Dundee United FC Season 1995-96
Encyclopedia
Dundee United
finished the Scottish First Division
1995–96 season in 2nd place, after being relegated
from the Premier Division
the previous season. Although missing out on the automatic promotion slot through winning the league, United won promotion through the play-off system, beating Partick Thistle
3–2 over two legs. United secured the play-off on the final day of the season, drawing with 3rd-placed Morton and finishing 2nd on goal difference.
United scored freely at home in the league, particularly in the second half of the season, including 8–0 and 6–1 wins over Dumbarton
and a 6–0 triumph against Clydebank
. This 19-goal swing was enough to provide the superior goal difference that secured 2nd place.
The cup campaigns brought little joy, with a 3rd round League Cup
defeat to Motherwell
and an agonising quarter-final Scottish Cup
defeat to Celtic
who scored twice in the last minute to win 2–1. Embarrassingly, the club lost on penalties to Stenhousemuir
in the Scottish Challenge Cup final, although didn't concede during the entire tournament.
Off the pitch, United won the 'First Division Programme of the Year'.
defender Rab Shannon, Rangers
keeper Ally Maxwell and Neil Caldwell, also from Ibrox. Another two ex-Rangers players arrived before the start of the season, with Steven Pressley
and Sandy Robertson both arriving from Coventry City
. The Rangers connection continued when the Ibrox club made a bid of £1.5 million for Gordan Petric
, which United accepted and this money helped to re-shape the team well into the new season. Also out the door went Juan Ferrari, walking out after not being promised a first team place, and the Brazil
ian Sergio left for Kuwait
.
August started with a friendly against Rangers at Tannadice and United showed that they could still compete with the best as they narrowly lost 2–1. Just days later, United played Dundee
at Tannadice
in Dave Bowman's testimonial match
, with United winning 2–0. The season got under way with a draw with Morton
at Tannadice with five new players in the starting line-up, then a short trip down the road saw Cowdenbeath
beaten in the 2nd round of the League Cup
. With United now playing in the First Division, they were entered into the Scottish Challenge Cup for the first time, and won 2–0 at Stranraer
. a 3–0 defeat away to Dunfermline meant United had picked up only one point in their opening two league matches. Kirkwood then snapped up former Rangers and Aberdeen
player Jim Bett, following his release from Hearts
. The 3rd round of the League Cup
saw Motherwell win 2–1 at Tannadice, giving United one less distraction during a difficult season.
at Tannadice, and an own goal gave United the points in a 1–0 home win over St. Mirren
. Connolly then scored twice in a 3–0 win over Hamilton in the 2nd round of the League Challenge Cup at Tannadice, and a Jim Bett goal and Billy McKinlay
penalty gave United the points in a 2–1 win against Clydebank
at Kilbowie. United went down 2–1 at home to Airdrieonians
before a youthful team won 1–0 away to Clydebank in the quarter-finals of the League Challenge Cup. United then beat Dundee 3–2 at Dens Park
where McKinlay scored a hat-trick in his last match for United before his £1.75 million transfer to Blackburn Rovers
.
Into October, and Robbie Winters
scored twice as United beat Dunfermline 4–0 at East End Park
in the semi-finals of the League Challenge Cup to go through to the final at McDiarmid Park
. Billy Kirkwood then signed yet another former Rangers player, Gary McSwegan
, from Notts County
, and he made his debut in the 1–0 defeat to Dumbarton
at Boghead Park
. Goals seemed to be hard to come by in the league, so Kirkwood brought yet another striker to Tannadice. Owen Coyle
arrived from Bolton Wanderers
and scored on his debut in a 2–1 win over St. Johnstone at Tannadice. McSwegan scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 away win over Hamilton, and both strikers scored in a 3–1 win over Dunfermline
at Tannadice. United then finished the month with their 4th straight win with a 3–0 home victory over Clydebank.
and Aberdeen, and he made his debut against Stenhousemuir
in the League Challenge Cup final at McDiarmid Park. Ex-United legend Eamonn Bannon
turned out for the opposition that day and the game ended in a disappointing 0–0 draw, with United losing 5–4 on penalties. Incredibly, United failed to concede during the entire tournament. Young Celtic
defender Jamie McQuilken was then brought in for £150,000. Robbie Winters scored in a 1–1 draw with St. Mirren at Love Street
before Maurice Malpas
and Craig Brewster scored as United lost 3–2 to Dundee at Tannadice. Malpas scored again in a 1–1 draw with Airdrie, but United had failed to win in the whole of November. December started with a flurry of goals as Craig Brewster's form returned and he scored four goals in an 8–0 win over Dumbarton at Tannadice. a 0–0 draw with St. Johnstone at McDiarmid Park was followed by a 2–1 win over Morton at Cappielow
. Brewster's goals continued to come with a 1–1 draw at home to Hamilton and a hard-fought match at Tannadice saw United come back to level 2–2 against Airdrie with nine men.
