Dundee F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dundee

Full name	Dundee Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Dee, The Dark Blues
Founded	1893; 132 years ago (1893)
Ground	Dens Park
Ground Capacity	11,506
Chairman	Tim Keyes
Manager	Tony Docherty
League	Scottish Premiership
2015–16	Scottish Premiership, 8th
Home colours Away colours

Map showing the closeness of Dundee FC's stadium Dens Park (left) and Dundee United FC's stadium Tannadice Park (right)

Dundee Football Club is a professional football team from Dundee, Scotland. It was started in 1893. The team is often called "The Dark Blues" or "The Dee". They play their home games at Dens Park.

The club was formed when two local teams, Dundee East End and Dundee Our Boys, joined together. This helped them get into the Scottish Football League. In the early 1900s, they became a strong team. They finished second in the league three times. They also won the Scottish Cup in 1910.

After a tough time in the 1930s, the club got better after World War II. In the late 1940s and 1950s, they finished second in the league again. They also won the Scottish League Cup two years in a row, in 1952 and 1953.

The 1960s were Dundee's best years. Under manager Bob Shankly, they won the top Scottish League title in 1962. The next season, they reached the semi-finals of the 1962–63 European Cup. They won the League Cup again in 1974. Since then, they haven't won any other major trophies.

Dundee has a big rivalry with Dundee United, another team from Dundee. Their stadiums are on the same street, making it the closest football derby in Great Britain. Matches between them are called the Dundee derby. These games are very exciting. Even though it's a big rivalry, it's usually friendlier than other Scottish derbies. Families in Dundee often support both teams!

Club History: A Journey Through Time

Early Days and First Successes (1893–1920s)

Dundee F.C. began in 1893. It was created by combining two smaller clubs. Their goal was to join the Scottish Football League (SFL). They succeeded and played their first league game on 12 August 1893. It was a 3–3 draw against Rangers.

For the first 10 years, Dundee had some struggles. They reached the Scottish Cup semi-finals a few times. In 1899, they moved to their current home, Dens Park. Things started to get better in the new century. In the 1902–1903 season, they finished second in the league. They also had a record low of only 12 goals conceded that season.

Dundee finished second again in 1907 and 1909, both times behind Celtic. In the 10 seasons from 1902 to 1913, they lost only 16 league games at Dens Park. Their biggest success came in 1910 when they won their first Scottish Cup. They beat Clyde in the final after three tough games. The winning goal was scored by John 'Sailor' Hunter.

During the First World War, football was limited. Dundee had to leave the league in 1917 due to high travel costs. When league football restarted in 1919, Dundee played well at home again. They finished fourth for three seasons in a row.

A player named Dave Halliday joined Dundee in 1921. He was changed from a winger to a centre forward. This was a great move! He became the top scorer in Scotland in 1923–1924 with 38 goals. This is still the club record for goals in a single league season. Halliday scored 103 goals for Dundee before moving to England.

Mid-20th Century Revival (1940s–1950s)

After the Second World War, Dundee Football Club had a great period. They were promoted in 1947. Just two years later, they almost became champions of Scotland.

They spent a lot of money, £23,500, to sign Billy Steel. This was a world record transfer fee at the time! With Steel, they won the Scottish League Cup in 1951. They became the first team to win the League Cup two years in a row, winning again in 1952. They also reached the Scottish Cup Final in 1952. Famous players from this time included Bill Brown, Tommy Gallacher, Doug Cowie, and Billy Steel.

In 1959, Dundee had a surprising 1–0 loss to a smaller team, Fraserburgh, in the Scottish Cup. Many fans remember this as one of the club's most embarrassing defeats.

The Golden Age of the 1960s

Bob Shankly became manager in 1959. He led Dundee to become champions of Scotland in the 1961–1962 season. They won the Division One title. Key players included Bobby Cox, Alan Gilzean, and Gordon Smith. Gordon Smith made history by being the only player to win the Scottish championship with three different clubs.

