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1986–87 Dundee United F.C. season


FieldValue
clubDundee United
season1986–87
managerJim McLean
chairmanGeorge Fox
stadiumTannadice Park
leagueScottish Premier Division
league result3rd
cup1Scottish Cupcup1 result = Runners-up
cup2Scottish League Cupcup2 result = Semi-finals
cup3UEFA Cupcup3 result = Runners-up
league topscorerIain Ferguson (16)
season topscorerIain Ferguson (28)
prevseason1985–86
nextseason1987–88

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.

Match results

Dundee United played a total of 67 competitive matches during the 1986–87 season. 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

WinDrawLoss

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

Premier Division

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
9 August 1986AberdeenH2–110,910Gough, Redford
13 August 1986ClydebankA0–01,612
16 August 1986RangersA3–243,995Gallacher, Redford
23 August 1986HeartsH1–011,068Hegarty
30 August 1986St MirrenH3–06,168Ferguson, Gallacher, Bannon
6 September 1986DundeeA2–012,079Milne, Bannon
13 September 1986CelticH2–219,792Ferguson, Gallacher
20 September 1986Hamilton AcademicalA5–12,876Hegarty (2), Ferguson (2), Sturrock
27 September 1986HibernianA1–15,407Redford
4 October 1986FalkirkH2–05,957Ferguson (2)
8 October 1986MotherwellH4–05,740Philliben, Ferguson, Wishart, Coyne
11 October 1986AberdeenA0–214,922
18 October 1986ClydebankH2–05,314Auld, Bannon
25 October 1986HeartsA2–214,320Sturrock (2)
29 October 1986RangersH0–020,171
1 November 1986St MirrenA1–03,930Ferguson
8 November 1986DundeeH0–311,733
15 November 1986CelticA0–134,319
19 November 1986Hamilton AcademicalH3–04,280Clark, Ferguson, Sturrock
22 November 1986HibernianH1–06,862Bannon
29 November 1986FalkirkA1–24,500Redford
3 December 1986MotherwellA2–02,312Page, Redford
6 December 1986AberdeenH0–010,242
13 December 1986ClydebankA2–11,396Ferguson, Bannon
20 December 1986HeartsH3–111,749Sturrock, Bannon, Ferguson
27 December 1986RangersA0–242,165
6 January 1987St MirrenH2-05,798Redford, Sturrock
10 January 1987CelticH3-219,020Ferguson, Gallacher, Bannon
24 January 1987HibernianA2-07,398Gallacher, McInally
7 February 1987FalkirkH2-18,804Ferguson, Gallacher
14 February 1987MotherwellH2-09,902Gallacher, Ferguson
28 February 1987AberdeenA1-012,850Bannon
7 March 1987ClydebankH1-15,541Hegarty
10 March 1987DundeeA1-111,615Gallacher
21 March 1987RangersH0-121,278
28 March 1987DundeeH1-112,220Glennie
4 April 1987St MirrenA1-22,538Redford
14 April 1987HamiltonA0-02,062
18 April 1987CelticA1-123,798Clark
25 April 1987FalkirkA2-14,930Ferguson (2)
28 April 1987HamiltonH2-17,244Bannon, Clark
2 May 1987HibernianH2-19,301Gallacher, Redford
9 May 1987MotherwellA0-12,340
11 May 1987HeartsA1-16,779Kirkwood

Scottish Cup

DateRdOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
31 January 1987R3AirdrieoniansH1–19,169Gallacher
9 February 1987R3AirdrieoniansA2–15,000Ferguson, Gallacher
12 February 1987R4Brechin CityA1–019,355Gallacher
14 March 1987QFForfar AthleticH2–27,985Malpas, Ferguson
24 March 1987QFForfar AthleticA2–08,139Holt, Ferguson
11 April 1987SFDundeeN3–213,913Ferguson (2), Hegarty
16 May 1987FSt MirrenN0–151,782

Skol Cup

DateRdOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
20 August 1986R2Queen of the SouthA1–04,212Gallacher
27 August 1986R3Ayr UnitedA3–03,680Ferguson (2), Gallacher
3 September 1986QFHibernianA2–09,212Ferguson (2)
24 September 1986SFRangersA1–245,249Ferguson

UEFA Cup

DateRdOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
17 September 1986R1 1FRA LensA0–111,330
1 October 1986R1 2FRA LensH2–011,645Milne, Coyne
22 October 1986R2 1ROM Universitatea CraiovaH3–010,728Redford (2), Clark
5 November 1986R2 2ROM Universitatea CraiovaA0–135,000
26 November 1986R3 1YUG Hajduk SplitH2–011,569McInally, Clark
10 December 1986R3 2YUG Hajduk Split [[File:TV-icon-2.svg18px]]A0–026,000
4 March 1987QF 1ESP BarcelonaH1–021,322Gallacher
18 March 1987QF 2ESP BarcelonaA2–142,000Clark, Ferguson
8 April 1987SF 1DEU MönchengladbachH0–015,789
22 April 1987SF 2DEU MönchengladbachA2–033,500Ferguson, Redford
6 May 1987F 1SWE GothenburgA0–150,053
20 May 1987F 2SWE GothenburgH1–120,911Clark

Player details

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. |}

Goalscorers

United had 15 players score with the team scoring 97 goals in total. The top goalscorer was Iain Ferguson, who finished the season with 28 goals.

