1996–97 Dundee United F.C. season

Dundee United
1996–97 season
ChairmanJim McLean
ManagerBilly Kirkwood (until 10 September 1996)
Tommy McLean (from 10 September 1996)
Scottish Premier Division3rd (UEFA Cup)
W17 D9 L10 F46 A33 P60
Tennent's Scottish CupSemi-finals
Coca-Cola CupThird round
Top goalscorerLeague: Kjell Olofsson (12)
All: Kjell Olofsson (13)
Highest home attendance12,600 (vs Celtic, 1 February 1997)
Lowest home attendance6,387 (vs Raith Rovers, 22 March 1997)

The 1996–97 season was the 85th year of football played by Dundee United, and covered the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997. United finished in third place in the league following their promotion from the First Division and qualified for the UEFA Cup in the process. The club lost in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup after a replay and were knocked out of the League Cup in a third round penalty shootout by rivals Dundee.

Season review

United finished the Scottish Premier Division 1996–97 season in 3rd place with 60 points, in the first season back in the top flight after the single season in the First Division. Despite taking just one point from the first six games, United finished third, with the appointment of Tommy McLean starting an immediate six-game unbeaten run, bettered later by a thirteen-game unbeaten succession, which included eight straight league wins.

The cup campaigns saw a 3rd round League Cup penalty shootout defeat to rivals Dundee and a semi-final Scottish Cup defeat (after a replay) to eventual winners Kilmarnock.

Off the pitch, United started a four-year successive run of 'Premier League Programme of the Year'.[1]

Match results

Dundee United played a total of 44 competitive matches during the 1996–97 season.[2] The team finished third in the Premier Division.

Legend

Win Draw Loss

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

Premier Division

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
10 August 1996 Motherwell H 1–1 8,127 McSwegan
17 August 1996 Hibernian H 0–1 8,589
24 August 1996 Rangers A 0–1 48,285
7 September 1996 Hearts A 0–1 11,858
14 September 1996 Celtic H 1–2 12,152 McSwegan
21 September 1996 Raith Rovers A 2–3 5,077 McSwegan, Hannah
28 September 1996 Aberdeen H 1–0 10,359 McSwegan
12 October 1996 Kilmarnock H 0–0 7,365
19 October 1996 Dunfermline A 1–1 6,982 Winters
26 October 1996 Hearts H 1–0 9,353 Winters
2 November 1996 Motherwell A 3–1 5,814 Olofsson, McKinnon, Winters
16 November 1996 Aberdeen A 3–3 13,800 McLaren, Winters, Olofsson
23 November 1996 Raith Rovers H 1–2 8,028 Duffy
30 November 1996 Dunfermline H 1–1 7,646 Winters
7 December 1996 Kilmarnock A 2–0 5,814 Olofsson (2)
10 December 1996 Rangers H 1–0 12,529 Gough
14 December 1996 Hibernian A 1–1 8,250 McLaren
21 December 1996 Celtic A 0–1 46,590
26 December 1996 Motherwell H 2–0 8,072 McSwegan, Hannah
28 December 1996 Raith Rovers A 1–0 5,762 Olofsson
1 January 1997 Aberdeen H 4–0 9,736 Winters, Pressley (2), Olofsson
4 January 1997 Kilmarnock H 2–0 8,508 Malpas, McKinnon
11 January 1997 Dunfermline A 3–1 7,698 Olofsson (2), McInally
18 January 1997 Hearts A 2–1 12,777 Olofsson, McKinnon
1 February 1997 Celtic H 1–0 12,600 McSwegan
8 February 1997 Hibernian H 0–0 9,219
22 February 1997 Kilmarnock A 3–2 6,054 McKinnon (3)
1 March 1997 Dunfermline H 2–1 8,160 McLaren, Olofsson
12 March 1997 Rangers A 2–0 49,192 Winters, Olofsson
15 March 1997 Aberdeen A 1–1 13,645 Olofsson
22 March 1997 Raith Rovers H 2–1 6,387 Winters (2)
5 April 1997 Hibernian A 0–2 11,010
19 April 1997 Motherwell A 1–1 5,500 Zetterlund
3 May 1997 Hearts H 1–0 7,405 McSwegan
7 May 1997 Rangers H 0–1 12,180
10 May 1997 Celtic A 0–3 46,758

Tennent's Scottish Cup

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
25 January 1997 Stirling A 2–0 3,300 Winters, McSwegan
16 February 1997 Hearts A 1–1 14,833 McManus
25 February 1997 Hearts H 1–0 12,283 Winters
8 March 1997 Motherwell H 4–1 12,283 McLaren (2), Winters, Olofsson
14 April 1997 Kilmarnock N 0–0 12,391
22 April 1997 Kilmarnock N 0–1 9,225

