1985–86 Dundee United F.C. season

The 1985–86 season was the 77th year of football played by Dundee United, and covers the period from 1 July 1985 to 30 June 1986. United finished in third place, securing UEFA Cup football for the following season.

Dundee United

1985–86 season
Chairman	George Fox
Manager	Jim McLean
Scottish Premier Division	3rd (UEFA Cup) W18 D11 L7 F59 A31 P47
Tennent's Scottish Cup	Semi-finals
Skol Cup	Semi-finals
UEFA Cup	Third round

Match results

Dundee United played a total of 52 competitive matches during the 1985–86 season.[1] The team finished third in the Scottish Premier Division.

In the cup competitions, United lost in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup to Hearts and to Aberdeen in the same round of the Skol Cup. Swiss side Neuchâtel Xamax eliminated United in the third round of the UEFA Cup.

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

All results are written with Dundee United's score first.

Premier Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
10 August 1985	Rangers	A	0-1	28,870
17 August 1985	Aberdeen	H	1-1	14,339	Sturrock
24 August 1985	Dundee	H	2-0	13,736	Beedie, Sturrock
31 August 1985	Motherwell	A	1-0	3,327	Clark
7 September 1985	Clydebank	H	2-1	5,336	Sturrock, Milne
14 September 1985	Hearts	A	0-2	7,617
28 September 1985	St Mirren	A	0-1	4,408
5 October 1985	Hibernian	H	2-2	6,951	Malpas (2)
12 October 1985	Rangers	H	1-1	16,657	Dodds
19 October 1985	Aberdeen	A	2-3	15,748	Sturrock, Redford
26 October 1985	Celtic	A	3-0	25,976	Dodds, Bannon (2)
2 November 1985	Hearts	H	1-1	10,142	Gough
9 November 1985	Motherwell	H	3-0	5,493	Hegarty, Gough, Dodds
16 November 1985	Dundee	A	3-0	11,736	Hegarty (2), Kirkwood
23 November 1985	Clydebank	A	2-1	1,839	Milne, Dodds
14 December 1985	Rangers	A	1-1	16,657	Dodds
21 December 1985	Aberdeen	H	2-1	9,990	Bannon, Sturrock
23 December 1985	Celtic	H	1-0	15,894	Bannon
28 December 1985	Dundee	H	0-0	14,869
4 January 1986	Celtic	H	4-2	16,668	Dodds (2), Bannon, Gallacher
11 January 1986	Hearts	A	1-1	19,043	Bannon
18 January 1986	Clydebank	H	4-0	6,214	Bannon, Dodds, Hegarty, Redford
1 February 1986	St Mirren	A	1-1	4,221	Hegarty
8 February 1986	Hibernian	H	4-0	8,504	Bannon, Coyne (2), Gallacher
22 February 1986	Rangers	H	1-1	14,644	Dodds
26 February 1986	Hibernian	A	1-0	7,137	Bannon
11 March 1986	Motherwell	A	0-2	2,823
15 March 1986	Celtic	A	1-1	20,965	Dodds
22 March 1986	Motherwell	H	4-0	5,710	Sturrock (2), Bannon, Dodds
29 March 1986	Dundee	A	1-0	15,079	Gough
8 April 1986	St Mirren	H	5-0	6,347	Sturrock, Dodds (2), Galaacher, Gough
12 April 1986	Hearts	H	0-3	19,878
16 April 1986	Aberdeen	A	1-0	7,278	Gough
19 April 1986	Clydebank	A	1-1	1,534	Redford
26 April 1986	St Mirren	H	1-2	4,986	Redford
3 May 1986	Hibernian	A	2-1	3,513	Fulton, Beedie

Scottish Cup

Date	Rd	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
25 January 1986	R3	Morton	H	4-0	6,938	Coyne (2), Redford, Bannon (penalty)
15 February 1986	R4	Kilmarnock	H	1-1	6,610	Sturrock
19 February 1986	R4r	Kilmarnock	A	1-0	9,054	Sturrock
8 March 1986	QF	Motherwell	A	1-0	6,822	Gough
5 April 1986	SF	Heart of Midlothian	N	0-1	30,872

Skol Cup

Date	Rd	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
21 August 1985	R2	Alloa Athletic	A	2-0	2,010	Bannon, Gough
28 August 1985	R3	Clydebank	H	2-0	5,870	Gough, Redford
4 September 1985	R4	St Mirren	H	2-1	7,682	Milne (2)
25 September 1985	SF 1	Aberdeen	A	0-1	12,585
9 October 1985	SF 2	Aberdeen	H	0-1	20,119

UEFA Cup

Date	Rd	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
18 September 1985	R1 1	Bohemians	A	5-2	4,185	Sturrock (3), Bannon (2)
2 October 1985	R1 2	Bohemians	H	2-2	7,550	Milne, Redford
23 October 1985	R2 1	Vardar	H	2-0	9,129	Redford, Gough
6 November 1985	R2 2	Vardar	A	1-1	30,000	Hegarty
26 November 1985	R3 1	Neuchâtel Xamax	H	2-1	10,663	Dodds, Redford
10 December 1985	R3 2	Neuchâtel Xamax	A	1-3	21,821	Bannon

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Celtic (C)	36	20	10	6	67	38	+29	50	Qualification for the European Cup first round
2	Heart of Midlothian	36	20	10	6	59	33	+26	50	Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
3	Dundee United	36	18	11	7	59	31	+28	47
4	Aberdeen	36	16	12	8	62	31	+31	44	Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round
5	Rangers	36	13	9	14	51	56	−5	35	Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round

Source: Statto
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion.

Transfers

In The club signed one player during the season with a total public cost of £70,000. Two other players joined before the following season. Date Player From Fee (£) 15 August 1985 Ian Redford Rangers £0,070,000[2] 16 May 1986 Dave Bowman Coventry City £0,140,000*[3] 16 May 1986 Jim McInally Coventry City £0,140,000*[4]

Out Three players were sold by the club during the season. Date Player To Fee 11 April 1986 Hamish McAlpine Raith Rovers Free[5] 00 May 1986 Stuart Beedie Hibernian Unknown[6] 00 May 1986 Billy Kirkwood Hibernian Unknown[7] Loans out Player To Scott Thomson Raith Rovers

Playing kit

Home colours

Away colours

The shirts were sponsored for the first time - future chairman Eddie Thompson's VG Foodstores were the inaugural sponsors.

Trivia

• Undersoil heating was used for the first time on 27 November 1985 in the UEFA Cup match against Neuchâtel Xamax[8]

References

1. "Match results 1985/1986". Arab Archive. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
2. "Player A to Z: Ian Redford". Glenrothes Arabs. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
3. "Player A to Z: Dave Bowman". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
4. "Player A to Z: Jim McINally". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
5. "Player A to Z: Hamish McAlpine". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
6. "Player A to Z: Stuart Beedie". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
7. "Player A to Z: Billy Kirkwood". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
8. "Dundee United A-Z (U)". Dundee United F.C. Archived from the original on 25 October 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2008.

See also

• 1985–86 in Scottish football