1997β98 season | |
---|---|
Chairman | Jim McLean |
Manager | Tommy McLean |
Scottish Premier Division | 7th W:8 D:13 L:15 F:43 A:51 P:37 |
Tennent's Scottish Cup | Quarter-finals |
Coca-Cola Cup | Runners-up |
UEFA Cup | First round |
Top goalscorer | League:
Kjell Olofsson (18) All: Kjell Olofsson (23) |
Highest home attendance | 14,200 (vs Rangers (1998-05-09) |
Lowest home attendance | 6,685 (vs Dunfermline (1997-12-06) |
United finished the Scottish Premier Division 1997β98 season in 7th place with 37 points, in the final season before the revamped SPL. Despite finishing 3rd in the previous season, 7th would be the club's best finish for the next six years.
The domestic cup campaigns brought defeats by Celtic: a quarter-final defeat in the Tennent's Scottish Cup and a disappointing 3β0 defeat in the Coca-Cola Cup final. In the UEFA Cup, United exited in the 1st round to Trabzonspor.
United's season started in July, with a trip into the Pyrenees to play against CE Principat from Andorra in the UEFA Cup. United notched up an 8β0 lead in the first leg, with Robbie Winters and Gary McSwegan both scoring hat-tricks. The home leg was won 9β0, which left United just one goal short of Rangers' 18β0 aggregate score against Maltese team Valletta in 1983.
The league started in August with Kjell Olofsson giving United a 1β1 draw with St. Johnstone at McDiarmid Park, before Gary McSwegan scored his 3rd hat-trick in 4 games in a 4β2 win over Queen of the South at Dumfries in the League Cup. After the successes of Olofsson, Pedersen and Zetterlund during the season before, manager Tommy McLean returned to Scandinavia several times during the course of the season to add to the squad. Thomas Tengstedt and GΓΆran Marklund were the first two to arrive, but neither player would make an impact on the first team.
The next round of the UEFA Cup saw United drawn against Turkish outfit Trabzonspor, with the away leg up first where United went down 1β0. United then drew 1β1 at home to Hibernian, before beating them after extra-time in the League Cup three days later. The next game in the League was against Rangers at Ibrox, where Marco Negri equalled Paul Sturrock's record of scoring five goals in one match, as Rangers won 5β1.
Andy McLaren scored in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Cup tie against Trabzonspor at Tannadice, but the Turks scored again to win the tie 2β1 on aggregate and put an end to United's European adventure. United also drew 1β1 at Pittodrie against Aberdeen.
September started with a surprise 1β0 win at Ibrox in the League Cup quarter-finals. United then lost the next three league games 2β1, with Kjell Olofsson scoring in each. During this time, Tommy McLean brought former Γrebro defender Magnus SkΓΆldmark to Tannadice after a spell in China, and former Dundee manager Jocky Scott was appointed as first team coach.
The first match in October was a remarkable game against Dunfermline at East End Park, where United went 3β0 up in the first half in gale force conditions. But playing with the wind in the 2nd half, Dunfermline pulled it back to 3β3 and Dave Bowman was sent off. United then took on Aberdeen at Tynecastle in the semi-finals of the League Cup, where Robbie Winters scored twice and Craig Easton scored his first goal for the club in a 3β1 win to take United through to the final.
This result saw United go on an unbeaten run, similar to the previous seasons run, as United beat Motherwell 4β0 at Tannadice in the next game. Robbie Winters scored his 5th goal in three games, and he scored again as Rangers visited Tannadice the following week, as United won 2β1 with Steven Pressley scoring from the penalty spot. This month saw Craig Easton win the Young Player of the Month award for October.
Kjell Olofsson scored twice as United came from behind to beat Hibs 3β1 at Easter Road on the first day of November, and the manager bought yet another Scandinavian, with Mikael Andersson coming to Tannadice from Γrebro. Aberdeen had failed to beat United since 1996, and their run got worse as United hammered them 5β0 at Tannadice with goals from Olofsson (2), McLaren, Zetterlund and Easton, with Dean Windass shown the red card three times before he left the pitch.
