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| August
started with Aberdeen at Tannadice in the first game of the season, as new
signing Dave Bowman made his debut, replacing the departed Stuart Beedie
in more or less the same team as the season before. |
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United won 2-1 with goals from Richard Gough and Ian Redford, and this
was followed up with a 0-0 draw away to Clydebank, who, along with Motherwell,
had survived relegation due to the Premier League increasing from 10 to
12 teams. 2-0 down at Ibrox, Kevin Gallacher scored twice in the second
half and Ex-Ranger Ian Redford scored against his former club to give
United a memorable win over new Rangers manager Graeme Souness's multi-million
pound team. This was the last time we saw Richard Gough in a United jersey
as, after asking for a transfer, he was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for
£750,000. Ironically, Gough would return to Scotland in just over
a year's time, and make his debut for Rangers at Tannadice!
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Next
up was a midweek trip to Dumfries for the 2nd round of the League Cup
as United beat Queen of the South 1-0, and by the end of the week Jim
McLean had brought in ex-Dundee striker Iain Ferguson from Rangers for
£145,000. He made his debut the next day in a 1-0 win over Hearts
at Tannadice, and scored 2 in a 3-0 win over Ayr United at Somerset Park
in the League Cup 3rd round. Ferguson scored again in a 3-0 win over St
Mirren at Tannadice where Kevin Gallacher scored his fifth goal in five
games.
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In
September, two goals from Iain Ferguson
at Easter Road took United through to the semi-finals of the League Cup,
and a Ralph Milne penalty and a goal from Eamonn Bannon at Dens gave United
a 2-0 win in the first Dundee derby of the season. The high scoring partnership
of Ferguson and Gallacher continued as both got their 6th goals of the
season in a 2-2 draw with Celtic at Tannadice before United travelled
to France for the 1st round of the UEFA Cup. United came home with a 1-0
deficit after the 1st leg against RC Lens, but Paul Hegarty scored twice
in a 5-1 win over Hamilton at Douglas Park where midfielder Jim McInally
made his debut. Iain Ferguson scored against his former club in the semi-final
of the League Cup at Hampden but Rangers went through winning 2-1. Ian
Redford scored in a 1-1 draw with Hibernian at Easter Road.
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October
began with the 2nd leg of the UEFA Cup tie with RC Lens at Tannadice,
as goals from Ralph Milne and Tommy Coyne took United through 2-1 on aggregate.
Iain Ferguson continued his fantastic start to the season with his 10th
and 11th goals of the season in a 2-0 win over Falkirk at Tannadice, and
a midweek game at home saw Motherwell score two own goals in a 4-0 win
for United. After going through the first quarter of the League season
undefeated, United were beaten 2-0 at Pittodrie, but were back on track
with a 2-0 win at home to Clydebank. Captain Paul Hegarty was forced out
with a long term injury this month, but Jim McLean replaced him with youngster
John Clark, who, like Hegarty, began his career as a striker. The next
round of the UEFA Cup saw Romanian team Universitatea Craiova travel to
Tannadice, where goals by Ian Redford (2) and John Clark gave United a
healthy lead for the 2nd leg. Paul Sturrock scored two goals in a 2-2
draw with Hearts at Tynecastle before a 0-0 draw with Rangers at Tannadice.
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first game in November saw an Iain Ferguson
penalty give United the points at Love Street, then United travelled to
Romania for the UEFA Cup 2nd round 2nd leg tie with Craiova, where a 1-0
defeat saw United go through 3-1 on aggregate. Dundee won 3-0 at Tannadice,
United's 3rd defeat in 20 matches against the Dens Park club, and another
loss saw United go down 1-0 at Parkhead, their first defeat there for 8
matches. |
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This
was followed by a 3-0 win at home to Hamilton and Eamonn Bannon scored
the only goal of the game against Hibs at Tannadice, where youngster Billy
McKinlay made his first team debut. Jim McLean signed promising goalkeeper
Alan Main from Elgin City as back-up to Billy Thomson and Scott Thomson
after the departure of Hamish McApine at the end of the previous season.
Yugoslavian outfit Hadjuk Split were next at Tannadice in the 3rd round
of the UEFA Cup, where Jim McInally and John Clark scored in a 2-0 win.
November finished with a 2-1 defeat away to Falkirk where Tommy Coyne
was sent off.
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| In
December, Jimmy Page scored his first
goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Motherwell at Fir Park, which was followed
a 0-0 draw with Aberdeen at Tannadice and a televised 0-0 draw in Yugoslavia
as United beat Hadjuk Split 2-0 on aggregate. This was the fourth time United
had qualified for the quarter-finals of a European competition, and would
face Spanish giants Barcelona in the next round. Ex-Clydebank striker Tommy
Coyne was sold to Dundee as United won 2-1 against Clydebank at Kilbowie,
and the next game at Tannadice saw one of the best goals ever seen at Tannadice.