NameLeagueCupsTotal
161228
10616
8311
909
347
606
415
**303
112
112
112
101
101
101
011
011

Discipline

During the 1986–87 season, one United players was sent off. Statistics for cautions are unavailable.

NameDismissals
1

Team statistics

League table

Transfers

In

The club signed five players during the season with a total public cost of at least £300,000 (some figures unknown). Two other players joined before the following season.

DatePlayerFromFee (£)
22 August 1986SCORangersurl=http://www.arabarchive.co.uk/player.php?id=202title=Iain Fergusonpublisher=The Arab Archiveaccessdate=14 April 2015}}
September 1986ENGAFC BournemouthUnknown
SCODumbartonUnknown
25 November 1986SCOElgin Cityurl=http://www.arabarchive.co.uk/player.php?id=108title=Player A to Z: Alan Mainpublisher=The Arab Archiveaccessdate=1 April 2015}}
January 1987SCOHibernianurl=http://www.arabarchive.co.uk/player.php?id=35title=Billy Kirkwoodpublisher=The Arab Archiveaccessdate=14 April 2015}}
18 June 1987SCOKeithurl=http://www.arabarchive.co.uk/player.php?id=397title=Hamish Frenchpublisher=The Arab Archiveaccessdate=14 April 2015}}
June 1987SCOCrystal Palaceurl=http://www.arabarchive.co.uk/player.php?id=573title=Alan Irvinepublisher=The Arab Archiveaccessdate=14 April 2015}}

*Dave Bowman and Jim McInally were signed in a joint £140,000 deal

Out

Four players were sold by the club during the season with a public total of nearly £1,000,000. One player retired due to injury.

DatePlayerToFee
1 August 1986SCOTottenham Hotspururl=http://www.arabarchive.co.uk/player.php?id=32title=Richard Goughpublisher=The Arab Archiveaccessdate=14 April 2015}}
13 December 1986SCODundeeurl=http://www.dirtyarab.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Player%20a-z/Coyne%20T.htmtitle=Player A to Z: Tommy Coynepublisher=Glenrothes Arabsaccessdate=8 February 2008archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20081015114417/http://www.dirtyarab.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Player%20a-z/Coyne%20T.htmarchivedate = 15 October 2008url-status=dead}}
January 1987SCOCharlton Athleticurl=http://www.dirtyarab.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Player%20a-z/Milne%20R.htmtitle=Player A to Z: Ralph Milnepublisher=Glenrothes Arabsaccessdate=8 February 2008archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20081015120834/http://www.dirtyarab.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Player%20a-z/Milne%20R.htmarchivedate = 15 October 2008url-status=dead}}
ENGBlackburn Roversurl=http://www.arabarchive.co.uk/player.php?id=200title=Chris Sulleydate=14 April 2015publisher=The Arab Archive}}
SCORetiredN/A

Loans out

DatePlayerToDuration
ENGBlackburn RoversUnknown

Playing kit

{{Football kitpattern_la = _blacklinepattern_b = _vneckblackpattern_ra = _blacklineleftarm = EE7700body = EE7700rightarm = EE7700shorts = 000000socks = EE7700title = Home
colours{{Football kitpattern_la = _blacklinepattern_b = _vneckblackpattern_ra = _blacklineleftarm = FFFFFFbody = FFFFFFrightarm = FFFFFFshorts = 000000socks = FFFFFFtitle = Away
colours

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

References

References

  1. "Match results 1986/1987". Arab Archive.
  2. (October 2010). "1986–87". Glenrothes Arabs.
  3. "1986–87". Glenrothes Arabs.
  4. "Iain Ferguson". The Arab Archive.
  5. "Player A to Z: Alan Main". The Arab Archive.
  6. "Billy Kirkwood". The Arab Archive.
  7. "Hamish French". The Arab Archive.
  8. "Alan Irvine". The Arab Archive.
  9. "Richard Gough". The Arab Archive.
  10. "Player A to Z: Tommy Coyne". Glenrothes Arabs.
  11. "Player A to Z: Ralph Milne". Glenrothes Arabs.
  12. (14 April 2015). "Chris Sulley". The Arab Archive.
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