Roy Aitken followed Alex Smith, Willie Miller and Alex Miller by becoming the next Aberdeen manager to be sacked following a defeat at the hands of United. After falling out of favour with manager Tommy McLean, midfielder Grant Johnson was transferred to Huddersfield Town after spending a few months out on loan. United showed their fighting spirit in the next match against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. After falling behind 1β0 and struggling to get back into the match, Mark Perry's scrambled equaliser sparked United into life and goals from Olofsson and McSwegan gave United their 6th straight win. Next up was the League cup final rehearsal, as United travelled through to Glasgow to face Celtic at Parkhead. a 4β0 hammering was not the best warm up for the Cup final the following week and also put an end to United's unbeaten run. Manager Tommy McLean then brought in former Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Siggi JΓ³nsson but he would spend most of the season in and out of the first team due to injury.
United made the journey through to the West again just a week later, this time for the League Cup Final, held at Ibrox due to restructuring works at Hampden. After five appearances in the final of this competition during the 1980s, this was the club's first League Cup final in 11 years, and thousands of Arabs travelled through for the club's first major final since the Scottish Cup win in 1994. The United fans were in fine voice and there was a carnival atmosphere at the stadium, but the game itself was a disaster, as Celtic won easily 3β0.
Into December and United failed to score in their next three games, making it five games in a row without a goal. 0β0 draws against Dunfermline and Hearts at Tannadice was followed by a 1β0 defeat against Motherwell at Fir Park, but the side returned to winning ways with a 2β1 victory over St Johnstone at Tannadice with goals from Andy McLaren and Kjell Olofsson. The Christmas week match saw United travel through to Glasgow yet again, with another demoralising defeat, this time losing 4β1 to Rangers at Ibrox.
The first game in January saw United's first defeat by Aberdeen since 1995, with a 1β0 loss at Pittodrie, which was followed by a 1β1 draw with Kilmarnock at Tannadice where Robbie Winters scored for United. Winters scored again in the next match for his 16th goal of the season with the only goal of the game against Aberdeen at Tannadice, giving the team only their second win in 10 games. Kjell Olofsson scored as United were narrowly beaten 2β1 by Celtic at Tannadice, which was followed by a 2β0 defeat against Hearts at Tynecastle. Another signing brought ex-Trabzonspor striker Jean Jaque Misse-Misse back to Tannadice on a short-term contract, after impressing Tommy McLean in the UEFA Cup match back in August, but he failed to impress further and was released a couple of months later.
February started with a 1β0 win over Motherwell at Tannadice with Kjell Olofsson scoring his 15th goal of the season and United also saw off Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3β2 in a Scottish Cup replay. Gary McSwegan scored twice in a 2β2 draw with Dunfermline at East End Park, before an Andy Dow own goal gave United a 1β1 draw with Hibs at Tannadice. Robbie Winters scored in a 1β1 draw with St. Johnstone which gave United a six-game unbeaten run during the month of February.
The first match in March saw Celtic come to Tannadice for the 4th round of the Scottish Cup. A fantastic match saw Kjell Olofsson put United in front before Celtic went 2β1 up. Olofsson looked to have taken the tie to a reply with an equaliser, but a late Erik Pedersen own goal put Celtic through as United narrowly lost 3β2. After six straight defeats to Celtic in all competitions, a late Kjell Olofsson goal at Parkhead gave United a much deserved 1β1 draw in the league.
The good result in Glasgow was followed by two bad ones, with 1β0 defeats against Hearts and Motherwell. The game at Motherwell saw Iain Jenkins and Julian Alsford make their debuts after arriving from Chester City. Tommy McLean would also bring in Emanuel Omoyimni, Wayne Gill and Γscar Valles β all on loan or short term deals β but none would make an impact on the first team.
April started with another 2β2 draw with Dunfermline, with Maurice Malpas and Kjell Olofsson scoring at Tannadice, which was followed by a 0β0 home draw with Aberdeen and a 1β0 defeat away to Kilmarnock. a 2β0 defeat at home to St. Johnstone meant that United had won only 3 in 22 League matches, and were now facing a tough relegation battle with Hibs with only two games to go, with Hibs being the next opponents.
