By Curve Ball
October 27 2002

Curve Balls Opinion is now up after a huge demand for this issue which i thought should'nt be put up. I am warning everybody who reads this to please do so with caution espically if Dark Blue is your favourite colour.

1983 and all that

I know Dees, this article is about that championship win. It’s gonna be painful but we have to face up to it. They’re gonna be shouting it from the rooftops next year anyway, so you may as well be prepared.

And CB has a confession to make……………….

It’s bad……………………

I mean reeeeeeeeeealllllyyyyyy bad………….

But I’ll break it you gently.

Back in the early 80’s CB was a good-looking, fun-loving, disco-dancing, twenty-something, heart-throb………………….. ok, I went to the ‘Barracuda’ occasionally. Anyway, the point is that life in general was carefree but as regards football it was a dark age for us. United were a bit of a force. Scary, to be honest, when I think back and remember just how much of a force. They were in just about every cup final, they were in Europe every season - and more often than not - lasted until well after Xmas, they had several players in every Scotland squad, they were never out of the top 4 in the league and they barely lost a derby game, especially at Dens.

The Dees, on the other hand, were a shadow of the early 1970’s team that had done so well for the club. By 1982 we had spent 4 of the first 7 seasons of the Premier League in the first division. We were hard-up, we couldn’t keep good players and we didn’t have a great board of directors. Finally, we were in no shape to directly compete against the machine across the road. Having said that, the players we had back then always gave their best. I have no complaints about any of them.

So anyway, how as a Dee, am I qualified to write about season 1982-83? The thing is that I can recollect United’s championship season better than any of their other league campaigns. There is a reason for this. It has remained a dark secret for 20 years but now I feel the need to unburden myself. Praise the Lord…………. I’m gonna need him the next I meet DW!!

It just so happened that in early 1982 one of my close relatives became unwell. A favourite uncle. He recovered thankfully and came up to Dundee to convalesce. His GP had recommended fresh air and exercise so my Dad decided that as part of the process he should accompany us to Dens. This worked out fine and he caught the last 3 or 4 home games of the 81-82 season. In the close-season I went off to Espana to see Scotland play their normal 3 World Cup games and came back to my flat in early July to find the usual pile of mail. Did I say usual. ‘Fraid not. Sitting in the middle of the heap was a letter from…………… Dundee United Football Club!! Naturally, you can imagine my horror. Then, almost instant relief. It was a piss-take of course……….. no it bloody wasn’t - inside was a season ticket for the Main Stand at Tannadice!!

What the hell was going on?

When I was in Espana and then latterly enjoying a further lazy fortnight down South, the Uncle had spoken to my mother about getting a season ticket for season 82-83. She, who knows nothing of football, replied that it was a great idea and that since I already had a season for Dens he should get tickets for Tannadice. He, who knew nothing of the Dundee V United rivalry, thought that this was a great idea and went off to Tannadice to order a couple of tickets – as a ‘surprise’!. My old boy was only an occasional footie fan so he was omitted on advice from Ma.

Great! Just great!

Naturally, I did my damnedest to wriggle out of the situation. However, my old boy was adamant once he got to hear what had happened. As far he was concerned it was a good and kindly gesture and I was going to Tannadice the following season – ALL season – whether I liked it or not – AND with a smile on my face.

So that’s it. Curve_Ball was a season ticket holder at Tannadice the year that United won the league. What a 12 months. I had to dodge my mates for all the Dee away games that season. I had to manoeuvre my uncle to different areas of the ground when Dundee played at Tannadice. I had to engage my uncle in United talk for 18 afternoons in a row. I had to sit with him in disbelief (private) as United started looking as if they would actually win the damn thing. He, not fully understanding the rivalry, thought it was a remarkable piece of ‘luck’ that he had bought season tickets for us for such a historic season. My old boy peed himself laughing on several occasions. My mother imagined I was enjoying myself. Nobody else knew. Until now. I’m damned.

Then again, Dave Webster is the only person in cyberspace who has met me and only he and James Hegarty have got my e-mail address so I might survive unscathed.

But, to the soccer, 1982-83 style. I asked Dees and Arabians about the United championship win on the messageboards, at work, at play, etc. The Dee opinion was unanimous. It was a remarkable achievement (though not a particularly enjoyable one) by a talented and small pool of players led by a manager at the peak of his abilities. A rare and special event. The United fans almost to a man went for the 3-2 win at Parkhead as the most crucial win during the league campaign closely followed by the 4-0 win at Cappielow and the 2-1 at Dens on the last day of the season.

My special memory was the Richard Gough piledriver against Rangers in a 4-2 United victory. An absolutely astonishing goal. However, my favourite game was the Dundee derby that finished 3-5 Dundee. Griswald_Terror referred to this game in his reply last Friday and I have to say that I completely agree with his view that it was a terrific match. An under-strength Dundee side lost their goalie in the warm-up would you believe. Brian Scrimgeour, a midfielder, ended up in goal. Nevertheless, Dundee fought for everything that day. They went 2-0 down, got one back, then two, then took the lead! United were rattled and it looked like a real upset was on the cards. However, United recovered their composure, re-organised and scored another three against a tiring Dee side to take the points. Disappointing but a great game all the same.

My other favourite result was a 1-5 hammering United got at Aberdeen. But we won’t say anything about that. Let them enjoy their memories guys and gals, the way they are playing right now it’s the only thing that seems to be keeping them going.

November 23^rd is getting closer and closer each day.

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