Robbie Winters started January with three goals in two games, scoring in a 1–1 draw away to Clydebank and then two goals against Dundee at Dens in a 2–0 victory. Gary McSwegan then scored twice in a 2–1 home win over St. Mirren before scoring again in a 3–1 win over Dumbarton at Boghead where Rab Shannon scored his only goal for the club.
After a 3–1 home defeat to St. Johnstone in February, United started their Scottish Cup
campaign with a midweek trip down to Berwick Rangers
after the match had been postponed. Owen Coyle scored twice to take United through to the next round, which was played against Dunfermline the following Saturday. Craig Brewster scored the only goal of the game at Tannadice and United were in the quarter finals. United then met Dunfermline again at East End Park as the teams drew 2–2, as the title chase picked up, with any one of five teams in with a chance of winning the League. Craig Brewster took his tally to 13 for the season with two goals in a 4–0 win over Morton at Tannadice.
through Owen Coyle, and with minutes remaining United looked to have knocked out the holders. But just like in the finals of 1985 and 1988, two late goals for Celtic saw United lose out. United then went on a great run, scoring 17 goals in the next 4 matches, starting with another 2–0 win over Dundee at Tannadice, with McSwegan and Brewster scoring as Dundee's new signing Chic Charnley
was sent off. Craig Brewster scored another hat-trick in a 6–0 win over Clydebank at Tannadice, before Andy McLaren scored in a 3–1 win over St. Mirren at Love Street. At the end of the month Paddy Connolly was sold to Airdrie for £150,000 after over eight years at Tannadice.
The goals kept coming at the start of April, as Gary McSwegan grabbed 4 goals in a 6–1 win over Dumbarton at Tannadice. Since that 1–0 defeat at Boghead six months previously, United had scored 17 goals against Dumbarton in 3 games. Just as United looked to be running away with the league, they lost another important three points with a 1–0 defeat to St. Johnstone at McDiarmid Park. a 2–0 victory away to Hamilton put United back in the driving seat, and with two games left, United had to play their two nearest challengers. With a one-point advantage, United faced Dunfermline at Tannadice, and with a crowd of 12,000 turning up expecting to see United clinch the title, Dunfermline left with a 1–0 win. That defeat left United two points behind Dunfermline, and the final game of the season was against third-placed Morton. In front of over 12,000, United managed a 2–2 draw to pip Morton to 2nd place on goal difference
and secure the play-off place.
took the lead in the 1st leg at Firhill
, but a last-minute Christian Dailly
header equalised for United and the scores were level for the 2nd leg at Tannadice four days later. After attacking for most of the match, United went 1–0 down to an Ian Cameron penalty, and things looked even worse as Cameron went down in the box with minutes remaining. But a second penalty wasn't given and United desperately pushed for the all important equaliser.
Just as it looked like United's chance to get back to the Premier Division had gone, Brian Welsh popped up with a last-minute header which sparked unbelievable scenes at Tannadice and take the game into extra-time. With the fans behind them, United kept attacking and Andy McLaren set up the winning goal as Owen Coyle pounced to take United back to the Premier Division at the first attempt.
|}
, who arrived from Coventry City
for a club record £750,000. In addition to this, four youth players were awarded their first professional contracts in the close season.
The players that joined Dundee United during the 1995–96 season are listed below, along with their previous club. Stuart Gilmour
, Dale Gray
, Ben Honeyman
and Paul Walker were the youth players promoted.
to Blackburn Rovers
and Gordan Petric
to Rangers
- receiving seven-figure sums. The other eight players were either released or sold for smaller six-figure sums, with around £3.5m received in transfer fees, bringing a transfer profit of approximately £1m.
Listed below are the players that were transferred out and released during the season, along with the club that they joined. For players that were released by the club, the team that they joined is listed.
