Following a gruelling but ultimately successful campaign, Dundee United will receive the Championship trophy in front of more than 11,000 adoring Arabs this evening.
No sweat; no stress.
It isn’t the first time Partick Thistle have been the guests for a Tannadice promotion party.
However, the circumstances of May 16, 1996 could barely have been more different as United secured their top-flight status in a fixture widely regarded as one of the most fraught in their recent history.
Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Firhill, Billy Kirkwood’s youthful Tangerines emerged at 2-1 winners in the return game to progress 3-2 on aggregate.
That swift synopsis barely does justice to the drama that unfolded at a sold-out Tannadice as Brian Welsh’s stoppage time header and an Owen Coyle strike in extra-time cancelled out Ian Cameron’s penalty.
A heady mix of joy and catharsis was in the crisp evening air as supporters spilled onto the pitch – while the overwhelming emotion among the men in tangerine was relief.
They knew what was on the line.
“There was so much pressure going into that game, and I can still remember that feeling to this day – that we HAD to win promotion,” recalls Steven Pressley, a fresh-faced 22-year-old in that side.
“Every player was aware that if we didn’t go up then there would certainly be job losses within the football club. The club had invested quite a bit of money into building a new, younger team.
“That investment was made in the expectation that we would go up to the Premier League. So, we went into that game acutely aware of all that – and that only made it a more memorable evening in the end.”
Welsh leveller was “an incredible moment”
Yet, for so long, United appeared destined to endure a galling failure.
Gary McSwegan, Craig Brewster and Pressley himself all passed up fine opportunities as Thistle stopper Nicky Walker enjoyed a splendid outing between the sticks.
And with just 15 minutes left, Jags substitute Nicky Henderson hit the deck under minimal contact from Welsh at the back post. Cameron fired the spot-kick past Ally Maxwell.
However, there was unforgettable redemption to come.
Andy McLaren – all untucked shirt and dancing feet – was the creator with a sumptuous turn on the touchline and a dangerous low delivery. Following some pinball in the box, Welsh nodded home.
“It was an incredible moment; I’m not sure how many times Tannadice has been louder,” continued Pressley.
“Until that point, it looked like – in a game where we’d given so much – we would come up short. Our whole season was defined by that few minutes.
“We knew we could win the game. We just needed the breakthrough. That was it.”
Magic McLaren was the ultimate “street footballer”
The full-time whistle blew around 20 seconds after the restart.
That is how close United came to disaster.
United continued to pepper the visitors’ goal during extra-time and ultimately breached the massed ranks.
Once again, the mercurial McLaren was the architect, dashing to the byline before superbly picking out Coyle to clinically covert just five minutes before a penalty shoot-out would have decided the contest.
“In terms of natural talent, I would rank Andy (McLaren) very, very highly among anyone I played with,” continued Pressley, reflecting on that evening’s tangerine talisman.
“He was what I would describe as a “street player”.
“You could put the jackets down in the park, and Andy would play in the same manner as he would in front of 40,000 fans – bringing out the tricks and the twists. He was so gifted.
“On his day, he was unplayable and, thankfully, he WAS unplayable that night.”
Pressley added: “I was very close with Owen (Coyle) at the time. He used to stay with me for a few nights of the week, so it was terrific to see him score such a big goal.”
Pressley: The whole city was celebrating…well, half were!
That substantial weight being lifted off their shoulders certainly made hitting the dance-floors of Dundee far easier for celebrating United players.
“Because we were Dundee United in the second tier – and it’s assumed you’ll come up – the feeling was one of relief,” Pressley continued.
“But we did go out in Dundee after the match and that was quite a night. I can’t honestly remember too much about it! But I do remember getting a sense of just what it meant to the supporters.
“It seemed like the whole city was out celebrating…well, half the city, anyway.”
He added: “In hindsight, I think it’s maybe now appreciated how much character was shown to bounce back from losing out on the title to Dunfermline, and still get promotion.
“With Dundee, St Johnstone, St Mirren, and a good Morton side, that was a VERY tough league.”
Are there lessons for Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United?
Kirkwood was replaced by Tommy McLean after a faltering start to life in the Premier Division in 1996/97 and, steeled by the prior season’s exertions, United picked up the pace with just five league defeats in 30 games.
McLean’s men finished in third place – still the club’s joint-highest top-flight finish since the glory days overseen by his brother, Jim.
“Billy (Kirkwood) recruited a lot of young players with potential; me, Andy McLaren, Christian Dailly, Robbie Winters, Gary McSwegan,” continued Pressley.
“I believe the pressure of trying to win promotion with United readied us for the Premier League.
“That growth and progression meant that we were able to take the momentum and really have a go at the Premier League. That league placing still hasn’t been bettered since. That’s something to be proud of.”
He added: “So, if I did have one piece of advice from that experience, it would be for Jim Goodwin, who has done a great job, to keep the nucleus of the squad that spearheaded promotion. Just supplement that with a few quality additions.
“Try to really utilise that momentum that has been built through this season.”
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