It was the party of all Scottish Cup parties.
Thousands of Dundee United fans saw their team win the famous trophy in 1994 – and thousands more welcomed them home.
The road to Hampden reached its climax against Rangers on May 21, after the Tangerines defeated Arbroath, Motherwell, Airdrie and Aberdeen.
United were given 12,000 tickets for the final.
Fans young and old travelled to Glasgow using every mode of transport available, including 60 buses with demand almost never-ending.
They were the lucky ones.
Those who didn’t manage to travel crowded in pubs to watch the final.
United were underdogs against a Rangers side going for a second consecutive treble.
History was not on their side.
United had appeared in six Scottish Cup finals and never won the competition.
How could they turn the tide?
A camel took the hump before Hampden match…
United fans are known as Arabs and Philip Martin and Dean Kettles went looking for good luck omens at Blair Drummond Safari Park.
They wore Arab garb and tried to become better acquainted with a camel.
However, the camel put the frighteners on the fans, slavering and spitting at them.
The Courier suggested if United showed the same kind of resilience in Glasgow they would be “well on the way to humbling league champions Rangers”.
Eight busloads of Arabs received a particularly warm reception when they enjoyed a pre-match karaoke and get-together at the Kilsyth Celtic Supporters’ Club.
Pubs, bars, hotels and social clubs were packed out.
Next stop: Hampden – and a day of destiny.
From the outset the Tannadice men played with a sharpness that unsettled their opponents.
United were worthy winners and the strike that earned Craig Brewster legend status at Tannadice was the very least they deserved.
The moment Maurice Malpas lifted the trophy after the 1-0 victory ranks alongside the winning of the Premier League in 1983 and League Cup wins in 1979 and 1980.
Ivan Golac masterminded United to their first Scottish Cup triumph.
He became the darling of the United support.
United supporters were still going strong
The celebrations were in full swing after the match.
The Arabs marched along the streets singing and dancing, including a man who had taken all his clothes off bar his trainers and United boxer shorts.
Other supporters hugged and kissed each other as the victory started to sink in.
Because of the past disappointments, United fans probably enjoyed the occasion more than supporters of other clubs would have.
For this was United’s day.
lain Ferguson from Polepark said: “This has turned into one of the greatest days of my life – apart from my wedding, of course.
“I’ve waited a long time for this to happen and I’m going to celebrate and then celebrate some more.”
Graeme Anderson from Barnhill said: “I can hardly believe it.
“It will probably be next week before it all sinks in.
“Thanks go to Ivan and his boys.
“I hope they realise what this win means to us.”
Later that evening, with the party still in full flow, Fat Sams and the Mardi Gras were chock-a-block, as were all the pubs in Dundee.
United’s players took part in a trophy parade the following day.
There were emotional scenes after 20 years of hurt.
The United team was piped through the city centre on an open-top bus to enjoy the well-deserved plaudits.
They were met by a sea of tangerine in glorious sunshine.
Simply the Best boomed over City Square
A Courier reporter was on the bus as they rode home to a tremendous reception.
He said: “Carrying the cup home on the open-air bus, bathed in sunshine, the players, manager and their families couldn’t contain their delight as 20,000 fans cheered, sang and cried for the men who delivered the result the city so desperately wanted.
“The route from the Stakis Earl Grey Hotel to City Square was lined by thousands of fans eager to congratulate the tangerine dream team who ended the Hampden hoodoo with impressive skill and tenacity in Glasgow on Saturday.
“Perched precariously atop bus shelters and phone boxes, dangling from windows and hanging from trees, the United support cheered and shouted as Ivan and his merry men made their way through Marketgait and in to High Street.
“Celebrations turned to carnival when a throng of young fans formed a conga to accompany the bus from High Street to City Square.
“Cries of ‘Well done, boys!’ and ‘Congratulations!’ rang from every window, doorway and street corner as one by one the team hoisted the cup high.”
The bus stopped at City Square to huge cheers.
The United party emerged from it to the tune of Simply the Best by Tina Turner.
The players and officials managed to navigate the steps to take a bow from the balcony of the City Chambers.
Dundee United boss Ivan Golac ‘almost speechless’
Many fans looked a little worse for wear.
Policewomen danced with bleary-eyed supporters who had spent the night celebrating.
Some uniformed officers even produced cameras to record their own moment of football history as Golac raised the trophy above his head.
Golac told the ecstatic crowd: “I’m almost speechless.
“I’m sure that we will all enjoy the cup that we won yesterday and we intend to keep it here for a very long time as well.”
Golac said he was aware of the strange history of the Scottish Cup and Dundee.
The trophy was said to have been cursed, never to return to the city after being displayed in an undertaker’s window after Dundee won it in 1910.
The occasion created an atmosphere for the whole family to enjoy.
As one fan said: “Isn’t it a shame we can’t win the cup every season?”
It was late into the afternoon before the party began to die down.
Tangerine and black flags were flying at full mast all over the city for days to come.
There were lots of sore heads and hoarse throats on Monday morning.
All would probably agree that it was worth it.
The legend of Robert the Bruce
The Courier leader column summed up the experience of a weekend like no other.
“Few victories have been acclaimed by the fans with more pride or greater outpouring of raw emotion than Dundee United’s Scottish Cup final triumph after so many unsuccessful attempts.
“If there was one difference between the teams that reflected a deserved scoreline it was in the hunger United displayed.
“They were not going to be denied.
“Is the story of Bruce and his spider still told in history lessons?
“Never giving up, tenacity, mental strength – these were fully deployed by Maurice Malpas and his team.”
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