Recently, for the first time in my life, I walked out of a football match before half-time.
On Friday March 31, for just under 40 minutes, I had just watched an impressive Aberdeen side steamroller a meek Dundee team at Dens Park, going 4-0 up.
I’m a season ticket holder at Dens Park but was so incensed that I had to make some sort of protest — so I voted with my feet!
I’m glad I did as the onslaught didn’t end there — and the deadly Dons hit another three to secure an incredible 7-0 drubbing.
It wasn’t really the scoreline which bothered me so much, it was the line-up, the formation of the team and watching home players who seemed to be at ill-ease with a simple 10-yard pass.
In 1971, Dundee also suffered a seven-goal deficit home defeat.
It was against Celtic, the soon-to-be champions romping to an 8-1 win in front of 21,000 spectators.
I wasn’t at that game as I was playing myself elsewhere.
However, I distinctly remember family and friends saying that Celtic were absolutely brilliant that day and that the Dundee players didn’t really disgrace themselves.
Indeed, the Dark Blues created many chances and nobody would have been surprised if the scoreline ended 8-5!
It was just that they came up against a great side in impeccable form and the feeling was that no team could have lived with the Parkhead outfit that afternoon.
Dundee’s team was: Donaldson; B Wilson (Johnston), Soutar; Steele, Phillip, Houston; Duncan, Gilroy, Wallace, Scott, Kinninmonth.
That line-up is riddled with talented players who served the club well for many years and not one of them could ever be accused of giving up in any game.
Indeed, at least six of them would go on to be in Dundee’s League Cup-winning side which beat Celtic at Hampden in 1973.
The Celtic team included six Lisbon Lions, and was: Williams; Craig, Gemmell; Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan; Johnstone, Wallace, Hood, Callaghan, Auld.
Hood (2), Wallace (2), Johnstone (2), Callaghan and a Houston own goal made up the eightsome reel for the visitors, with Duncan scoring Dundee’s only counter.
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