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LOYALTY PERIOD EXTENDED
29th April 2024
Look back on our silver-kissing season.
Words by Peter Rundo
Match 1
Dundee United 2-0 Aberdeen
Saturday 4th September 1982
Attendance: 11,683
For the second successive year Aberdeen opened the League season and again United's first half performance determined the' destination of the points. Maurice Malpas, with his only League goal to date and a header by Davie Dodds proved too great a deficit for Dons to retrieve.
Match 2
Rangers 0-0 Dundee United
Saturday 11th September 1982
Attendance: 23,000
United's hard opening to the season continued successfully from a points gathering 'viewpoint, though this was a defence dominated encounter. Only an Ian Britton shot which hit the post ever threatened to break the deadlock.
Match 3
Hibernian 0-0 Dundee United
Saturday 18th September 1982
Attendance: 5,562
United though the better side, failed to threaten the Hibs defence and so had to be satisfied with a second successive goalless stalemate.
Match 4
Dundee United 3-0 St Mirren
Saturday 25th September 1982
Attendance: 6,832
A comfortable Tannadice victory with Ralph Milne sweetly rounding off some excellent field play for the first goal in 17 minutes. A late double by Paul Sturrock made the scoreline look more convincing.
Match 5
Dundee United 2-2 Celtic
Saturday 2nd October 1982
Attendance: 20,009
Tannadice was packed to welcome home both clubs after excellent results in Holland. Celtic, however, appeared set to break United's unbeaten run as they led 2-0 with just under a quarter of an hour on the clock. Then Davie Dodds struck, and Ralph Milne hammered home a great equaliser five minutes from time to secure a vital point.
Match 6
Kilmarnock 1-1 Dundee United
Saturday 9th October 1982
Attendance: 2,446
This appeared a bad draw in view of later results against the Rugby Parkers. It required a Ralph Milne penalty conversion to negate Brian Gallagher’s first-half opener.
Match 7
Dundee United 6-0 Morton
Saturday 16th October 1982
Attendance: 5,986
Four goals in 21 minutes ended this match as a contest. Dave Narey with two, Billy Kirkwood and Davie Dodds were the men on target. Dodds completed his hat-trick in the second half, taking the total to six.
Match 8
Motherwell 0-2 Dundee United
Saturday 23rd October 1982
Attendance: 4,555
United began a series of their own late, late shows. In episode one Dave Narey’s 89th-minute goal ended stubborn home resistance and Billy Kirkwood added a bonus second goal on the whistle.
Match 9
Dundee United 1-0 Dundee
Saturday 30th October 1982
Attendance: 14,959
Part two of United's late winners came in the first derby of the season. Davie Dodds was the 85th-minute hero. So United ended the first quarter of the League programme unbeaten.
Match 10
Aberdeen 5-1 Dundee United
Saturday 6th November 1982
Attendance: 16,200
When Richard Gough headed United into a 20th-minute lead, the Tannadice men looked set to repeat their 3-1 League Cup success at Pittodrie. However, Dons hit back in venomous fashion to inflict on United their heaviest defeat of the season.
Match 11
Dundee United 4-2 Rangers
Saturday 13th November 1982
Attendance: 16,470
Another sensational finish by United dumped Rangers. Ralph Milne headed Jim McLean's men ahead after 31 minutes, but Davie Cooper equalised two minutes later. Derek Johnstone put the Ibrox side ahead midway through the second half. However, Davie Dodds equalised six minutes later, then Richard Gough slammed home the winner four minutes from time and Ralph Milne's solo effort capped a fine victory.
Match 12
Dundee United 3-0 Hibernian
Saturday 20th November 1982
Attendance: 7,347
Despite not quite emulating last week's form, United recorded their best Premier victory over the Easter Road side. Eamonn Bannon gave United the lead in 33 minutes, but it took substitute John Reilly to confirm victory with his 75th-minute goal, before Davie Dodds added the third, a couple of minutes later.
Match 13
St Mirren 0-2 Dundee United
Saturday 27th November 1982
Attendance: 3,823
Winter was in evidence for the first time with Love St. covered in snow. United, however, didn't slip up and Eamonn Bannon in 70 minutes and Davie Dodds twelve minutes later plunged Saints into the relegation zone.
