Excerpt from Chapter 11 ‘ The return of Danny Rainbow’
3.
The winter of ’62/’63 was a cold one. Ask the sparrows. So
cold that for a while there was scarcely a game of football to be
seen in Scotland (Except of course at Kilmarnock where, as we
know, Jack Frost fears to tread.) Dundee United Football Club
fared worse than most in those bitter weeks incredibly managing
to play only three times in the three months between December
and March.
Of those three matches that did get played, one in particular
was worthy of mention - a home Scottish Cup tie against Albion
Rovers. On the face of it not a remarkable looking fixture. In
reality however, it would go down as one of the most significant
happenings in the modern history of Dundee United Football
Club.
To say that the United directors were keen to get the game
played would have been putting things mildly. Yet another
Saturday was approaching and the Tannadice pitch was covered
in a good few inches of snow and ice. Faced with another inevitable
postponement someone at the club desperately suggested renting
an industrial tar burner to thaw the pitch out. All and sundry
agreed this was a fabulous idea, the machinery was duly hired
and on reflection, the idea partially worked. Within minutes they
melted all the snow and ice off the pitch with an ease that had all
in attendance nodding at one another in a satisfied manner.
They also burned all the grass off the pitch.
Smiles vacated and, faced with a scene from the Battle of the
Somme, it was suggested (possibly by the same chap who thought
about the tar burner in the first place) that if they covered the mud
in sand no one would notice, least of all the referee who by the
law of averages would probably be registered blind any way. After
further backslapping had subsided they did exactly that, dumping
several lorry loads of Broughty Ferrie’s finest on the big brown
rectangle that, at that point, was the vision of Tannadice Park.
Miraculously or predictably, depending on how much cash was
actually slipped into the referee’s pocket that Saturday morning,
the pitch was declared playable and the game went ahead. United
ran out comfortable three-nil winners prompting observers to
comment that the Dundee team ‘took to the surface like Arabs.’
And so an affinity was made. The fans, never slow to pick
up on a vibe, embraced the idea and, for the next few games,
rudimentary Arab headgear (towels to you and I) was the preferred
attire for the Tannadice faithful. The dressing up then became
more widespread in the 70’s and 80’s, particularly on the bigger
occasions, and slowly the fans and by association, the team itself,
became known as ‘The Arabs’. And although United still hang on
to their original nickname of ‘The Terrors’, it is their other, more
mysterious Eastern image that endures as the moniker of choice
for the fans and players down Tannadice way.
4.
Of course it all began for Dundee United a long time before
those wintry days of 1963. Fifty-four years before to be exact, in
1909. Borne out of the city’s Irish settlers, the club started on
its way as Dundee Hibernian FC. They wore green and white
strips and controversially chose to play their games at Clepington
Park, the ground on which the current Tannadice Park stands
today. I say controversially because this was already the home
of another Dundee team, Dundee Wanderers who were to be
unceremoniously booted out by their landlords in favour of the
new club who had sneakily offered to ‘up’ the rent for the privilege
of playing at this ready made football ground.
This choice of Clepington Park. however, backfired on the
Dundee Hibs committee somewhat when, in a ‘get it right up
ye!’ gesture, The Wanderers completely dismantled their ground
right down to the goal posts and took it away with them leaving
the dismayed new tenants with nothing more than an open space
and the natural contours of the land with which to develop.
Dundee Hibs took over the site with resolve though and
keen to stamp their own identity on the place, immediately took
to renaming it. The main entrance to the new ground would
be on Tannadice Street and after a healthy couple of hours of
creative teeth-gnashing and debate the committee could come up
with only one option – ‘Street Park’. Some felt the name lacked
impact but with no other suggestions forthcoming it looked as if
the name would surely be adopted. Then in a dramatic eleventh
hour turnaround, Club Secretary, Pat Reilly, on returning from a
much needed comfort break, controversially threw another name
in the ring. As the now historic minutes read;
‘ Secretary Reilly proposed with much gusto for the ground be
named Tannadice Park ..…This was immediately seconded
by Goalpost-Convenor O’Hanlon and after a short but
heated discussion …. the motion was approved seven votes
to three. …. Secretary Reilly further proposed that more
toilet paper be placed in the lavatory…..This too was carried
unanimously.’
