DUTV
STORY OF THE MATCH | RANGERS (A)
25th November 2024
The Fair Play Stand at Tannadice was today formally re-named the Jim McLean Fair Play Stand as a permanent tribute to United's greatest ever manager.
The decision to re-name the stand was made by the Directors of the Club following consultation with Jim McLean and announced at a tribute dinner for the Club legend which some 600 people attended. Jim was only too delighted to give his approval to the re-naming of the stand which he feels highlights the strong bond which existed at the Club between the fans, players and himself.
The stand, which was previously re-named the Fair Play Stand in recognition of the impeccable behaviour of our fans during the Uefa Cup Final in 1987 was reconstructed under the tenure of Jim McLean. Dedicating it to McLean became the Club's obvious choice to recognise his achievements during the 21 years and 5 months he managed the Club.
These achievements are well recognised and include winning major honours for the first time in the history of the Club with the 3-0 victory over Aberdeen in December 1979 and retaining the League Cup a year later. All the while, he was gradually building the Club's reputation in Europe, the counter-attacking style which he had developed proving ideally suited to that stage.
Despite the progress he had made, however, few believed that United were potential Premier Division champions, Aberdeen at that time providing a third hurdle to be cleared in addition to the Old Firm. But in 1983, profiting from a late run which left those clubs in their wake, that is precisely what McLean's largely home-grown side did, playing exhilarating attacking football in the process.
The following year United's progress was maintained. It took a penalty kick to deny them a place in the European Cup Final, and in 1986/87 arguably the best team United have ever assembled went one better in the Uefa Cup and narrowly lost out to Gothenburg on a never to be forgotten evening at Tannadice. The behaviour of the supporters that night in defeat was a major reason in the Club being awarded the Fair Play Award which helped provide the finance for the original Fair Play enclosure.
The stand will be formally hanseled at a home game in the near future.
The decision to re-name the stand was made by the Directors of the Club following consultation with Jim McLean and announced at a tribute dinner for the Club legend which some 600 people attended. Jim was only too delighted to give his approval to the re-naming of the stand which he feels highlights the strong bond which existed at the Club between the fans, players and himself.
The stand, which was previously re-named the Fair Play Stand in recognition of the impeccable behaviour of our fans during the Uefa Cup Final in 1987 was reconstructed under the tenure of Jim McLean. Dedicating it to McLean became the Club's obvious choice to recognise his achievements during the 21 years and 5 months he managed the Club.
These achievements are well recognised and include winning major honours for the first time in the history of the Club with the 3-0 victory over Aberdeen in December 1979 and retaining the League Cup a year later. All the while, he was gradually building the Club's reputation in Europe, the counter-attacking style which he had developed proving ideally suited to that stage.
Despite the progress he had made, however, few believed that United were potential Premier Division champions, Aberdeen at that time providing a third hurdle to be cleared in addition to the Old Firm. But in 1983, profiting from a late run which left those clubs in their wake, that is precisely what McLean's largely home-grown side did, playing exhilarating attacking football in the process.
The following year United's progress was maintained. It took a penalty kick to deny them a place in the European Cup Final, and in 1986/87 arguably the best team United have ever assembled went one better in the Uefa Cup and narrowly lost out to Gothenburg on a never to be forgotten evening at Tannadice. The behaviour of the supporters that night in defeat was a major reason in the Club being awarded the Fair Play Award which helped provide the finance for the original Fair Play enclosure.
The stand will be formally hanseled at a home game in the near future.
