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EXCLUSIVE: Stuart Beedie on THAT iconic pass for Dundee United goal against Manchester United

Stuart Beedie set-up Paul Sturrock for an iconic Dundee United goal at Old Trafford.
Stuart Beedie set-up Paul Sturrock for an iconic Dundee United goal at Old Trafford.

Jamie McGrath claimed his place in Dundee United folklore with an exquisite lay-off to set-up Glenn Middleton’s spectacular winner against AZ Alkmaar.

It was a special moment on a special night for Tangerines’ fans, who witnessed another chapter written in a highlight-packed story of European adventures for their club.

But, as sublime as McGrath’s contribution to a famous occasion was, Stuart Beedie’s defence-splitting through-ball to release Paul Sturrock for a second equaliser against Manchester United in the first leg of a Uefa Cup tie nearly 40 years ago remains the pass all others have to live up to.

Jim McLean’s men had fallen 2-1 behind at Old Trafford to a scruffy Bryan Robson goal early in the second half.

Beedie, who had joined from St Johnstone in the summer for £90,000, found himself on the right side of midfield when United launched a counter-attack and with a low, curled pass, he took out three home defenders.

The last of the those, Mike Duxbury, was an inch or two away from intercepting it.

It needed to be weighted to perfection and it was.

Such was the quality of the ball, it was almost coming to a halt by the time Sturrock had a simple left-foot finish past Gary Bailey in front of a huge United travelling support.

As commentator Jock Brown said: “That was Dundee United at their very best. Look at the quality of the pass from Stuart Beedie.”

Duxbury’s toe

“I can’t remember who told me this but he’d been talking to Mike Duxbury,” Beedie told Courier Sport. “To this day he still thinks he is going to get a toe to it!

“Luggy peeled away from his marker, as he so often did.

“I didn’t think too much about it.

“There was just enough space between him and the goalie and I’ve judged how much to put on the pass well.

“Luggy did the rest.

“I think he sclaffed the finish a wee bit actually! It wasn’t his cleanest strike.”

Stuart Beedie, who has lived near Sydney, Australia for the best part of 30 years and coaches Port Kembla in the Illawarra Premier League still gets attention as a result of that pass.

“I’m probably remember more for that than scoring in a cup final!” he said.

“I’m not on Twitter but I know that it comes up now and again.

“I’ve had two replacement knees so it’s not as if I can try to recreate it in training in Australia!”

What might have been

The goal and the match sit well in United folklore but this was a great team near the peak of its powers and losing 3-2 to Ron Atkinson’s side at Tannadice was a genuine disappointment, such was their stature in Europe.

That McLean saw fit to bench Beedie for the return leg (Gary McGinnis started) could be put down in the ‘if only’ category.

“I didn’t play in the second game,” the former Dundee, Dunfermline and Montrose man said.

“Wee Jim in his wisdom left me out. Half of the team couldn’t believe it.

“I’m not saying I’d have made the difference but I’d played really well at Old Trafford. A lot of people were saying I was man of the match.

“There would have been some weird reason I wasn’t picked.”

The cup final goal and the ‘rocket’

Beedie was only at Tannadice for two seasons before he was sold to Hibs but he certainly made his mark.

There was the opening goal in the 1985 Scottish Cup final against Celtic and an even better one to get United to Hampden.

“I scored a memorable goal against Aberdeen in the semi-final replay at Tynecastle,” he recalled. “A left foot volley Jim Leighton is still looking for!

“If you put my name into Google ‘rocket’ is near the top!

“The one in the final was just pure instinct.

“I though Doddsy (Davie Dodds) was going to get a shot away but it’s dropped nicely for me.

“All you’re thinking about is getting a good strike and picking a corner.

“That was a great United team – the likes of Sturrock, Gough, Malpas and Narey.

“It turned out to be the closest I came to winning one of the big trophies.”

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