The next season, 1962–1963, Dundee played in the European Cup. They beat strong teams like 1. FC Köln and R.S.C. Anderlecht. They reached the semi-finals, but lost to AC Milan. Dundee did win the home game against Milan at Dens Park.

Dundee reached the Scottish Cup final again in 1964. Shankly left the club in 1965. Later in the 1960s, Dundee also reached the semi-finals of the 1967–68 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which was a European competition.

Later 20th Century Highlights

In 1973, under manager David White, Dundee won the Scottish League Cup again. They beat Celtic 1–0 in the final.

A famous moment happened in 1986. Dundee beat Hearts 2–0 at Dens Park on the last day of the season. This stopped Hearts from winning their first league title in 26 years. Two late goals from Albert Kidd helped Celtic win the league instead.

The 21st Century: Ups and Downs

In 2000, Dundee made headlines by signing Argentine international Claudio Caniggia. He was one of many international players who joined Dundee in the early 2000s. This helped Dundee reach a Scottish Cup final and finish in the top six of the league twice.

However, the club faced big financial problems. In 2003, they had a debt of £23 million. This forced them into a special financial process called administration. Many players had to leave. Despite this, Dundee survived by selling their stadium. They were then moved down to the second tier of Scottish football.

In 2010, Dundee faced administration again because of an unpaid tax bill. The Scottish Football League took away 25 points from them. This left Dundee at the very bottom of the league table. But the team went on an amazing 23-match unbeaten run! In May 2011, Dundee successfully came out of administration.

In 2012, Dundee was invited to join the Scottish Premier League again. This happened after Rangers had their own financial problems. However, Dundee was relegated again after one season.

New Ownership and Recent Years

In 2013, new owners from Texas, led by Tim Keyes, took over the club. In the 2013–14 season, Dundee won the Scottish Championship title. They earned promotion back to the top league on the very last day of the season. Paul Hartley became the new manager.

Dundee played well in the 2014–2015 season. They finished in the top six of the Scottish Premiership. In 2016, Dundee famously relegated their rivals Dundee United at Dens Park.

Dundee was relegated again in 2019. But they earned promotion back to the top flight in 2021 through the play-offs. After another relegation, Dundee won the 2022–23 Scottish Championship title in 2023 under manager Gary Bowyer. In 2024, Dundee announced a partnership with ALK Capital, who own English club Burnley. This partnership aims to help players develop for both clubs.

Dens Park: Home of The Dee

The Bob Shankly Stand at Dens Park

Dundee has played its home games at Dens Park since 1899. The stadium can hold 11,775 fans. What's really cool is that Dens Park is on the same street as Tannadice Park, the home of their rivals, Dundee United. They are less than 100 yards apart!

There were plans in 2002 for Dundee and Dundee United to share a new stadium. This was part of Scotland's bid to host the Euro 2008 football tournament. But the bid wasn't successful, so the plans were put on hold.

In recent years, the club's owners have been looking into building a new stadium. This is because Dens Park needs a lot of money for upkeep. In October 2023, the club's owners bought Dens Park. This is part of their plan to move to a new stadium in the Camperdown area of Dundee. In February 2024, they submitted plans for the new stadium.

Club Staff and Players

Club Leaders

Coaching and Support Staff

First-Team Squad

Here are the players currently in Dundee's main team:

No. Position Player 1 GK Jon McCracken 2 DF Ethan Ingram 3 DF Clark Robertson 4 DF Ryan Astley 5 DF Joe Shaughnessy (captain) 6 DF Jordan McGhee 7 FW Scott Tiffoney 8 MF Josh Mulligan 9 FW Curtis Main 10 MF Lyall Cameron 11 MF Oluwaseun Adewumi (on loan from Burnley) 13 GK Adam Legzdins

No. Position Player 15 FW Simon Murray (vice-captain) 19 MF Finlay Robertson 20 DF Billy Koumetio 21 DF Ziyad Larkeche (on loan from QPR) 22 MF Sammy Braybrooke (on loan from Leicester City) 23 FW Seb Palmer-Houlden (on loan from Bristol City) 26 MF Scott Fraser 28 MF Mohamed Sylla 29 DF Antonio Portales 30 GK Harrison Sharp 31 GK Trevor Carson (vice-captain) 47 MF Julien Vetro (on loan from Burnley)

International Players: Representing Their Countries

Many players have played for their national teams while at Dundee. Here are some of them:

Dundee Hall of Fame

The Dundee Hall of Fame celebrates players and staff who have made a big impact on the club.