If United were to lose the match at Easter Road, they would have to take all three points from Rangers in the last game to have any chance of survival. With the League title yet to be decided, Rangers could still win the championship at Tannadice, so a United victory at Easter Road was vital. Kjell Olofsson yet again showed what a crucial part of the team he was as he scored twice as United fought back from 1β0 down to win the match, survive relegation and put Hibs down.
The final game of the season in May was now not so important to United after their win over Hibs, but Rangers still had the chance of winning the League. Rangers won 2β1, but Celtic's 2β0 victory won them the League Championship, and stopped Rangers from winning their 10th title in a row.
Dundee United played a total of 49 competitive matches during the 1997β98 season. [1] The team finished seventh in the Premier Division, consigning Hibernian to relegation β and saving themselves β in the penultimate match of the season
In the cup competitions, United lost narrowly in the quarter-finals of the Tennent's Scottish Cup to Celtic, although were soundly beaten by the same team in the final of the Coca-Cola Cup.
Win | Draw | Loss |
All results are written with Dundee United's score first.
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 August 1997 | St Johnstone | A | 1β1 | 6,592 | Olofsson |
17 August 1997 | Hibernian | H | 1β1 | 7,344 | Winters |
23 August 1997 | Rangers | A | 1β5 | 48,599 | Pressley |
30 August 1997 | Aberdeen | A | 1β1 | 12,060 | Winters |
13 September 1997 | Kilmarnock | H | 1β2 | 6,883 | Olofsson |
20 September 1997 | Hearts | A | 1β2 | 13,415 | Olofsson |
27 September 1997 | Celtic | H | 1β2 | 11,376 | Olofsson |
4 October 1997 | Dunfermline | A | 3β3 | 5,829 | Winters (2), McLaren |
18 October 1997 | Motherwell | H | 4β0 | 7,337 | Olofsson, Winters, McSwegan, McLaren |
25 October 1997 | Rangers | H | 2β1 | 12,335 | Winters, Pressley |
1 November 1997 | Hibernian | A | 3β1 | 11,110 | Olofsson (2), McSwegan |
9 November 1997 | Aberdeen | H | 5β0 | 7,893 | Olofsson, Zetterlund, McLaren, Easton |
15 November 1997 | Kilmarnock | A | 3β1 | 7,402 | Perry, McSwegan, Olofsson |
22 November 1997 | Celtic | A | 0β4 | 48,581 | |
6 December 1997 | Dunfermline | H | 0β0 | 6,685 | |
9 December 1997 | Hearts | H | 0β0 | 10,402 | |
13 December 1997 | Motherwell | A | 0β1 | 4,555 | |
20 December 1997 | St Johnstone | H | 2β1 | 7,342 | McLaren, Olofsson |
27 December 1997 | Rangers | A | 1β4 | 50,317 | Olofsson |
3 January 1998 | Aberdeen | A | 0β1 | 17,025 | |
10 January 1998 | Kilmarnock | H | 1β1 | 7,541 | Winters |
27 January 1998 | Celtic | H | 1β2 | 14,004 | Olofsson |
31 January 1998 | Hearts | A | 0β2 | 14,414 | |
7 February 1998 | Motherwell | H | 1β0 | 6,532 | Olofsson |
21 February 1998 | Dunfermline | A | 2β2 | 5,250 | McSwegan (2) |
24 February 1998 | Hibernian | H | 1β1 | 7,989 | Dow |
28 February 1998 | St Johnstone | A | 1β1 | 5,637 | Winters |
15 March 1998 | Celtic | A | 1β1 | 48,656 | Olofsson |
21 March 1998 | Hearts | H | 0β1 | 10,300 | |
28 March 1998 | Motherwell | A | 0β1 | 5,012 | |
7 April 1998 | Dunfermline | H | 2β2 | 7,769 | Olofsson, Malpas |
11 April 1998 | Aberdeen | H | 0β0 | 9,155 | |
18 April 1998 | Kilmarnock | A | 0β1 | 7,246 | |
25 April 1998 | St Johnstone | H | 0β2 | 8,045 | |
29 April 1998 | Hibernian | A | 2β1 | 13,413 | Olofsson (2) |
9 May 1998 | Rangers | H | 0β1 | 14,200 |
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
24 January 1998 | Aberdeen | H | 1β0 | 11,488 | Winters |
14 February 1998 | Inverness CT | H | 1β1 | 8,770 | Olofsson |
18 February 1998 | Inverness CT | A | 3β2 | 5,821 | Olofsson, McSwegan, Zetterlund |
8 March 1998 | Celtic | H | 2β3 | 12,640 | Olofsson (2) |
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 August 1997 | Queen of the South | A | 4β2 | 2,438 | McSwegan (3), Thompson |
20 August 1997 | Hibernian | H | 2β1 | 7,692 | Zetterlund, McSwegan |
9 September 1997 | Rangers | A | 1β0 | 44,440 | McSwegan |
15 October 1997 | Aberdeen | N | 3β1 | 10,459 | Winters (2), Easton |
15 October 1997 | Celtic | N | 0β3 | 49,305 |
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
23 July 1997 |
![]() |
A | 8β0 | 700 | Winters (4), McSwegan (3), Zetterlund |
30 July 1997 |
![]() |
H | 9β0 | 8,695 |
McSwegan (3),
Winters (2),
