John Greig spent his entire career with Rangers and played 755 competitive games between 1961 and 1978.
Greig’s achievements speak for themselves – captain of club and country, twice voted Scottish Player of the Year and the only member of three treble-winning sides.
He won 44 caps for Scotland and was captain when Rangers defeated Moscow Dynamo in Barcelona to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972.
Greig also played and scored in a Dundee derby!
He took part in a benefit match for Iain McDonald at Tannadice on October 11 1976, which led to the surreal sight of Greig pulling on a United strip.
McDonald signed for Rangers in 1969 and the 17-year-old winger scored in a 3-0 league win against Ayr United on his debut in January 1970.
Greig and Colin Stein also got on the scoresheet.
McDonald was plagued by knee trouble and played just 11 league matches for Rangers before signing for Dundee United on a free transfer in 1974.
He started 33 games during the 1974-75 season, after making his United debut in the opening match of the season against Ayr in the League Cup.
McDonald was called up to the Scotland under-23 squad but the persistent knee injury curtailed his progress during the 1975-76 season.
He managed just 75 minutes of Premier Division football before he was advised to quit football in February 1976 by a specialist at the age of just 23.
Manager Jim McLean was bitterly disappointed and paid tribute to McDonald, who retired from the game after 46 appearances and six goals for United.
McLean said: “In the short time Iain has been with the club he has done an absolutely fantastic job.
“Unfortunately, we have not had the benefit of his great service this season.
“It’s a real tragedy for Dundee United but an even bigger tragedy for the lad.
“Professional football has been his life since he left school at 15, and now he has no trade to fall back on.”
A benefit match was arranged for him against Dundee.
Greig was among several guest players who turned out for McDonald including Celtic midfielder Ronnie Glavin and Aberdeen striker Jocky Scott, who was returning to play for Dundee for the first time since leaving for Pittodrie in 1975.
Tickets were 70p and 50p and managers Jim McLean and Davie White urged their players to adopt “the old style play” and promised all-attacking football.
Dundee United: McKellar, Rolland, Kopel, Rennie, Forsyth, Fleming, Payne, Glavin (Celtic), Hegarty, Greig (Rangers), McAdam. Subs: Reid, Holt, Kirkwood.
Dundee: Donaldson, Ford, Houston (Dundee United), Robinson, McPhail, Phillip, Hoggan, Strachan, Pirie, Scott (Aberdeen), Purdie. Subs: Gemmell, Hutchinson, Allan, Martin, Laing.
Referee: Bob Valentine.
Iain McDonald led the teams on to the park for the benefit match, which gave the 5,057 fans inside Tannadice a night to remember.
The fans who weren’t in the ground at the start missed the first goal when Greig took a pass from Paul Hegarty and guided the ball past Ally Donaldson to put United in front.
Hegarty put his side two up a minute later, before Gordon Strachan pulled a goal back for Dundee on 14 minutes with a low shot into the corner of the net.
Hegarty made it 3-1 almost immediately from a Tom McAdam cross.
Dundee reduced the deficit when Jocky Scott lashed a cross from Ian Purdie high into the roof of the net and both sides were now going all out for goals.
Bobby Robinson struck the bar for Dundee before Strachan produced a contender for miss of the season when he failed to put the ball in the net from six yards.
United went straight up the field and punished Dundee.
McAdam struck again on 38 minutes before Strachan scored a fantastic solo goal to make it 4-2.
Graeme Payne put his side two in front again on 45 minutes when his shot struck Bobby Ford and wrong-footed Ally Donaldson, who dived the wrong way.
Dundee brought on three subs at half-time including captain Tommy Gemmell, who returned for the first time since surgery for varicose veins.
Celtic guest Glavin made it 6-3 for United with a trademark 30-yard drive that gave substitute goalkeeper Thomson Allan no chance.
Strachan scored three
Pirie missed a gilt-edged chance for Dundee before Strachan got his hat-trick on the hour mark, after Doug Houston provided the opening.
A minute later Derek Laing made it 6-5 from a Strachan pass before grabbing the equaliser from the penalty spot.
Laing was brought down by Frank Kopel.
Scott made no mistake from 12 yards for his second goal of the game.
With five minutes to go both sides continued to attack and Strachan struck the bar before Dundee took the lead for the first time in the match.
Scott got his hat-trick with a tremendous 20-yard drive but Payne grabbed the equaliser for United to make the score 7-7 with seconds to go.
The match produced the highest aggregate of goals in a match between the two city teams, including eight in the first half with two chalked off for offside.
The 7-7 result was two more than the 9-3 for Dundee in a joint benefit match for Jimmy Toner and George Grant in 1954.
Managerial rivals
Greig and Jim McLean would go on to become managerial rivals after the Rangers captain retired in May 1978 to take the top job after Jock Wallace quit.
Although the club failed to win the league during Greig’s five-year spell in charge at Ibrox, there was the consolation of two Scottish Cups and two League Cups.
McLean and United were on the receiving end twice in 1981.
Greig broke McLean’s heart when Rangers won the Scottish Cup, which was his best chance of winning the only prize that eluded him during his 22 years in charge.
McLean was convinced they could win the Scottish Cup against a Rangers side they defeated 4-1 at Ibrox in March.
Greig’s side won 4-1 following a replay, after Davie Cooper turned in one of the most magnificent individual performances ever seen in a Rangers shirt.
Rangers would go on to win the 1981-82 League Cup Final 2-1 against United at Hampden with goals from Cooper and Ian Redford.
Greig was sacked by Rangers in 1983 and McLean initially indicated his willingness to leave Tannadice for Ibrox with his number two, Walter Smith.
Then came his change of mind.
McLean later said: “As a football manager, I made the wrong decision to stay with United.
“But as an individual, I was right to stay at Tannadice and I’ve never regretted it.”
Eventually, Rangers had to bring back Jock Wallace, who had led the club to two trebles in three seasons in the 1970s.
Wallace never came close to attaining the same success second time round.
Sadly no images exist of Iain McDonald’s big night at Tannadice back in 1976 but if you can change that please email nostalgia@dctmedia.co.uk.
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