The jerseys were sponsored for the first time by Telewest Communications.
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
finished the Scottish First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
1995–96 season in 2nd place, after being relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from the Premier Division
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
the previous season. Although missing out on the automatic promotion slot through winning the league, United won promotion through the play-off system, beating Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
3–2 over two legs. United secured the play-off on the final day of the season, drawing with 3rd-placed Morton and finishing 2nd on goal difference.
United scored freely at home in the league, particularly in the second half of the season, including 8–0 and 6–1 wins over Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
and a 6–0 triumph against Clydebank
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
. This 19-goal swing was enough to provide the superior goal difference that secured 2nd place.
The cup campaigns brought little joy, with a 3rd round League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
defeat to Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
and an agonising quarter-final Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
defeat to Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
who scored twice in the last minute to win 2–1. Embarrassingly, the club lost on penalties to Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir F.C.
Stenhousemuir FC is a Scottish football club located in Stenhousemuir. The club is a member of the Scottish Football League and currently plays in the Scottish Second Division....
in the Scottish Challenge Cup final, although didn't concede during the entire tournament.
Off the pitch, United won the 'First Division Programme of the Year'.
Early season
Manager Billy Kirkwood continued to rebuild the team over the close season, bringing in MotherwellMotherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
defender Rab Shannon, Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
keeper Ally Maxwell and Neil Caldwell, also from Ibrox. Another two ex-Rangers players arrived before the start of the season, with Steven Pressley
Steven Pressley
Steven John "Elvis" Pressley is a retired Scottish footballer, who is now the manager of Scottish First Division club Falkirk. Pressley had a long playing career, playing for both halves of the Old Firm and making over 100 league appearances for both Dundee United and Hearts...
and Sandy Robertson both arriving from Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
. The Rangers connection continued when the Ibrox club made a bid of £1.5 million for Gordan Petric
Gordan Petric
Gordan Petrić is a retired Serbian footballer.-Career:After starting his career in his homeland with Partizan, he moved to Scotland in 1993 when he joined Dundee United for £600,000. His impressive performances at Tannadice earned him a move to Rangers in July 1995 for £1.5m...
, which United accepted and this money helped to re-shape the team well into the new season. Also out the door went Juan Ferrari, walking out after not being promised a first team place, and the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Sergio left for Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
.
August started with a friendly against Rangers at Tannadice and United showed that they could still compete with the best as they narrowly lost 2–1. Just days later, United played Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
at Tannadice
Tannadice Park
Tannadice Park, usually referred to as Tannadice, is a football stadium located on Tannadice Street in the Scottish city of Dundee. The stadium is home of Dundee United F.C. and has a capacity of 14,209.-Early days :...
in Dave Bowman's testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
, with United winning 2–0. The season got under way with a draw with Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
at Tannadice with five new players in the starting line-up, then a short trip down the road saw Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath F.C.
Cowdenbeath Football Club are a professional Scottish football team based in the town of Cowdenbeath, Fife. They currently play in the Second Division of the Scottish Football League. The club plays its home games at Central Park in the centre of the town which has the unusual feature of a motor...
beaten in the 2nd round of the League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
. With United now playing in the First Division, they were entered into the Scottish Challenge Cup for the first time, and won 2–0 at Stranraer
Stranraer F.C.
Stranraer Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team based in the town of Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway. They are members of the Scottish Football League, and currently play in the Third Division.-History:...
. a 3–0 defeat away to Dunfermline meant United had picked up only one point in their opening two league matches. Kirkwood then snapped up former Rangers and Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
player Jim Bett, following his release from Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
. The 3rd round of the League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
saw Motherwell win 2–1 at Tannadice, giving United one less distraction during a difficult season.
McKinlay departs
In September, Paddy Connolly scored the winner in a 2–1 win over Hamilton AcademicalHamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...
at Tannadice, and an own goal gave United the points in a 1–0 home win over St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
. Connolly then scored twice in a 3–0 win over Hamilton in the 2nd round of the League Challenge Cup at Tannadice, and a Jim Bett goal and Billy McKinlay
Billy McKinlay
William Alexander McKinlay, better known as Billy McKinlay , is a Scottish former footballer and current development squad manager of Fulham.-Career:...
penalty gave United the points in a 2–1 win against Clydebank
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
at Kilbowie. United went down 2–1 at home to Airdrieonians
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
before a youthful team won 1–0 away to Clydebank in the quarter-finals of the League Challenge Cup. United then beat Dundee 3–2 at Dens Park
Dens Park
Dens Park is a football stadium located on Dens Road in Dundee, Scotland. The stadium is the home of Dundee F.C. and has a capacity of 12,085...
where McKinlay scored a hat-trick in his last match for United before his £1.75 million transfer to Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
.