McLaren, Olofsson, Zetterlund, Thompson |
12 September 1997 |
![]() |
A | 0β1 | 16,000 | |
26 September 1997 |
![]() |
H | 1β1 | 10,232 | McLaren |
The club reached the Final of the Youth Cup this season, playing Heart of Midlothian on 12 May at Tynecastle Park, losing 2β0. The squad from the semi-finals included future professionals Kevin McDonald, Paul Gallacher, Jim Paterson, Craig Easton and Stephen McConalogue. In addition, players such as Gareth Dailly, Barry Donachie, Steven Fallon, Paul McIlravey and Chris Devine played in lower league football. It remains the last time the club reached the Final, having played in three successive Finals between 1989 and 1991, winning in 1990 and 1991. [2]
Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|
R2 | Livingston | H | 3β1 | McConalogue, Bryers, Devine |
R3 | Ayr United | A | 2β2* | Easton (2) |
QF | Rangers | H | 2β0 | Easton, McConalogue |
SF | Celtic | H | 1β0 | Paterson |
During the 1997β98 season, United used 30 different players comprising 11 nationalities. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player. [3]
No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Scottish Premier Division | Tennent's Scottish Cup | Coca-Cola Cup | UEFA Cup | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
GK | ![]() |
Sieb Dijkstra | 49 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Julian Alsford | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Neil Duffy | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Iain Jenkins | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Maurice Malpas | 44 | 1 | 31 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Stewart McKimmie | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Erik Pedersen | 45 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Mark Perry | 45 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Steven Pressley | 41 | 2 | 29 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Siggi JΓ³nsson | 17 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Magnus SkΓΆldmark | 25 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Mikael Andersson | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Dave Bowman | 28 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Jimmy Crawford | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Jamie Dolan | 35 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Craig Easton | 35 | 2 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Wayne Gill | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Ray McKinnon | 12 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Andy McLaren | 39 | 6 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | |
MF | ![]() |
Emmanuel Omoyinmi | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
David Sinclair | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
FW | ![]() |
Gary McSwegan | 42 | 17 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | |
FW | ![]() |
GΓΆran Marklund | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
FW | ![]() |
Jean-Jacques MissΓ©-MissΓ© | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
FW | ![]() |
Kjell Olofsson | 45 | 23 | 32 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
United had 10 players score with the team scoring 78 goals in total. The top goalscorer was Kjell Olofsson, who finished the season with 23 goals. [4]
|
United had three players sent off and seventeen players received at least one caution, replicating last season's statistics. In total, the team received three red cards and 61 bookings. [5]
UEFA Cup statistics are not available |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | St Johnstone | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 38 | 42 | −4 | 48 |
6 | Aberdeen | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 39 | 53 | −14 | 39 |
7 | Dundee United | 36 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 43 | 51 | −8 | 37 |
8 | Dunfermline Athletic | 36 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 43 | 68 | −25 | 37 |
9 | Motherwell | 36 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 46 | 64 | −18 | 34 |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Home colours
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Away colours
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Third colours
|
The jerseys were sponsored for a second season by Telewest.