Coca-Cola Cup

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
13 August 1996 Stirling A 2–1 1,683 Winters, Coyle
3 September 1996 Dundee H 2–2 11,839 Coyle, McSwegan

Dundee beat United 4–3 on penalty kicks

Player details

During the 1996–97 season, United used 31 different players comprising five nationalities. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.[3]

No. Pos Nat Player Total Premier Division Tennent's Scottish Cup Coca-Cola Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Netherlands NED Sieb Dykstra 28 0 22 0 6 0 0 0
GK England ENG Lance Key 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0
GK Scotland SCO Ally Maxwell 12 0 10 0 0 0 2 0
DF Netherlands NED Armand Benneker 9 0 7 0 0 0 2 0
DF Scotland SCO Neil Duffy 17 1 13 1 2 0 2 0
DF Scotland SCO Stewart McKimmie 7 0 6 0 1 0 0 0
DF Scotland SCO Jamie McQuilken 11 0 9 0 0 0 2 0
DF Scotland SCO Maurice Malpas 32 1 26 1 6 0 0 0
DF Norway NOR Erik Pedersen 31 0 25 0 6 0 0 0
DF Scotland SCO Mark Perry 43 0 35 0 6 0 2 0
DF Scotland SCO Steven Pressley 43 2 36 2 5 0 2 0
DF Scotland SCO Rab Shannon 10 0 9 0 0 0 1 0
MF Scotland SCO Paul Black 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
MF Scotland SCO Dave Bowman 30 0 27 0 1 0 2 0
MF Scotland SCO Jamie Dolan 19 0 13 0 6 0 0 0
MF Scotland SCO Craig Easton 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
MF Scotland SCO David Hannah 11 2 11 2 0 0 0 0
MF Scotland SCO Grant Johnson 9 0 8 0 0 0 1 0
MF Scotland SCO Jim McInally 20 1 16 1 4 0 0 0
MF Scotland SCO Ray McKinnon 31 6 24 6 5 0 2 0
MF Scotland SCO Andy McLaren 41 6 34 4 6 2 1 0
MF Scotland SCO Sandy Robertson 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 0
MF Scotland SCO David Sinclair 8 0 6 0 2 0 0 0
MF Scotland SCO Paul Walker 4 0 3 0 1 0 0 0
MF Sweden SWE Jonas Wirmola 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0
MF Sweden SWE Lars Zetterlund 32 0 25 0 1 0 6 0
FW Ireland EIR Owen Coyle 11 2 9 0 0 0 2 2
FW Scotland SCO Gary McSwegan 38 9 30 7 6 1 2 1
FW Sweden SWE Kjell Olofsson 31 13 25 12 6 1 0 0
FW Scotland SCO Steven Thompson 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
FW Scotland SCO Robbie Winters 43 12 36 8 5 3 2 1

Team statistics

League table

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Rangers (C) 36 25 5 6 85 33 +52 80 Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
2 Celtic 36 23 6 7 78 32 +46 75 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first qualifying round[a]
3 Dundee United 36 17 9 10 46 33 +13 60
4 Heart of Midlothian 36 14 10 12 46 43 +3 52
5 Dunfermline Athletic 36 12 9 15 52 65 −13 45
Source: Soccerbase
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ As the League Cup winners Rangers had qualified for European competition via their league position, the place in the UEFA Cup was passed to the next highest placed team in the league, Dundee United.

Transfers

Playing kit

Home colours
Away colours

The jerseys were sponsored for the first time by Telewest.

References

  1. ^ "Programme of the Year Awards". Programme Monthly & Football Collectible. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  2. ^ "Dundee Utd 1996/1997 results and fixtures". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 25 February 2005. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  3. ^ a b "Dundee Utd 1996/1997 player appearances". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2007.
  4. ^ "1996–97". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 3 July 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2007.
  5. ^ a b "The Internet Soccer Database: Lance Key". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  6. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Neil Duffy". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  7. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Armand Benneker". Soccerbase. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  8. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Jim McInally". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 28 February 2005. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  9. ^ "Player A to Z: Lars Zetterlund". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  10. ^ "Player A to Z: Kjell Olofsson". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  11. ^ "Player A to Z: Erik Pedersen". Glenrothes Arabs. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  12. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Sieb Dykstra". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  13. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Jamie Dolan". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  14. ^ a b "The Internet Soccer Database: Jonas Wirmola". Soccerbase. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  15. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: David Sinclair". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  16. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Stewart McKimmie". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  17. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Craig Brewster". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  18. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Brian Welsh". Soccerbase. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  19. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Christian Dailly". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  20. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Kelham O'Hanlon". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 21 March 2005. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  21. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Rab Shannon". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  22. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: David Hannah". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  23. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Owen Coyle". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 26 November 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  24. ^ "The Internet Soccer Database: Scott Crabbe". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 26 April 2005. Retrieved 26 September 2007.