Into October, and Robbie Winters
Robbie Winters
Robbie Winters is a Scottish footballer who currently plays for Alloa Athletic.-Career:Winters began his career at Dundee United in 1992 and played 99 league games for the Terrors, scoring 19 times. A move to Aberdeen beckoned, which saw Billy Dodds and cash come to Tannadice in exchange for Winters...
scored twice as United beat Dunfermline 4–0 at East End Park
East End Park
East End Park is a football stadium situated in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland with a seating capacity of 11,380.The stadium plays host to the home matches of Scottish Premier League side, Dunfermline Athletic F.C. It currently comprises four stands: East Stand, Main Stand, SGM Stand and the Norrie...
in the semi-finals of the League Challenge Cup to go through to the final at McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park is a football stadium in Perth, Scotland, the home ground of St. Johnstone FC. It has an all-seated capacity of 10,673.-History:...
. Billy Kirkwood then signed yet another former Rangers player, Gary McSwegan
Gary McSwegan
Gary John McSwegan is a Scottish professional footballer currently without a club following his release from Clyde...
, from Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
, and he made his debut in the 1–0 defeat to Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
at Boghead Park
Boghead Park
Boghead Park is a former football ground in the town of Dumbarton, Scotland. It was formerly owned by Dumbarton F.C., who had played there since 1879, making it one of the oldest sporting venues in the United Kingdom. It was used by the club until the end of November 2000, when they moved to their...
. Goals seemed to be hard to come by in the league, so Kirkwood brought yet another striker to Tannadice. Owen Coyle
Owen Coyle
Owen Columba Coyle is a Scottish-born Irish international former professional player and professional association football manager . He is currently the manager of Bolton Wanderers....
arrived from Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
and scored on his debut in a 2–1 win over St. Johnstone at Tannadice. McSwegan scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 away win over Hamilton, and both strikers scored in a 3–1 win over Dunfermline
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
at Tannadice. United then finished the month with their 4th straight win with a 3–0 home victory over Clydebank.
Cup loss
November saw ex-United midfielder Ray McKinnon return to Tannadice after spells with Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Aberdeen, and he made his debut against Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir F.C.
Stenhousemuir FC is a Scottish football club located in Stenhousemuir. The club is a member of the Scottish Football League and currently plays in the Scottish Second Division....
in the League Challenge Cup final at McDiarmid Park. Ex-United legend Eamonn Bannon
Eamonn Bannon
Eamonn John Bannon is a former Scottish football player, who played in midfield for Hearts, Chelsea, Dundee United and Scotland.-Career:...
turned out for the opposition that day and the game ended in a disappointing 0–0 draw, with United losing 5–4 on penalties. Incredibly, United failed to concede during the entire tournament. Young Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
defender Jamie McQuilken was then brought in for £150,000. Robbie Winters scored in a 1–1 draw with St. Mirren at Love Street
Love Street
"Love Street" is a 1968 song by The Doors which appears on their album Waiting For The Sun. The song was originally a poem written by singer Jim Morrison about the street in Laurel Canyon, California, where he lived with his girlfriend Pamela Courson. Their address was 8021 Rothdell Trail...
before Maurice Malpas
Maurice Malpas
Maurice Daniel Robert Malpas is an ex-footballer and the assistant manager at Inverness Caledonian Thistle having joined the club on 27 January 2009 along with their new manager Terry Butcher...
and Craig Brewster scored as United lost 3–2 to Dundee at Tannadice. Malpas scored again in a 1–1 draw with Airdrie, but United had failed to win in the whole of November. December started with a flurry of goals as Craig Brewster's form returned and he scored four goals in an 8–0 win over Dumbarton at Tannadice. a 0–0 draw with St. Johnstone at McDiarmid Park was followed by a 2–1 win over Morton at Cappielow
Cappielow
Cappielow is a district of Greenock in Inverclyde, west central Scotland. It is home to Scottish First Division side Greenock Morton F.C. The name Cappielow, taken alone, usually refers to the Cappielow Park stadium, but it can also refer to a small area of housing or the adjoining industrial...