1997β98 season | |
---|---|
Chairman | Jim McLean |
Manager | Tommy McLean |
Scottish Premier Division | 7th W:8 D:13 L:15 F:43 A:51 P:37 |
Tennent's Scottish Cup | Quarter-finals |
Coca-Cola Cup | Runners-up |
UEFA Cup | First round |
Top goalscorer | League:
Kjell Olofsson (18) All: Kjell Olofsson (23) |
Highest home attendance | 14,200 (vs Rangers (1998-05-09) |
Lowest home attendance | 6,685 (vs Dunfermline (1997-12-06) |
United finished the Scottish Premier Division 1997β98 season in 7th place with 37 points, in the final season before the revamped SPL. Despite finishing 3rd in the previous season, 7th would be the club's best finish for the next six years.
The domestic cup campaigns brought defeats by Celtic: a quarter-final defeat in the Tennent's Scottish Cup and a disappointing 3β0 defeat in the Coca-Cola Cup final. In the UEFA Cup, United exited in the 1st round to Trabzonspor.
United's season started in July, with a trip into the Pyrenees to play against CE Principat from Andorra in the UEFA Cup. United notched up an 8β0 lead in the first leg, with Robbie Winters and Gary McSwegan both scoring hat-tricks. The home leg was won 9β0, which left United just one goal short of Rangers' 18β0 aggregate score against Maltese team Valletta in 1983.
The league started in August with Kjell Olofsson giving United a 1β1 draw with St. Johnstone at McDiarmid Park, before Gary McSwegan scored his 3rd hat-trick in 4 games in a 4β2 win over Queen of the South at Dumfries in the League Cup. After the successes of Olofsson, Pedersen and Zetterlund during the season before, manager Tommy McLean returned to Scandinavia several times during the course of the season to add to the squad. Thomas Tengstedt and GΓΆran Marklund were the first two to arrive, but neither player would make an impact on the first team.
The next round of the UEFA Cup saw United drawn against Turkish outfit Trabzonspor, with the away leg up first where United went down 1β0. United then drew 1β1 at home to Hibernian, before beating them after extra-time in the League Cup three days later. The next game in the League was against Rangers at Ibrox, where Marco Negri equalled Paul Sturrock's record of scoring five goals in one match, as Rangers won 5β1.
Andy McLaren scored in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Cup tie against Trabzonspor at Tannadice, but the Turks scored again to win the tie 2β1 on aggregate and put an end to United's European adventure. United also drew 1β1 at Pittodrie against Aberdeen.
September started with a surprise 1β0 win at Ibrox in the League Cup quarter-finals. United then lost the next three league games 2β1, with Kjell Olofsson scoring in each. During this time, Tommy McLean brought former Γrebro defender Magnus SkΓΆldmark to Tannadice after a spell in China, and former Dundee manager Jocky Scott was appointed as first team coach.
The first match in October was a remarkable game against Dunfermline at East End Park, where United went 3β0 up in the first half in gale force conditions. But playing with the wind in the 2nd half, Dunfermline pulled it back to 3β3 and Dave Bowman was sent off. United then took on Aberdeen at Tynecastle in the semi-finals of the League Cup, where Robbie Winters scored twice and Craig Easton scored his first goal for the club in a 3β1 win to take United through to the final.
This result saw United go on an unbeaten run, similar to the previous seasons run, as United beat Motherwell 4β0 at Tannadice in the next game. Robbie Winters scored his 5th goal in three games, and he scored again as Rangers visited Tannadice the following week, as United won 2β1 with Steven Pressley scoring from the penalty spot. This month saw Craig Easton win the Young Player of the Month award for October.
Kjell Olofsson scored twice as United came from behind to beat Hibs 3β1 at Easter Road on the first day of November, and the manager bought yet another Scandinavian, with Mikael Andersson coming to Tannadice from Γrebro. Aberdeen had failed to beat United since 1996, and their run got worse as United hammered them 5β0 at Tannadice with goals from Olofsson (2), McLaren, Zetterlund and Easton, with Dean Windass shown the red card three times before he left the pitch.
