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Dundee F.C.: Difference between revisions

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| nickname = Dark Gayss or Gays
| nickname = Dark Gayss or Gays
| founded = 1893
| founded = 1893
| ground = Dens Park
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| capacity = 12000
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| chairman = {{flagicon|SCO}} Bob Wanknon
| chairman = {{flagicon|SCO}} Bob Wanknon
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Revision as of 15:28, 17 June 2010

Dundee are pish
Full nameDundee Football Club are pish
Nickname(s)Dark Gayss or Gays
Founded1893
GroundDens Dump
Capacity12000
ChairmanScotland Bob Wanknon
ManagerScotland Gordon Chiswank
LeagueScottish First Division
2009–10Scottish First Division, 2nd
WebsiteClub website

Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, is a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from the Scottish Premier League in the 2004–05 season. For the past five seasons, despite some considerable investment, they have failed to gain promotion back to the top tier of Scottish football.

The city of Dundee supports two senior professional football teams, Dundee and Dundee United. Their grounds are within a few yards of each other and are the two closest professional football grounds in the world.[1]

History

Early 20th century

The club were relatively unsuccessful in their early days until the Scottish Cup win of 1910, beating Clyde in a twice replayed final.

Dave Halliday had played on the left for his previous clubs, his hometown side Queen of the South and St. Mirren. Halliday went then to Dundee in 1921 with the celebrated Alec Troup already playing on the left wing. Dundee thus converted Halliday to centre forward with prolific results, finishing as Scottish top scorer in the 1923–24 season with 38 goals from 36 appearances - a very good return in the era of the 3 man off side rule. With Halliday Dundee reached the 1924–25 Scottish Cup final eliminating the holders en route, the Airdrieonians side of Hughie Gallacher. Halliday scored 103 goals in just 147 league and cup appearances for the Dees before moving to England's top division to wreak further havoc among opposing defences.[2]

Mid 20th century

The first decade after the war saw Dundee come close to a league title in the 1948–49 season, finishing just one point behind champions Rangers. They went on to win two League Cup's and reach a Scottish Cup final in 1952 and they also paid a Scottish record fee of £15,000 for Billy Steel. At this time Dundee's home attendances averaged more than 20,000.

In the 1958–59 Scottish Cup Dundee suffered a shock 1–0 defeat to Highland League side Fraserburgh. This is widely regarded Dundee's most embarrassing defeat in their history.

1960s - Dundee's golden age

Bob Shankly (brother of Bill Shankly) was appointed manager in 1959. Dundee won the league title of Scotland's top division, then called the Division One, in the 1961–62 season. With players such as Bobby Cox, Alan Gilzean, Alex Hamilton, Bobby Seith, Gordon Smith and Ian Ure they clinched the title with a win against St. Johnstone, which in turn relegated St. Johnstone to the then Second Division. Gordon Smith at Dundee thus collected the distinction of being the only player to win the Scottish football championship with three different clubs, none of them either half of the Old Firm.

The following season the club reached the semi-finals of the European Cup beating 1. FC Köln, Sporting Clube de Portugal and R.S.C. Anderlecht, before losing to A.C. Milan. The Dees reached the Scottish Cup final again in the 1963–64 competition. Shankly moved on from Dundee in February 1965.

The next manager after Shankly was former player Bobby Ancell from the 1947 B Division Championship side. Ancell took Dundee to a 1967-68 League Cup final against the previous season's European Cup winners, Celtic. Ancell's team scored three times at Hampden Park in Celtic's native Glasgow but still lost out 5-3. In the 1967–68 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Dundee eliminated opposition from Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland to meet Leeds United in the semi final. After a 1-1 draw at Dens, a 1-0 second leg win took Leeds through.

Late 20th century

In 1973 under the management of David White and captaincy of Tommy Gemmell the League Cup returned to Dens following a 1-0 win against Celtic. This is to date the last occasion when one of Scotland's three major trophies went to Dens Park. Dundee lost in the 1980 Scottish League Cup Final to city rivals Dundee United with Billy Williamson playing in blue against his previous club.