. Brewster's goals continued to come with a 1–1 draw at home to Hamilton and a hard-fought match at Tannadice saw United come back to level 2–2 against Airdrie with nine men.
Robbie Winters started January with three goals in two games, scoring in a 1–1 draw away to Clydebank and then two goals against Dundee at Dens in a 2–0 victory. Gary McSwegan then scored twice in a 2–1 home win over St. Mirren before scoring again in a 3–1 win over Dumbarton at Boghead where Rab Shannon scored his only goal for the club.
After a 3–1 home defeat to St. Johnstone in February, United started their Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
campaign with a midweek trip down to Berwick Rangers
Berwick Rangers F.C.
Berwick Rangers Football Club are a football team based in the English Border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, although they play in the Scottish Football League Third Division...
after the match had been postponed. Owen Coyle scored twice to take United through to the next round, which was played against Dunfermline the following Saturday. Craig Brewster scored the only goal of the game at Tannadice and United were in the quarter finals. United then met Dunfermline again at East End Park as the teams drew 2–2, as the title chase picked up, with any one of five teams in with a chance of winning the League. Craig Brewster took his tally to 13 for the season with two goals in a 4–0 win over Morton at Tannadice.
Tense finish
In March, United dropped points in the league with a 1–1 draw with Airdrie at Broomfield. The Scottish Cup quarter finals saw United go 1–0 up against Celtic at ParkheadParkhead
Parkhead is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road and Westmuir Street. Duke Street and Springfield Road also meet there, to form a turreted Edwardian five-way junction at Parkhead Cross...
through Owen Coyle, and with minutes remaining United looked to have knocked out the holders. But just like in the finals of 1985 and 1988, two late goals for Celtic saw United lose out. United then went on a great run, scoring 17 goals in the next 4 matches, starting with another 2–0 win over Dundee at Tannadice, with McSwegan and Brewster scoring as Dundee's new signing Chic Charnley
Chic Charnley
James Callaghan Charnley, more commonly known as Chic Charnley, is a former Scottish football player. He was sent off 17 times in a senior career which lasted for nearly 20 years.-Club career:...
was sent off. Craig Brewster scored another hat-trick in a 6–0 win over Clydebank at Tannadice, before Andy McLaren scored in a 3–1 win over St. Mirren at Love Street. At the end of the month Paddy Connolly was sold to Airdrie for £150,000 after over eight years at Tannadice.
The goals kept coming at the start of April, as Gary McSwegan grabbed 4 goals in a 6–1 win over Dumbarton at Tannadice. Since that 1–0 defeat at Boghead six months previously, United had scored 17 goals against Dumbarton in 3 games. Just as United looked to be running away with the league, they lost another important three points with a 1–0 defeat to St. Johnstone at McDiarmid Park. a 2–0 victory away to Hamilton put United back in the driving seat, and with two games left, United had to play their two nearest challengers. With a one-point advantage, United faced Dunfermline at Tannadice, and with a crowd of 12,000 turning up expecting to see United clinch the title, Dunfermline left with a 1–0 win. That defeat left United two points behind Dunfermline, and the final game of the season was against third-placed Morton. In front of over 12,000, United managed a 2–2 draw to pip Morton to 2nd place on goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
and secure the play-off place.
Play-off drama
The play-off was a two-legged tie between the team finishing 2nd bottom in the Premier Division and the team finishing 2nd in the First. Murdo McLeod's Partick ThistlePartick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
took the lead in the 1st leg at Firhill
Firhill Stadium
Firhill Stadium or Firhill Arena is a football, rugby union and rugby league stadium located in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, Scotland. As of 2010 it is the home ground of football club Partick Thistle F.C...
, but a last-minute Christian Dailly
Christian Dailly
Christian Eduard Dailly is a Scottish professional footballer who is without a club having last played for Championship side Portsmouth. He is a versatile player, often seen in defence or defensive midfield, but has played in most outfield positions during his career. Dailly is Scotland's...
header equalised for United and the scores were level for the 2nd leg at Tannadice four days later. After attacking for most of the match, United went 1–0 down to an Ian Cameron penalty, and things looked even worse as Cameron went down in the box with minutes remaining. But a second penalty wasn't given and United desperately pushed for the all important equaliser.