Roy Aitken followed Alex Smith, Willie Miller and Alex Miller by becoming the next Aberdeen manager to be sacked following a defeat at the hands of United. After falling out of favour with manager Tommy McLean, midfielder Grant Johnson was transferred to Huddersfield Town after spending a few months out on loan. United showed their fighting spirit in the next match against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. After falling behind 1β0 and struggling to get back into the match, Mark Perry's scrambled equaliser sparked United into life and goals from Olofsson and McSwegan gave United their 6th straight win. Next up was the League cup final rehearsal, as United travelled through to Glasgow to face Celtic at Parkhead. a 4β0 hammering was not the best warm up for the Cup final the following week and also put an end to United's unbeaten run. Manager Tommy McLean then brought in former Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Siggi JΓ³nsson but he would spend most of the season in and out of the first team due to injury.
United made the journey through to the West again just a week later, this time for the League Cup Final, held at Ibrox due to restructuring works at Hampden. After five appearances in the final of this competition during the 1980s, this was the club's first League Cup final in 11 years, and thousands of Arabs travelled through for the club's first major final since the Scottish Cup win in 1994. The United fans were in fine voice and there was a carnival atmosphere at the stadium, but the game itself was a disaster, as Celtic won easily 3β0.
Into December and United failed to score in their next three games, making it five games in a row without a goal. 0β0 draws against Dunfermline and Hearts at Tannadice was followed by a 1β0 defeat against Motherwell at Fir Park, but the side returned to winning ways with a 2β1 victory over St Johnstone at Tannadice with goals from Andy McLaren and Kjell Olofsson. The Christmas week match saw United travel through to Glasgow yet again, with another demoralising defeat, this time losing 4β1 to Rangers at Ibrox.
The first game in January saw United's first defeat by Aberdeen since 1995, with a 1β0 loss at Pittodrie, which was followed by a 1β1 draw with Kilmarnock at Tannadice where Robbie Winters scored for United. Winters scored again in the next match for his 16th goal of the season with the only goal of the game against Aberdeen at Tannadice, giving the team only their second win in 10 games. Kjell Olofsson scored as United were narrowly beaten 2β1 by Celtic at Tannadice, which was followed by a 2β0 defeat against Hearts at Tynecastle. Another signing brought ex-Trabzonspor striker Jean Jaque Misse-Misse back to Tannadice on a short-term contract, after impressing Tommy McLean in the UEFA Cup match back in August, but he failed to impress further and was released a couple of months later.
February started with a 1β0 win over Motherwell at Tannadice with Kjell Olofsson scoring his 15th goal of the season and United also saw off Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3β2 in a Scottish Cup replay. Gary McSwegan scored twice in a 2β2 draw with Dunfermline at East End Park, before an Andy Dow own goal gave United a 1β1 draw with Hibs at Tannadice. Robbie Winters scored in a 1β1 draw with St. Johnstone which gave United a six-game unbeaten run during the month of February.
The first match in March saw Celtic come to Tannadice for the 4th round of the Scottish Cup. A fantastic match saw Kjell Olofsson put United in front before Celtic went 2β1 up. Olofsson looked to have taken the tie to a reply with an equaliser, but a late Erik Pedersen own goal put Celtic through as United narrowly lost 3β2. After six straight defeats to Celtic in all competitions, a late Kjell Olofsson goal at Parkhead gave United a much deserved 1β1 draw in the league.
The good result in Glasgow was followed by two bad ones, with 1β0 defeats against Hearts and Motherwell. The game at Motherwell saw Iain Jenkins and Julian Alsford make their debuts after arriving from Chester City. Tommy McLean would also bring in Emanuel Omoyimni, Wayne Gill and Γscar Valles β all on loan or short term deals β but none would make an impact on the first team.
April started with another 2β2 draw with Dunfermline, with Maurice Malpas and Kjell Olofsson scoring at Tannadice, which was followed by a 0β0 home draw with Aberdeen and a 1β0 defeat away to Kilmarnock. a 2β0 defeat at home to St. Johnstone meant that United had won only 3 in 22 League matches, and were now facing a tough relegation battle with Hibs with only two games to go, with Hibs being the next opponents.
