Dundee head to Aberdeen tomorrow night for the resumption of Premiership hostilities following the winter break.
While recent times have seen the rivalry between the Dons and Dundee United take more prominence, clashes between these two have been hotly contested down the years.
And there’s also a history of players turning out for both. Here is a team of such men.
Jim Leighton
The former Scotland international is a Dons legend and was the last line of defence for Alex Ferguson’s great side of the late-70s to mid-80s. After an unsuccessful spell with Fergie at Manchester United, he moved to Dens where he continued to struggle before resurrecting his career at Hibs.
Stewart McKimmie
The reliable right-back started out with Dundee where he helped Donald Mackay’s team escape the First Division in 1981. He was sold to Aberdeen early in the 1983-84 season in a move that prompted Mackay to quit Dens and went on to have a successful career at Pittodrie before returning to Tannadice Street for a brief spell at Dundee United.
Bobby Glennie
The centre-half remains to this day an iconic figure with Dundee fans playing 387 times between 1978 and 1979 for the club he’d supported as a boy. Glennie started his career with Aberdeen where he would rub shoulders with the likes of Willie Miller and Alex McLeish before returning “home”.
Jocky Scott
Another of the “greats” to have played for both clubs. Jocky is rightly regarded as one of Dundee’s best-ever players. The Aberdonian won the League Cup with the Dark Blues in 1973 and repeated that feat in a spell at his home town club later in the 70s. He also, of course, managed both clubs.
Brian Irvine
After starting at Falkirk, the big defender was snapped up by the Dons in 1985 and spent the next 12 years with them, chalking up over 300 appearances in the process. He made the switch to Dundee in 1997 to help Jocky Scott’s team win promotion and then consolidate their place in the Premier League.
Chic McLelland
A journeyman left-back, McLelland spent six years with the Dons during the 1970s before heading west to join Motherwell. Two years later, he switched to Dundee in 1981 but, after a string of early appearances, spent most of his time on the bench before leaving in 1983.
Jimmy Wilson
A very popular right winger who was part of the Dee squad that reached a string of Scottish Cup semi-finals and won the League Cup in 1973, though he wasn’t involved in the final itself. He spent three years with the Dons in the mid-60s and later made his home there.
Gordon Strachan
Surely the most famous old boy who’s played for both clubs. The current Scotland manager started at Dens as an apprentice in the early 1970s and was quickly earmarked for great things. Tommy Gemmell sold him to Aberdeen in 1977 where he’d be a key player in their Cup Winners’ Cup win in 1983.
Robert Connor
A stylish member of the mid-80s team put together by Archie Knox, Connor’s form earned him a Scotland cap while still at Dens. After two successful years with the Dark Blues he was snapped up by the Dons in 1986 and went on to make more than 200 appearances for them.
Billy Williamson
One of the heroes of the dramatic semi-final win over Ayr United as Dundee reached the League Cup Final in 1980. An attacking midfielder at Dens, he won the League Cup with Aberdeen playing left-back in the 1976 final. Arrived at Dundee via a short spell at United.
Billy Pirie
Dundee’s goal king of the late 1970s also got a few for Aberdeen after his early career form with Arbroath saw the Dons quickly snap him up. Pirie had a decent scoring record at Pittodrie but never seemed to quite fit in. That’s something he did at Dens where he is now a member of the club’s Hall of Fame.
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