Match 14
Dundee United 7-0 Kilmarnock
Saturday 11th December 1982
Attendance: 7,259
The Rugby Parkers were overwhelmed by a United side which remarkably repeated the result of the Ayrshire side's last visit to Tannadice. Yet only a John Reilly goal separated the side at the break. Then Eamonn Bannon, Dave Narey, Ralph Milne, John Reilly again and substitute Davie Dodds with two late goals buried Killie in a second-half avalanche.
Match 15
Morton 1-2 Dundee United
Saturday 18th December 1982
Attendance: 1,887
Cappielow so often a graveyard for United provided a tricky surface with hard packed snow on the surface, yet despite falling behind in the 13th minute United recovered to win with John Reilly and Paul Sturrock getting the goals to maintain their League challenge.
Match 16
Dundee United 5-0 Motherwell
Monday 27th December 1982
Attendance: 7,682
United ensured that their displacement from second spot by Aberdeen, who played in the afternoon, was only temporary. Ralph Milne’s first-half strike and an Eamonn Bannon penalty four minutes later established an interval lead.
Match 17
Dundee 0-2 Dundee United
Saturday 1st January 1983
Attendance: 18,109
The turn of the year saw United maintain their challenge and Ralph Milne was the player in the thick of the action, scoring in the 24th and 83rd minutes to clinch this derby victory.
Match 18
Dundee United 0-3 Aberdeen
Monday 3rd January 1983
Attendance: 17,852
Aberdeen leapfrogged United in the table, inflicted the Tannadice side's first home defeat since May. Simpson, Weir and Mark McGhee with a late counter were the men in red to give United supporters this late New Year hangover.
Match 19
Rangers 2-1 Dundee United
Saturday 8th January 1983
Attendance: 15,200
This was a severe jolt to Tannadice's title aspirations, especially after the 3-0 defeat by Aberdeen five days earlier. John Reilly had given United the boost of an early lead but Robert Prytz and Alan Kennedy turned the game for Rangers. This was the only occasion on which Jim McLean's men suffered two successive defeats.
Match 20
Hibernian 0-0 Dundee United
Saturday 15th January 1983
Attendance: 5,500
A gale force wind all but reduced this game to the realms of farce. In the end, a point was acceptable especially as Hamish McAlpine had saved Gordon Rae's second-half penalty kick.
Match 21
Dundee United 3-2 St Mirren
Saturday 22nd January 1983
Attendance: 6,714
Three early goals ended United's lean spell. Billy Kirkwood opened the scoring and Davie Dodds chipped in with two in two minutes between the 17th and 19th minutes. Frank McDougall pulled one back just on the half-time whistle. A second-half fade out by United almost cost a point with Doug Somner scoring Saints second a couple of minutes from time.
Match 22
Dundee United 1-1 Celtic
Saturday 5th February 1983
Attendance: 17,289
A tremendous match on a tricky surface and United answered critics of their title ambitions with the best display for some time. Davie Dodds scored four minutes from half-time to cancel out Charlie Nicholas' opener.
Match 23
Kilmarnock 0-5 Dundee United
Saturday 12th February 1983
Attendance: 1,830
Again, conditions were tricky but that failed to prevent a rampant Tannadice display. John Holt hit his first-ever hat-trick and Eamonn Bannon and Davie Dodds were the other tangerine marksmen.
Match 24
Dundee United 1-1 Morton
Saturday 26th February 1983
Attendance: 5,986
The relegation-threatened Cappielow outfit meted out a setback in our push for the title. Richard Gough put United ahead in 56 minutes but a fighting Morton eleven equalised through Bobby Hutchinson nine minutes from time.
Match 25
Motherwell 1-4 Dundee United
Saturday 5th March 1983
Attendance: 3,589
Shrugging off any effects from the midweek trip to Prague, United recovered well from the loss of a John Gahagan goal after 15 minutes. Two headers from Richard Gough had given United an interval lead and Davie Dodds and Ralph Milne's second-half goals saw United cruise to victory.
Match 26
Dundee United 5-3 Dundee
Saturday 12th March 1983
Attendance: 13,443
A derby match with a remarkable change in fortunes. Defender Richard Gough scored twice, his fifth in three games to put United ahead. Then lan Ferguson (penalty), Albert Kidd and Cammy Fraser put Dundee ahead. However, a three-goal burst in the final 10 minutes preserved the League challenge. John Reilly, Paul Hegarty and Davie Dodds were the men who beat Dundee's substitute 'keeper Brian Scrimgeour.
