Dundee United Football Club History 1909

Last updated : 28 January 2024 By

The club came into being in 1909 as Dundee Hibernian, taking over the Clepington Park ground of Dundee Wanderers and renaming it Tannadice Park.

Their first game was a friendly match against Edinburgh Hibernian in August 1909, a match that ended in a 1-1 draw.

The Club were elected to Scottish Division two in 1910-11 but enjoyed little success and left the League at the end of the 1921-22 season.

The club was saved from going out of existence by a group of local businessmen, renamed Dundee United and re-entered into the second division in 1923-24.

In 1924-25 the club were Champions of Scottish Division Two although relegation back to the basement division soon followed in 1926-27.

They stayed in the lower division until the 1960-61 season following their runners-up spot the previous season. Since then, apart form one season, they have remained in the top division.

In the sixties one influx of Scandinavian players saw United as early pioneers in the importation of foreign players.

The late seventies and eighties saw United develop into a major power in the Scottish game.

The 1979-80 season saw the club win its first silverware when they lifted the Scottish League Cup following a 3-0 trouncing of Aberdeen. In 1980-81 season saw United retain the League cup when they beat deadly rivals Dundee 3-0 in the final.

In 1982-83 they won their first League championship when they pipped Celtic and Aberdeen to the Premier League title.

The following season they entered the European Cup and progressed to the Semi-Final stage before losing 2-3 on aggregate to AS Roma.

In 1986-87 the club reached its first European Final when they lost 1-2 on aggregate to IFK Gottenburg. The 1994 Scottish Cup Final saw the club complete the full set of domestic silverware when they defeated Rangers by the only goal of the game.