Note: The year shows when they were added to the Hall of Fame.

Club Managers Through the Years

Here's a list of the managers who have led Dundee Football Club:

Name Period Willie Wallace 1899–1919 Sandy MacFarlane 1919–1925 George Anderson 1944–1954 Bob Shankly 1959–1965 David White 1972–1977

Name Period Jocky Scott 1986–1988 1998–2000 2008–2010 Jim Duffy 1993–1996 2002–2005 Ivano Bonetti 2000–2002

Barry Smith 2010–2013 John Brown 2013–2014 Paul Hartley 2014–2017 James McPake 2019–2022 Gary Bowyer 2022–2023 Tony Docherty 2023–

Player Awards

Andrew De Vries Player of the Year

This award is given to the best player of the season.

Isobel Sneddon Young Player of the Year

This award goes to the best young player at the club.

Rivalries: The Dundee Derby

Dundee's Dens Park and United's Tannadice Park pictured from the Dundee Law, 2014.

Dundee's biggest rivals are Dundee United. They play each other in the Dundee derby. This rivalry is special because their stadiums are so close, less than 100 yards apart! This makes the games very intense and exciting. While it's a fierce competition, it's often more friendly than other big Scottish derbies.

Dundee was stronger in the early years of the derby. But in the 1970s, Dundee United became more dominant. Recently, the teams have often been in different leagues. In 2016, a Dundee derby win actually sent Dundee United down a division. The two teams met again in the Scottish Championship in 2019.

Dundee also has a rivalry with St Johnstone. This is called the Tayside derby because Dundee and Perth (where St Johnstone is from) are close. Dundee fans don't see this rivalry as important as the Dundee derby. A famous game between them was in 1962. Dundee beat St Johnstone 3–0 to win their only league title. That result also sent St Johnstone down a division.

Club Records: Amazing Achievements

• Highest attendance: 136,495 fans watched Dundee play Motherwell in the 1952 Scottish Cup final. This is a record for a Scottish club match not involving the Old Firm.
• Highest home attendance: 43,024 vs Rangers, 7 February 1953, in the Scottish Cup.
• Biggest league win: 10–0 vs. Alloa Athletic in 1947, and vs. Dunfermline Athletic in 1947.
• Biggest league loss: 11–0 vs. Celtic in 1895.
• Most league appearances: Bill Marsh, 386 games from 1924–1937.
• Most appearances overall: Doug Cowie, 445 games from 1945–1961.
• Most league goals: Alan Gilzean, 113 goals.
• Most goals in a single match: Albert Juliussen, 7 goals against Dunfermline on 22 March 1947.
• Most league goals in a season: Dave Halliday, 38 goals in 1923–1924.
• Most games unbeaten: 23 games (from 2 October 2010 to 26 March 2011).
• Highest transfer fee paid: £600,000 for Fabián Caballero.
• Highest transfer fee received: £1,500,000 for Jack Hendry.
• Oldest Player: Bobby Geddes, 49 years old against Raith Rovers in 2010.
• Youngest Player: Andy Penman, 15 years and 352 days old against Hearts in 1959.
• Youngest Goalscorer: Craig Wighton, 16 years and 105 days old against Raith Rovers in 2013.

Honours: Trophies and Achievements

Dundee Football Club has won several important trophies throughout its history:

Kit History: Sponsors and Brands

Dundee's kits have been made by different companies and had various sponsors over the years.

Images for kids

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  Chart showing Dundee's league positions each year.

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  Dundee FC logo used from 1987 to 2008.

See also

In Spanish: Dundee Football Club para niños