If United were to lose the match at Easter Road, they would have to take all three points from Rangers in the last game to have any chance of survival. With the League title yet to be decided, Rangers could still win the championship at Tannadice, so a United victory at Easter Road was vital. Kjell Olofsson yet again showed what a crucial part of the team he was as he scored twice as United fought back from 1β0 down to win the match, survive relegation and put Hibs down.
The final game of the season in May was now not so important to United after their win over Hibs, but Rangers still had the chance of winning the League. Rangers won 2β1, but Celtic's 2β0 victory won them the League Championship, and stopped Rangers from winning their 10th title in a row.
Dundee United played a total of 49 competitive matches during the 1997β98 season. [1] The team finished seventh in the Premier Division, consigning Hibernian to relegation β and saving themselves β in the penultimate match of the season
In the cup competitions, United lost narrowly in the quarter-finals of the Tennent's Scottish Cup to Celtic, although were soundly beaten by the same team in the final of the Coca-Cola Cup.
Win | Draw | Loss |
All results are written with Dundee United's score first.
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 August 1997 | St Johnstone | A | 1β1 | 6,592 | Olofsson |
17 August 1997 | Hibernian | H | 1β1 | 7,344 | Winters |
23 August 1997 | Rangers | A | 1β5 | 48,599 | Pressley |
30 August 1997 | Aberdeen | A | 1β1 | 12,060 | Winters |
13 September 1997 | Kilmarnock | H | 1β2 | 6,883 | Olofsson |
20 September 1997 | Hearts | A | 1β2 | 13,415 | Olofsson |
27 September 1997 | Celtic | H | 1β2 | 11,376 | Olofsson |
4 October 1997 | Dunfermline | A | 3β3 | 5,829 | Winters (2), McLaren |
18 October 1997 | Motherwell | H | 4β0 | 7,337 | Olofsson, Winters, McSwegan, McLaren |
25 October 1997 | Rangers | H | 2β1 | 12,335 | Winters, Pressley |
1 November 1997 | Hibernian | A | 3β1 | 11,110 | Olofsson (2), McSwegan |
9 November 1997 | Aberdeen | H | 5β0 | 7,893 | Olofsson, Zetterlund, McLaren, Easton |
15 November 1997 | Kilmarnock | A | 3β1 | 7,402 | Perry, McSwegan, Olofsson |
22 November 1997 | Celtic | A | 0β4 | 48,581 | |
6 December 1997 | Dunfermline | H | 0β0 | 6,685 | |
9 December 1997 | Hearts | H | 0β0 | 10,402 | |
13 December 1997 | Motherwell | A | 0β1 | 4,555 | |
20 December 1997 | St Johnstone | H | 2β1 | 7,342 | McLaren, Olofsson |
27 December 1997 | Rangers | A | 1β4 | 50,317 | Olofsson |
3 January 1998 | Aberdeen | A | 0β1 | 17,025 | |
10 January 1998 | Kilmarnock | H | 1β1 | 7,541 | Winters |
27 January 1998 | Celtic | H | 1β2 | 14,004 | Olofsson |
31 January 1998 | Hearts | A | 0β2 | 14,414 | |
7 February 1998 | Motherwell | H | 1β0 | 6,532 | Olofsson |
21 February 1998 | Dunfermline | A | 2β2 | 5,250 | McSwegan (2) |
24 February 1998 | Hibernian | H | 1β1 | 7,989 | Dow |
28 February 1998 | St Johnstone | A | 1β1 | 5,637 | Winters |
15 March 1998 | Celtic | A | 1β1 | 48,656 | Olofsson |
21 March 1998 | Hearts | H | 0β1 | 10,300 | |
28 March 1998 | Motherwell | A | 0β1 | 5,012 | |
7 April 1998 | Dunfermline | H | 2β2 | 7,769 | Olofsson, Malpas |
11 April 1998 | Aberdeen | H | 0β0 | 9,155 | |
18 April 1998 | Kilmarnock | A | 0β1 | 7,246 | |
25 April 1998 | St Johnstone | H | 0β2 | 8,045 | |
29 April 1998 | Hibernian | A | 2β1 | 13,413 | Olofsson (2) |
9 May 1998 | Rangers | H | 0β1 | 14,200 |
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
24 January 1998 | Aberdeen | H | 1β0 | 11,488 | Winters |
14 February 1998 | Inverness CT | H | 1β1 | 8,770 | Olofsson |
18 February 1998 | Inverness CT | A | 3β2 | 5,821 | Olofsson, McSwegan, Zetterlund |
8 March 1998 | Celtic | H | 2β3 | 12,640 | Olofsson (2) |
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 August 1997 | Queen of the South | A | 4β2 | 2,438 | McSwegan (3), Thompson |
20 August 1997 | Hibernian | H | 2β1 | 7,692 | Zetterlund, McSwegan |
9 September 1997 | Rangers | A | 1β0 | 44,440 | McSwegan |
15 October 1997 | Aberdeen | N | 3β1 | 10,459 | Winters (2), Easton |
15 October 1997 | Celtic | N | 0β3 | 49,305 |
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
23 July 1997 |
![]() |
A | 8β0 | 700 | Winters (4), McSwegan (3), Zetterlund |
30 July 1997 |
![]() |
H | 9β0 | 8,695 |
McSwegan (3),
Winters (2),
McLaren, Olofsson, Zetterlund, Thompson |
12 September 1997 |
