to keep my chin up; that we were unlucky at Hampden on Saturday; and we should have won the game.
“It was nice of him to take time out to speak to me and he really gave me a lift and I took that positivity into the replay and went out with a real spring in my step.
“He picked me up and by full-time United had won their first-ever trophy!
“It was a great feeling and to win the trophy at Dens made it extra-special for the fans.
“Alex Ferguson‘s Aberdeen were a good side but we played them off the park.
“Billy was right – we were the better side but we just needed to believe in ourselves!
“That victory gave us that belief that we would win even more trophies – which we did!”
Scoring a hat-trick against Kilmarnock
A Holt hat-trick and goals from Eamonn Bannon and Davie Dodds helped to thrash Kilmarnock 5-0 at Rugby Park on February 12 1983 during the title-winning season.
Holt said: “I was playing in midfield again that day and I scored with my right foot, my left foot and my head, which I think is called the perfect hat-trick!
“I scored the first, second and third goals that day.
“Everything came off for me that day and we won 5-0 at Rugby Park to keep the pressure on Celtic, who were top of the table.
“To score a hat-trick at any time of your career is always special but to do it during a title-winning season was something else, but everything just clicked.
“Unfortunately I didn’t receive the match ball!”
Winning the league at Dens in 1983
McLean’s crowning glory came in 1983 when United claimed their one and only Scottish title with victory over Dundee at Dens on the final day of the season.
Holt said: “I don’t think it gets better than winning the league at the home of your city rivals and I came off the bench to replace Paul Sturrock.
“Ralph Milne’s goal was different class and one of the best I’ve ever seen – but the whole team played well that day and produced the goods over the course of the season.
“I’ll never forget the United supporters invading the pitch at full-time and seeing the joy on their faces brought it home just how much it meant to them that day.
“I must have been asked by 100 fans to give them my shirt but I turned them all down because I was too afraid of getting a row from Wee Jim if I gave it away!
“He probably would have fined me!
“But it was a great day and to win the league is something you grow up dreaming of doing and for it to all come together and beat Celtic by a point was very special.
“Again, that was evidence of that confidence coming through, which goes back to 1979.”
Man-of-the-match against Barcelona
Jim McLean described the tie as “a corner shop against a supermarket” but United won the Uefa Cup quarter-final first leg 1-0 against Barcelona at Tannadice in March 1987.
Goals from John Clark and Iain Ferguson handed the underdogs a famous victory in the second leg to maintain United’s 100% record in four meetings with Barcelona.
Holt said: “I’ll never forget getting the man-of-the-match award at the Nou Camp.
“I was in midfield and Barcelona had world-class players from back to front but they made the mistake of underestimating us and believed the game was a formality.
“We had won at Tannadice by a single goal but they fully expected to put four or five past us that night in front of their home fans and nobody gave us a chance.
“I still remember Gary Lineker and Mark Hughes were looking at us and laughing at kick-off, as if it was going to be a walkover but we wiped the smiles off their faces!
“We played well and scored great goals and kept going right to the end, which showed the fitness levels in the squad because we would always keep going to the final whistle.
“All those Tuesday nights at Tannadice spent simply running around the track were hard going but that built up our stamina and led to nights like that one in Barcelona.”
A memorable victory in West Germany
Jim McLean was left purring with pride after Dundee United hit the heights in Germany and reached the 1987 Uefa Cup final.
Borussia Monchengladbach were 55 games unbeaten at home in Europe.
United’s 850 fans were boosted by the support of 1,750 off-duty servicemen and McLean rated the 2-0 semi-final win as the club’s best ever in European competition.
Holt said: “We drew the first game 0-0 at Tannadice but we were confident we could turn them over in West Germany despite their European home record.
“Jupp Heynckes was in charge of Borussia but we were a great side and had our own master tactician in the dug-out that night and his game plan worked to perfection!
“My sister stayed in Dortmund at the time and was with the army and she asked me if I could get 10 tickets and she’d travel through with some of the British squaddies.
“I remember going into Wee Jim’s office thinking I’d be lucky to get two, never mind 10; but he was good as gold and sure enough he gave me 10 tickets.
“They swelled our ranks on the terracing and that support really helped lift us.
“Every time we attacked we could hear them urging us forward and we gave them the result they wanted and to find ourselves in a European final was the stuff of dreams.”
United went on to lose the final 2-1 over two legs against Gothenburg, with a 1-0 Scottish Cup final defeat to St Mirren sandwiched in between.
Paying tribute to a Tannadice legend
Holt achieved near-immortality during his United career before winding his career down at Dunfermline Athletic, Forfar Athletic, Deveronvale and Montrose.
He returned to United in the mid-1990s and spent several years in many coaching roles, before being let go when Paul Hegarty was sacked by the club in 2003.
Now aged 65, Holt works for Dundee City Council, but remains a popular figure on matchdays at Tannadice and is a member of the club’s Hall of Fame.
The testimonial dinner being organised by Events 105 on September 30 will feature Holt’s former Dunfermline gaffer, Jim Leishman, as the guest speaker.
Tickets details are on the Events 105 website and Skiddle.
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