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Dundee’s greatest scoring streaks: Where does Simon Murray rank as fresh Alan Gilzean run emerges?

Murray has scored in six straight league matches for the Dark Blues - but who has done better?

Dundee's greatest ever goalscorer Alan Gilzean (left) and the current top scorer at Dens Simon Murray (right.
Dundee's greatest ever goalscorer Alan Gilzean (left) and the current top scorer at Dens Simon Murray (right.

Simon Murray is chasing down a Dundee club record after a scoring streak that has seen him net in six straight league matches.

Heading to his old side Hibs, Murray wants to make it a magnificent seven at Easter Road.

But where would that put him in the record books at Dens Park?

Courier Sport has done some digging to see where Murray currently stands.

Simon Murray celebrates
Simon Murray has scored seven in his last six league matches. Image: Mark Scates/SNS

All-time record: Johnny Bell – 9 consecutive matches

Dundee’s all-time record has stood for over a century.

You have to go all the way back to 1920 to find Johnny Bell’s incredible scoring run.

Starting with the only goal in a 1-0 win at St Mirren on September 11, Bell went on to score in nine straight matches for the Dark Blues.

Bell would finish the season on 26 goals as Dundee finished fourth behind champions Rangers, Celtic and Hearts.

Davie McLean – 8 consecutive matches

Two years after Bell’s feat, Davie McLean almost matched it.

He scored in eight consecutive league matches between October 7 and November 25, starting against Ayr United and finishing in victory over Greenock Morton in the 20-team top-flight.

He would complete the campaign with 23 goals as Dundee finished seventh.

Alan Gilzean – 8 consecutive matches

Dundee’s greatest-ever goalscorer was fond of a wee scoring run or two.

His first real spell as a starter at Dens brought a streak of goals in six straight matches, including a Forfarshire Cup semi-final win.

In the 1961/62 league winning season, Gilzean went on a run of goals in five consecutive games in the league.

Dundee star Alan Gilzean goes for goal in a derby at Tannadice. Image: DC Thomson.

His best run came in 1963/64, running across December, January and February with goals in eight consecutive matches.

Six of those were in the league, with two Scottish Cup ties mixed in.

Previously this run has been classed as seven straight matches but it was preceded by a trip to Rangers on December 28 in which Gilzean did not feature. He did score the previous week against Falkirk, taking his streak to eight matches.

Alan Gilzean (back, third from left) with the Dundee league-winning side of 1961/62.

So Simon Murray has now matched Gilzean’s best run of scoring in six straight league fixtures and can surpass the Dens great with a seventh this weekend.

It is unlikely, however, that he will match the 52 goals scored that season or Gilzean’s 169 overall!

Nacho Novo – 7 consecutive domestic matches

Speedy frontman Novo’s record is a little different to the rest. His super run of domestic goals were interrupted by two UEFA Cup matches in which he didn’t find the net.

But a run of goals in seven straight domestic matches deserves a mention.

Nacho Novo
Nacho Novo scored 25 goals for Dundee in 2003/04.

Back in 03/04, Novo netted in a 2-0 win over Aberdeen on September 20 and wasn’t denied in a domestic match until November 8 at Motherwell.

The run included a strike against Clyde in the League Cup, a game which saw Fabrizio Ravanelli score his famous hat-trick.

Novo would score 25 goals that season as Dundee finished seventh.

David Clarkson – 8 consecutive matches

David Clarkson
Dundee’s David Clarkson celebrates after scoring in his eighth match running.

Scotland international Clarkson returned to Scottish football with Dundee in September 2014 and did so with a bang.

After netting on debut in defeat at Ross County, Clarkson just couldn’t stop scoring.

But his run ended one short of Bell’s record as Dundee were beaten by Inverness at Dens Park, Ryan Christie scoring a late winner.

Clarkson then only scored one more goal in the entire season before returning to Motherwell.

Simon Murray – 6 consecutive league matches

Simon Murray
Simon Murray is in fine goalscoring form. Image: Euan Cherry/SNS

Today’s star man Murray is on a real tear for Dundee.

The current run started in defeat at Ross County in February with a superb curling finish.

And it’s taken in Motherwell, St Johnstone, Dundee United, Rangers and St Mirren.

The run was interrupted by a Scottish Cup tie at Hearts without a Dundee goal.

But in terms of league matches Murray is now level with the great Gilzean, one short of David Clarkson’s league streak, two behind Davie McLean and three off the all-time record of Johnny Bell.

Can Murray chase them all down?

  • Sources for this article include Norrie Price’s history of Dundee FC ‘They Wore The Dark Blue’ and the online Dee Archive.

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