1986–87 Dundee United F.C. season

The 1986–87 season was the 78th year of football played by Dundee United, and covers the period from 1 July 1986 to 30 June 1987. United finished in third place, securing UEFA Cup football for the following season. They reached the Scottish Cup final, only to lose after extra-time to St Mirren. The season is most notable for the club's run to the UEFA Cup Final, knocking out Barcelona, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Universitatea Craiova en route. United lost 2–1 on aggregate to IFK Gothenburg in the final.

Dundee United
1986–87 season
ChairmanGeorge Fox
ManagerJim McLean
StadiumTannadice Park
Scottish Premier Division3rd
Scottish CupRunners-up
Scottish League CupSemi-finals
UEFA CupRunners-up
Top goalscorerLeague: Iain Ferguson (16)
All: Iain Ferguson (28)

Match results

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Dundee United played a total of 67 competitive matches during the 1986–87 season.[1] The team finished third in the Scottish Premier Division.

In the cup competitions, United lost in the final of the Scottish Cup to St Mirren and lost in the Skol Cup semi-finals. Swedish side Gothenburg defeated United in the final of the UEFA Cup over two legs.

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

All results are written with Dundee United's score first.

Premier Division

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Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
9 August 1986 Aberdeen H 2–1 10,910 Gough, Redford
13 August 1986 Clydebank A 0–0 1,612
16 August 1986 Rangers A 3–2 43,995 Gallacher, Redford
23 August 1986 Hearts H 1–0 11,068 Hegarty
30 August 1986 St Mirren H 3–0 6,168 Ferguson, Gallacher, Bannon
6 September 1986 Dundee A 2–0 12,079 Milne, Bannon
13 September 1986 Celtic H 2–2 19,792 Ferguson, Gallacher
20 September 1986 Hamilton Academical A 5–1 2,876 Hegarty (2), Ferguson (2), Sturrock
27 September 1986 Hibernian A 1–1 5,407 Redford
4 October 1986 Falkirk H 2–0 5,957 Ferguson (2)
8 October 1986 Motherwell H 4–0 5,740 Philliben, Ferguson, Wishart, Coyne
11 October 1986 Aberdeen A 0–2 14,922
18 October 1986 Clydebank H 2–0 5,314 Auld, Bannon
25 October 1986 Hearts A 2–2 14,320 Sturrock (2)
29 October 1986 Rangers H 0–0 20,171
1 November 1986 St Mirren A 1–0 3,930 Ferguson
8 November 1986 Dundee H 0–3 11,733
15 November 1986 Celtic A 0–1 34,319
19 November 1986 Hamilton Academical H 3–0 4,280 Clark, Ferguson, Sturrock
22 November 1986 Hibernian H 1–0 6,862 Bannon
29 November 1986 Falkirk A 1–2 4,500 Redford
3 December 1986 Motherwell A 2–0 2,312 Page, Redford
6 December 1986 Aberdeen H 0–0 10,242
13 December 1986 Clydebank A 2–1 1,396 Ferguson, Bannon
20 December 1986 Hearts H 3–1 11,749 Sturrock, Bannon, Ferguson
27 December 1986 Rangers A 0–2 42,165
6 January 1987 St Mirren H 2-0 5,798 Redford, Sturrock
10 January 1987 Celtic H 3-2 19,020 Ferguson, Gallacher, Bannon
24 January 1987 Hibernian A 2-0 7,398 Gallacher, McInally
7 February 1987 Falkirk H 2-1 8,804 Ferguson, Gallacher
14 February 1987 Motherwell H 2-0 9,902 Gallacher, Ferguson
28 February 1987 Aberdeen A 1-0 12,850 Bannon
7 March 1987 Clydebank H 1-1 5,541 Hegarty
10 March 1987 Dundee A 1-1 11,615 Gallacher
21 March 1987 Rangers H 0-1 21,278
28 March 1987 Dundee H 1-1 12,220 Glennie
4 April 1987 St Mirren A 1-2 2,538 Redford
14 April 1987 Hamilton A 0-0 2,062
18 April 1987 Celtic A 1-1 23,798 Clark
25 April 1987 Falkirk A 2-1 4,930 Ferguson (2)
28 April 1987 Hamilton H 2-1 7,244 Bannon, Clark
2 May 1987 Hibernian H 2-1 9,301 Gallacher, Redford
9 May 1987 Motherwell A 0-1 2,340
11 May 1987 Hearts A 1-1 6,779 Kirkwood

Scottish Cup

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Date Rd Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
31 January 1987 R3 Airdrieonians H 1–1 9,169 Gallacher
9 February 1987 R3 Airdrieonians A 2–1 5,000 Ferguson, Gallacher
12 February 1987 R4 Brechin City A 1–0 19,355 Gallacher
14 March 1987 QF Forfar Athletic H 2–2 7,985 Malpas, Ferguson
24 March 1987 QF Forfar Athletic A 2–0 8,139 Holt, Ferguson
11 April 1987 SF Dundee N 3–2 13,913 Ferguson (2), Hegarty
16 May 1987 F St Mirren N 0–1 51,782