1-0 down to Hearts with 10 minutes to go, goals from Paul Sturrock and Eamonn
Bannon put United in front, then Iain Ferguson robbed Sandy Jardine and
lobbed Hearts keeper Henry Smith from the half-way line! The final match
of the year saw United go down 2-0 at Ibrox. |
| Into
January, and after failing to keep hold of his place in the first
team, Ralph Milne was sold to Charlton Athletic for £125,000 after
6 years at Tannadice, and McLean brought back Billy Kirkwood after only
6 months at Hibs. United started the New Year with a 2-0 win at home to
St Mirren, and goals from Iain Ferguson and Kevin Gallacher put United 2-0
up against Celtic at a snow covered Tannadice. But just as two goals from
Brian McClair had brought Celtic level, Eamonn Bannon popped up with the
winner in a 3-2 classic. Jim McInally and Kevin Gallacher scored in a 2-0
win over Hibs in Edinburgh and Gallacher scored again in a 1-1 draw with
Airdrie in the 3rd round of the Scottish Cup, as Rangers were memorably
knocked out of the tournament by Hamilton. |
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Ferguson/Gallacher partnership continued in February
with both scoring in the next three matches. A 2-1 win at home to Falkirk
was followed by a 2-1 win over Airdrie at Broomfield in the Scottish Cup
3rd round replay, and they did it again in a 2-0 win over Motherwell at
Tannadice. Kevin Gallacher scored in his seventh straight game as he knocked
in the only goal of the game in the Scottish Cup 4th round tie away to Brechin
City, and Eamonn Bannon scored the winner in a 1-0 win over Aberdeen at
Pittodrie. |
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Into
March and Kevin Gallacher's spectacular
4th minute goal was enough to give United a 1-0 lead over Barcelona after
a memorable 1st leg at Tannadice, as Dave Narey and John Clark cancelled
out Terry Venables' multi-million pound strike force of Gary Lineker and
Mark Hughes. A 1-1 draw with Clydebank at Tannadice saw Paul Hegarty score
whilst wearing tights (!) and Kevin Gallacher scored in a 1-1 draw with
Dundee at Dens. United seemed to get an easy draw in the quarter finals
of the Scottish Cup, but a last minute Iain Ferguson penalty at Tannadice
saved United from a shock exit to level the score at 2-2. This match saw
Glenrothes/Glasgow Arab Innes Laing make an appearance on the pitch as a
mascot! |
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In
contrast, the next match saw United travel to Spain for the return leg
at the Nou Camp. 1-0 up after the 1st leg, everybody had written off United's
chances, and it didn't look good as Barcelona levelled just before half-time.
But as the game headed for extra-time, an Ian Redford free-kick was thumped
in off the cross bar by John Clark and Iain Ferguson scored at the death
for one of the most memorable nights in the clubs history. Glenrothes
fans Shuggy Jenkins and Ian Wallace both made the trip through and watched
the match from the heavens of the Nou Camp for a never to be forgotten
experience.
A
Dave McPherson header gave Rangers a 1-0 win at Tannadice as Billy Thomson
injured himself in the warm up, and Alan Main made his debut at Station
Road as United beat Forfar 2-0 to go through to the semi-finals of the
Scottish Cup. An own goal by Dundee's Bobby Glennie saw the fourth Dundee
derby finish in a draw at Tannadice, and there was to be a fifth meeting
as the clubs were drawn together in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.
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April
saw United beaten for only the second time in 18 matches as they lost
2-1 to St Mirren, and the 1st leg of the UEFA Cup semi-final at Tannadice
against Borussia Moenchengladbach saw Iain Ferguson score twice. But both
goals were ruled out as the Germans celebrated a 0-0 draw. The Scottish
Cup semi-final against Dundee was held at Tynecastle, after scoring first
United went in at half-time 2-1 down as ex-United man Tommy Coyne scored
for Dundee. But goals from Paul Hegarty and Iain Ferguson gave United
a 3-2 win and a place in the final. A 0-0 draw away to Hamilton was followed
by a 1-1 draw at Parkhead as John Clark scored.
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Again,
United were given little chance in the UEFA Cup semi-final 2nd leg against
the Germans. But Iain Ferguson scored a valuable away goal just before
half-time, and Ian Redford made sure in the 90th minute as United became
the first Scottish club to make the final of the UEFA Cup.
United
finished the month with another unbeaten run, with a 2-1 win over Falkirk
at Brockville where Iain Ferguson scored twice to take his goal tally
to an impressive 28, and a 2-1 win against Hamilton at Tannadice.
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As
the first team players began to tire after taking the club to the finals
of the Scottish Cup and the UEFA Cup, May
saw a younger team take the field against Hibs at Tannadice. The only
first team regulars were Kevin Gallacher and Ian Redford, and both scored
in a 2-1 win.
The
1st leg of the UEFA Cup Final at the Ullevi Stadium in Sweden started
as Billy Thomson nearly lost an ear in an early collision, and Gothenburg
took the lead soon after. That was the only goal in the match and United
had every chance to turn the match round back at Tannadice.
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With
the first team players having another deserved rest, another unfamiliar
team line-up appeared in the next game against Motherwell as United lost
1-0 at Fir Park. This should have been the final game of the League season,
but a rescheduled match at Tynecastle saw Brian Welsh make his first team
debut as another young team drew 1-1 with Hearts after a Billy Kirkwood
penalty. United finished 3rd in the Premier League for the fourth consecutive
season.
The
Scottish Cup final at Hampden saw United as strong favourites as they
took on St Mirren, and an Iain Ferguson goal in extra-time looked to have
finally won the Cup for United. But as we celebrated, the referee wrongly
ruled it out for offside and St Mirren's Ian Ferguson scored the winner
at the other end. A very disappointing result but there was still the
UEFA Cup to look forward too.
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days after the final at Hampden, Tannadice saw the first ever UEFA Cup Final
to be held in Scotland. 1-0 down after the 1st leg, United pushed for an
equaliser, Gothenburg broke up the park and scored through Neilson, and
United now had to score 3 in the second half. United had several chances
but no luck, and a fantastic John Clark goal from the edge of the box levelled
the match on the night but it wasn't enough. On an emotional night at Tannadice,
both United and winners Gothenburg were given a standing ovation after the
match by the home support and the United fans were later awarded FIFA's
first ever Fair Play Award. A long hard season saw United play in 67 matches,
missing out on only one match, the League Cup final, in all the competitions
they had entered. |
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Back
to 1986/87 Season front page
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