Just as it looked like United's chance to get back to the Premier Division had gone, Brian Welsh popped up with a last-minute header which sparked unbelievable scenes at Tannadice and take the game into extra-time. With the fans behind them, United kept attacking and Andy McLaren set up the winning goal as Owen Coyle pounced to take United back to the Premier Division at the first attempt.
Player details
During the 1995–96 season, United used 30 different players. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player. Play-off appearances are included in the league appearances column.|}
In
Eleven players were signed for/during the 1995–96 season, with a total transfer cost of nearly £2.5m. The most expensive player signed was Steven PressleySteven Pressley
Steven John "Elvis" Pressley is a retired Scottish footballer, who is now the manager of Scottish First Division club Falkirk. Pressley had a long playing career, playing for both halves of the Old Firm and making over 100 league appearances for both Dundee United and Hearts...
, who arrived from Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
for a club record £750,000. In addition to this, four youth players were awarded their first professional contracts in the close season.
The players that joined Dundee United during the 1995–96 season are listed below, along with their previous club. Stuart Gilmour
Stuart Gilmour
Stuart Gilmour is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder.Gilmour began his career with Dundee United but made just one appearance, playing the whole match in the 1-0 Scottish Challenge Cup quarter-final away win over Clydebank in September 1995. Gilmour failed to appear in another...
, Dale Gray
Dale Gray
Dale Gray is a Scottish footballer who plays in defence or midfield. Gray began his career with Dundee United and made two appearances in the unsuccessful Scottish Challenge Cup campaign, featuring in the quarter- and semi-final victories, but failed to appear in the league...
, Ben Honeyman
Ben Honeyman
Ben Honeyman is a former Australian football player who currently plays cricket for Glenrothes Cricket Club.-Football career:...
and Paul Walker were the youth players promoted.
| Date | |To |  Ally MaxwellAlly Maxwell Alistair Espie "Ally" Maxwell is a Scottish football coach and former professional footballer. He is currently a youth coach for SC Del Sol Soccer Club in the United States, having previously played for Motherwell, Rangers and Dundee United, and coached Greenock Morton and US side Sereno Golden... | Rangers Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... |
£0,250,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 July | Neil Caldwell Neil Caldwell Neil Caldwell is a Scottish former footballer who played in defence. Caldwell began his career with Rangers and made one league appearance before his release in 1995... |
Rangers Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... |
Unknown | |
| 25 July | Steven Pressley Steven Pressley Steven John "Elvis" Pressley is a retired Scottish footballer, who is now the manager of Scottish First Division club Falkirk. Pressley had a long playing career, playing for both halves of the Old Firm and making over 100 league appearances for both Dundee United and Hearts... |
Coventry City Coventry City F.C. Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry... |
£0,750,000 | |
| 28 July | Sandy Robertson |
Coventry City Coventry City F.C. Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry... |
£0,250,000 | |
| 1 August | Rab Shannon Rab Shannon Robert 'Rab' Shannon is a Scottish former footballer who played as a defender.-Playing career:Shannon, who played for a number of Scottish clubs but spent around half his career with Dundee. He also spent a season with the Newcastle Breakers in the Australian National Soccer League.-External links:... |
Motherwell Motherwell F.C. Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998... |
Unknown | |
| 29 August | Jim Bett Jim Bett James "Jim" Bett is a Scottish former professional footballer, who predominantly played for Aberdeen. He played in central or left midfield.... |
Heart of Midlothian Heart of Midlothian F.C. Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian... |
Free | |
| 1 October | Marino Keith Marino Keith Marino Keith is a Scottish former professional footballer who retired from full-time football in March 2007 before joining Peterhead. He is an alumnus of Mintlaw Academy. He is known as Dan after Dan Marino.-Career:... |
Fraserburgh Fraserburgh F.C. Fraserburgh Football Club are a senior football club based in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire. They currently play in the Highland Football League in Scotland. Being a Non-League team in Scottish Football, Fraserburgh are eligible to enter the Scottish Cup at the first round stage.-History:The club were... |
£0,035,000 | |
| 1 October | Gary McSwegan Gary McSwegan Gary John McSwegan is a Scottish professional footballer currently without a club following his release from Clyde... |
Notts County | £0,375,000 | |
| 13 October |  Owen CoyleOwen Coyle Owen Columba Coyle is a Scottish-born Irish international former professional player and professional association football manager . He is currently the manager of Bolton Wanderers.... |
Bolton | £0,400,000 | |
| 4 November | Jamie McQuilken Jamie McQuilken James Charles McQuilken is a Scottish professional footballer who last played for Scottish First Division side Queen of the South.-Career:... |
Celtic Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
£0,150,000 | |
| 5 November | Ray McKinnon Ray McKinnon (footballer) Ray McKinnon is a Scottish footballer, who was last player/manager for Lochee United in the Scottish Junior Football East Super League until 2010.... |
Aberdeen Aberdeen F.C. Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen... |
£0,200,000 |
Out
Ten players left the club permanently with two transfers - Billy McKinlayBilly McKinlay
William Alexander McKinlay, better known as Billy McKinlay , is a Scottish former footballer and current development squad manager of Fulham.-Career:...
to Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
and Gordan Petric
Gordan Petric
Gordan Petrić is a retired Serbian footballer.-Career:After starting his career in his homeland with Partizan, he moved to Scotland in 1993 when he joined Dundee United for £600,000. His impressive performances at Tannadice earned him a move to Rangers in July 1995 for £1.5m...
to Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
- receiving seven-figure sums. The other eight players were either released or sold for smaller six-figure sums, with around £3.5m received in transfer fees, bringing a transfer profit of approximately £1m.
Listed below are the players that were transferred out and released during the season, along with the club that they joined. For players that were released by the club, the team that they joined is listed.
| Date | |To | Jim McInally Jim McInally James Edward McInally is a former Scottish footballer and was previously manager of East Stirlingshire.-Playing career:... | Raith Rovers Raith Rovers F.C. Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the... |
£0,150,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 July |  Gordan PetricGordan Petric Gordan Petrić is a retired Serbian footballer.-Career:After starting his career in his homeland with Partizan, he moved to Scotland in 1993 when he joined Dundee United for £600,000. His impressive performances at Tannadice earned him a move to Rangers in July 1995 for £1.5m... |
Rangers Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... |
£1,500,000 | |
| Dragutin Ristic Dragutin Ristic Dragutin Ristić is a Croatian former footballer who played as a striker. He spent most of his career playing for lower division clubs in Italy, and also played in Scotland, Portugal and Iceland.-External links:*... |
Tirsense | Unknown | ||
| 13 October | Billy McKinlay Billy McKinlay William Alexander McKinlay, better known as Billy McKinlay , is a Scottish former footballer and current development squad manager of Fulham.-Career:... |
Blackburn Rovers | £1,750,000 | |
| 5 December |  SergioSergio Gomes Sergio Henriques Gomes is a former Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker. He was the first Brazilian to play in the Scottish Premier Division when he appeared for Dundee United in 1995. He made 14 league appearances for the club, scoring three goals.-References:... |
Kazma | Unknown | |
| 1 January | Jim Bett Jim Bett James "Jim" Bett is a Scottish former professional footballer, who predominantly played for Aberdeen. He played in central or left midfield.... |
Retired | N/A | |
| 1 January | David Craig David Craig David Craig may refer to:*David Craig , Northern Irish footballer who played for Newcastle United*David Craig *David Craig, Baron Craig of Radley, retired British Chief of the Defence Staff and Marshal of the RAF... |
Hamilton Hamilton Academical F.C. Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have... |
Unknown | |
| 29 March | Paddy Connolly Paddy Connolly Patrick 'Paddy' Connolly is a Scottish former footballer, who spent over twenty years with a number of Scottish clubs. Now a scout for Fulham, Connolly also recently worked in an assistant manager role for Albion Rovers... |
Airdrie | £150k | |
| 31 May |  Ben HoneymanBen Honeyman Ben Honeyman is a former Australian football player who currently plays cricket for Glenrothes Cricket Club.-Football career:... |
Forfar Athletic Forfar Athletic F.C. Forfar Athletic Football Club are a Scottish semi-professional football club from the town of Forfar, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Second Division... |
Released | |
| 31 May |  Juan FerreriJuan Ferreri Juan Francisco Ferreri Samuel is a Uruguayan footballer who plays as a midfielder for Central Español... |
Municipal Iquique Municipal Iquique Club Deportes Iquique is a Chilean Football club, their home town is Iquique in the Tarapacá Región, in Chile. They currently play in the top level of the Chilean football league.... |
Released |
Playing kit
The jerseys were sponsored for the first time by Telewest Communications.