21st century

In 2000 the club hit the headlines when they signed Argentine international Claudio Caniggia[3], who later signed for Rangers[4]. Caniggia was only one of many foreign signings in the Dundee side in the early 2000s, which also included former Newcastle United player Temuri Ketsbaia.[5] The signing of such high-profile players along with many others led Dundee to a Scottish Cup final and two top-six finishes (although it is worth noting that Jocky Scott, with considerably less money to spend, led the team to their highest placed finish in the Scottish Premier League - namely 5th). This was achieved under the managership of Ivano Bonetti, who also made a short but notable contribution on the park linking up well with the Caniggia. However as the Marrs brothers chased an impossible dream, the attendances at Dundee were still short of the hoped for numbers and Dundee FC's spending significantly out-weighed their income. Dundee were soon forced into administration due to unsustainable spending, however the main factor was the lack of income during the period when the club's plans to sell off players at a profit was doomed when the bottom fell out of the transfer market just at that time.[citation needed]

Before Dundee went into financial trouble they enjoyed a good run in the Scottish Cup. In the third round Dundee knocked out Glasgow side Partick Thistle 2–0 away from home. The fourth round saw Dundee knock out Aberdeen 2–0 at Dens Park. Dundee continued their march towards Hampden Park with a 1–1 draw away and a 4–1 extra time victory over Falkirk at Dens booked their place in the semi-finals playing Inverness CT at Hampden Park. The only goal of the game was by Georgi Nemsadze. This secured a 1–0 victory and a place in the Final against Rangers. In the final Barry Smith hit the post for Dundee but Lorenzo Amoruso scored to bring Dundee's cup run to an end.

In 2003, due to the clubs failure to sell on players as anticipated, insufficient income was raised to fund the large wage bill, under owners Peter & James Marr, resulting in a £23 m debt, they were forced to go into administration with many players such as Fabian Caballero, Craig Burley and Georgian captain Giorgi Nemsadze leaving the club in 2005. Despite this huge debt, Dundee survived by selling their stadium in 2003. The club's finances now look much better with the club focusing on its youth policy. In mid-2006, it was announced that financial restructuring would see the club become debt-free.

In early 2007 James & Peter Marr severed all ties with Dundee, stepping down as Chairman and Chief Executive respectively, when their company P&J Taverns was forced into administration. Bob Brannan and Dave MacKinnon took the Marrs' place.

In 2008 after a poor run in the league, manager Alex Rae was sacked, with former manager Jocky Scott taking over for his third stint with the club.[6]

In the 2009/10 season Dundee won Alba Cup Final when they beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3-2.[7]

On 20 March 2010, Scott was sacked as manager after a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Airdrie United.[8] He was replaced on the 21 March 2010 by Gordon Chisholm, with Billy Dodds as his assistant.

Non-playing staff

  • Chairman: Bob Brannan
  • Club Director: George G. Knight
  • Club Director: Calum G. Melville
  • Club Director: Stuart Murphy
  • General Manager: Jim Thomson
  • Finance Director: Susan Tosney

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK Scotland SCO Rab Douglas (captain)
GK Scotland SCO Bobby Geddes
GK Scotland SCO Scott Fox
DF Scotland SCO Kyle Benedictus
DF Scotland SCO Craig McKeown
DF England ENG Dominic Shimmin
DF Scotland SCO Eric Paton
MF Scotland SCO Craig Forsyth
MF Scotland SCO Gary Harkins
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF Scotland SCO Brian Kerr
MF Slovakia SVK Maroš Klimpl
MF Scotland SCO Paul McHale
FW Scotland SCO Pat Clarke
FW Scotland SCO Leigh Griffiths
FW Scotland SCO Sean Higgins
FW Scotland SCO Leighton McIntosh
FW Scotland SCO Colin McMenamin