![]() |
A | 0β1 | 16,000 | |
26 September 1997 |
![]() |
H | 1β1 | 10,232 | McLaren |
The club reached the Final of the Youth Cup this season, playing Heart of Midlothian on 12 May at Tynecastle Park, losing 2β0. The squad from the semi-finals included future professionals Kevin McDonald, Paul Gallacher, Jim Paterson, Craig Easton and Stephen McConalogue. In addition, players such as Gareth Dailly, Barry Donachie, Steven Fallon, Paul McIlravey and Chris Devine played in lower league football. It remains the last time the club reached the Final, having played in three successive Finals between 1989 and 1991, winning in 1990 and 1991. [2]
Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|
R2 | Livingston | H | 3β1 | McConalogue, Bryers, Devine |
R3 | Ayr United | A | 2β2* | Easton (2) |
QF | Rangers | H | 2β0 | Easton, McConalogue |
SF | Celtic | H | 1β0 | Paterson |
During the 1997β98 season, United used 30 different players comprising 11 nationalities. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player. [3]
No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Scottish Premier Division | Tennent's Scottish Cup | Coca-Cola Cup | UEFA Cup | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
GK | ![]() |
Sieb Dijkstra | 49 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Julian Alsford | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Neil Duffy | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Iain Jenkins | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Maurice Malpas | 44 | 1 | 31 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Stewart McKimmie | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Erik Pedersen | 45 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Mark Perry | 45 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Steven Pressley | 41 | 2 | 29 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Siggi JΓ³nsson | 17 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
DF | ![]() |
Magnus SkΓΆldmark | 25 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Mikael Andersson | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Dave Bowman | 28 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Jimmy Crawford | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Jamie Dolan | 35 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Craig Easton | 35 | 2 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Wayne Gill | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Ray McKinnon | 12 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Andy McLaren | 39 | 6 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | |
MF | ![]() |
Emmanuel Omoyinmi | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
David Sinclair | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
FW | ![]() |
Gary McSwegan | 42 | 17 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | |
FW | ![]() |
GΓΆran Marklund | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
FW | ![]() |
Jean-Jacques MissΓ©-MissΓ© | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
FW | ![]() |
Kjell Olofsson | 45 | 23 | 32 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
United had 10 players score with the team scoring 78 goals in total. The top goalscorer was Kjell Olofsson, who finished the season with 23 goals. [4]
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United had three players sent off and seventeen players received at least one caution, replicating last season's statistics. In total, the team received three red cards and 61 bookings. [5]
UEFA Cup statistics are not available |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | St Johnstone | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 38 | 42 | −4 | 48 |
6 | Aberdeen | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 39 | 53 | −14 | 39 |
7 | Dundee United | 36 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 43 | 51 | −8 | 37 |
8 | Dunfermline Athletic | 36 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 43 | 68 | −25 | 37 |
9 | Motherwell | 36 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 46 | 64 | −18 | 34 |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Home colours
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Away colours
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Third colours
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The jerseys were sponsored for a second season by Telewest.