Match 27
Aberdeen 1-2 Dundee United
Saturday 19th March 1983
Attendance: 23,000
Facing a bubbling Dons fresh from European glory against Bayern, United were in a contrasting mood after their defeat by Bohemians. In addition, victory was vital otherwise the season was as good as over. Aberdeen were stunned, however, by a first-half double by Ralph Milne who was ordered off in the second half. Spurred by their numerical advantage, Dons stormed the United goal but only had a Gordon Strachan penalty to show for their efforts at the end of 90 minutes. As Celtic had lost at Dens Park, United moved right back into the championship frame.
Match 28
Dundee United 3-3 Hibernian
Saturday 26th March 1983
Attendance: 7,279
United lost their way in this encounter. Davie Dodds, lan Britton, with his first League goal, and Richard Gough (again on target) overtook Gordon Rae's fourth-minute opener before the interval. A ragged second-half home performance let the Easter Road side in for a deserved point. Willie Irvine and Brian Rice were their scorers.
Match 29
Dundee United 3-1 Rangers
Saturday 2nd April 1983
Attendance: 14,142
Two goals from Paul Sturrock in the last quarter of an hour confirmed United’s superiority after Sandy Clark had pegged back Ralph Milne's opener in the 30th minute. Following this victory, United moved back into second place.
Match 30
Celtic 2-0 Dundee United
Wednesday 6th April 1983
Attendance: 34,508
A run of 10 League games unbeaten ended in this vital match in front of the largest League crowd of the season involving United. Frank McGarvey and Charlie Nicholas denied United a point and provided a severe knock to our Championship hopes.
Match 31
St Mirren 1-2 Dundee United
Saturday 9th April 1983
Attendance: 4,617
United retained contact with Celtic and Aberdeen by completing the quadruple over Saints. All the goals came in the first period. Eamonn Bannon (penalty) and Paul Sturrock with a header put United two up, but Doug Somner pulled one back for Saints.
Match 32
Celtic 2-3 Dundee United
Wednesday 20th April 1983
Attendance: 23,965
Against all the odds and under the severest of pressure before the match, United pulled off the victory that was so instrumental in the eventual capture of the title. In securing their first-ever Premier Division win at Parkhead, United had to overcome the handicap of Richard Gough's dismissal. Paul Hegarty opened the scoring, but Charlie Nicholas equalised from the spot before the break. Eamonn Bannon did likewise early in the second half to restore our lead, then came Richard Gough’s early departure. Celtic rallied, equalised through Tommy Burns, but depleted 10·man United battled back and Ralph Milne snatched the glorious winner six minutes from the end to blow the title wide open.
Match 33
Dundee United 4-0 Kilmarnock
Saturday 23rd April 1983
Attendance: 7,516
Once again the Rugby Park side were to suffer at Tannadice as United rattled in four first-half goals to ensure victory and relegate Killie. Derek Stark (two headers), John Holt and Paul Sturrock got the goals that devastated Killie.· With Celtic losing at Pittodrie, United went top for the first time and dreams of the title became a reality.
Match 34
Morton 0-4 Dundee United
Saturday 30th April 1983
Attendance: 6,820
The Tangerine goal machine moved through to the West as did the Tannadice crowd, thanks to the generous offer of free admission at United’s expense. For the second week running, United won 4-0 and relegated the opposition. Davie Dodds (2), Dave Narey and Ralph Milne sunk Benny Rooney's side and United were just two wins away from glory.
Match 35
Dundee United 4-0 Motherwell
Saturday 7th May 1983
Attendance: 11,933
After temporarily being displaced by Aberdeen whose match with Killie had been brought forward, United moved back into pole position with this third successive 4-0 win. Not unnaturally it was a nervy opening but Eamonn Bannon's magnificent free-kick in the 27th minute settled the nerves. Eamonn then converted a penalty and Davie Dodds scored twice to set the stage for the Dens Park title party the following week.
Match 36
Dundee 1-2 Dundee United
Saturday 14th May 1983
Attendance: 29,106
D-Day at Dens Park and United achieve the impossible dream - the League title. The match was perhaps not the greatest, but the final whistle will be recalled by Tangerine followers for the rest of their lives. Yet United had started in spectacular fashion. Ralph Milne's glorious goal and Eamonn Bannon's penalty follow-up looked like the perfect start but Dundee replied swiftly through Ferguson and then it was an agonising hour or so wait for that so-welcome final whistle.