Skol Cup

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Date Rd Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
20 August 1986 R2 Queen of the South A 1–0 4,212 Gallacher
27 August 1986 R3 Ayr United A 3–0 3,680 Ferguson (2), Gallacher
3 September 1986 QF Hibernian A 2–0 9,212 Ferguson (2)
24 September 1986 SF Rangers A 1–2 45,249 Ferguson

UEFA Cup

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Date Rd Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
17 September 1986 R1 1   Lens A 0–1 11,330
1 October 1986 R1 2   Lens H 2–0 11,645 Milne, Coyne
22 October 1986 R2 1   Universitatea Craiova H 3–0 10,728 Redford (2), Clark
5 November 1986 R2 2   Universitatea Craiova A 0–1 35,000
26 November 1986 R3 1   Hajduk Split H 2–0 11,569 McInally, Clark
10 December 1986 R3 2   Hajduk Split   A 0–0 26,000
4 March 1987 QF 1   Barcelona H 1–0 21,322 Gallacher
18 March 1987 QF 2   Barcelona A 2–1 42,000 Clark, Ferguson
8 April 1987 SF 1   Mönchengladbach H 0–0 15,789
22 April 1987 SF 2   Mönchengladbach A 2–0 33,500 Ferguson, Redford
6 May 1987 F 1   Gothenburg A 0–1 50,053
20 May 1987 F 2   Gothenburg H 1–1 20,911 Clark

Player details

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During the 1986–87 season, United used 29 different players comprising four nationalities. Billy Thomson was the only player to feature in every match of United's UEFA Cup run. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.[2]

No. Pos Nat Player Total Scottish Premier Division Tennent's Scottish Cup Skol Cup UEFA Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   SCO Alan Main 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
GK   SCO Billy Thomson 61 0 39 0 6 0 4 0 12 0
GK   SCO Scott Y. Thomson 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DF   SCO Dave Beaumont 40 0 28 0 4 0 2 0 6 0
DF   SCO John Clark 47 7 30 3 6 0 1 0 10 4
DF   SCO Richard Gough 3 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
DF   SCO Paul Hegarty 38 5 23 4 4 1 4 0 7 0
DF   SCO John Holt 31 1 18 0 4 1 2 0 7 0
DF   SCO Maurice Malpas 57 1 36 0 7 1 4 0 10 0
DF   SCO Gary McGinnis 25 0 20 0 0 0 1 0 4 0
DF   SCO Dave Narey 54 0 33 0 7 0 4 0 10 0
DF   ENG Chris Sulley 8 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
DF   SCO Brian Welsh 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Eamonn Bannon 57 9 38 9 4 0 4 0 11 0
MF   SCO Dave Bowman 38 0 29 0 2 0 1 0 6 0
MF   SCO Harry Curran 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Alan Irvine 19 4 16 2 1 2 1 0 1 0
MF   SCO Paul Kinnaird 11 0 7 0 3 0 0 0 1 0
MF   SCO Billy Kirkwood 18 1 11 1 4 0 0 0 3 0
MF   SCO Jim McInally 51 2 32 1 7 0 1 0 11 1
MF   SCO Billy McKinlay 5 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
MF   SCO Gordon McLeod 7 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Joe McLeod 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Ralph Milne 22 2 14 1 0 0 2 0 6 1
MF   SCO Jimmy Page 8 1 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Ian Redford 59 11 37 8 7 0 4 0 11 3
FW   EIR Tommy Coyne 14 2 10 1 0 0 0 0 4 1
FW   SCO Iain Ferguson 51 28 36 16 7 5 3 5 5 2
FW   SCO Kevin Gallacher 57 16 37 10 6 3 4 2 10 1
FW   SCO Paul Sturrock 50 6 30 6 6 0 3 0 11 0

Team statistics

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League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Rangers (C) 44 31 7 6 85 23 +62 69 Qualification for the European Cup first round
2 Celtic 44 27 9 8 90 41 +49 63 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
3 Dundee United 44 24 12 8 85 34 +51 60
4 Aberdeen 44 21 16 7 63 29 +34 58
5 Heart of Midlothian 44 21 14 9 64 43 +21 56
Source: Statto
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions

Transfers

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Playing kit

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Home
colours
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Away
colours

The shirts were sponsored by future chairman Eddie Thompson's VG Foodstores for a second season.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Match results 1986/1987". Arab Archive. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b "1986–87". Glenrothes Arabs. Retrieved 8 February 2008. [dead link]
  3. ^ "1986–87". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 3 July 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  4. ^ "Iain Ferguson". The Arab Archive. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Player A to Z: Alan Main". The Arab Archive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Billy Kirkwood". The Arab Archive. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Hamish French". The Arab Archive. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Alan Irvine". The Arab Archive. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Richard Gough". The Arab Archive. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  10. ^ "Player A to Z: Tommy Coyne". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  11. ^ "Player A to Z: Ralph Milne". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  12. ^ a b "Chris Sulley". The Arab Archive. 14 April 2015.
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