Much has been said about Dundee’s cause lately, and no fan of football in Dundee will not know of their debt and their possible demise. Relocation to Tannadice has been furiously opposed, yet rationally discussed by Dees and Arabs. The upshot though, is that the Dee are in trouble, and it could be terminal. But football in Dundee has always been about two teams…
….And we support the Tangerine! So should we be bothered?
Sour Grapes?
I think the Deez have been harsh by threatening to boycott the derby. They know, as half of the equation, that the derby is a special event, and therefore harming one team harms the other. They claim that the loss of Dundee FC would be harmful to the city, that United’s attendances will be down, and they’ll talk about the ‘special atmosphere’ that will be lost forever.But if Dundee do go bust, and of course if the two teams finish in opposing halves at the split, then April’s derby at Tannadice could in reality be the last!
I also think they are cowardly not to come. An act of defiance with a primary aim of raising money for dee4life, but no doubt a secondary aim of making sure United suffer a bit as well. A noble charitable action in favour of themselves, but tinged with a slightly cruel act of unkindness towards United. And why shouldn’t they? They are our archest rivals. We’ve been, in a gentlemanly way of course, sticking two fingers up at each other for decades, so we should hardly be surprised they’re at it now. It just wouldn’t be football would it?
So Should We Be Bothered?
I can’t answer the question ‘Should Arabs be bothered?’, and general opinion seems mixed, ranging from the ‘GTF’ to ‘makes financial sense’. Many are simply indifferent, and we are a separate club after all, with important games to play in the coming weeks, as we mount an attack on the top six spots. Our victory over Kilmarnock yesterday will have been a boost for the confidence, as will beating Rangers too – we haven’t beaten either team at Tannadice for several seasons.
I think it’s a close call as to whether they should be welcome as tenants with open arms, and there have been strong protests from many Dees saying they would never come to Tannadice as paying tenants anyway. Ownership of DFC seems murky, with at least one third party recently claiming to be a major shareholder, then turning out to be nothing of the sort. The fact they are in administration muddies the waters further as far as control of Dundee is concerned, and it just seems a whole sorry mess over there. Several reasons right there for a Tannadice groundshare not to happen, Dee fans’ opposition included.
It’s hard to wish them luck because I know there are Dees out there who would be delighted if the boot was on the other foot, and the proposed boycott is hardly an act of endearment either. A noble act in one respect, but with a bit of sour grapes thrown in. I hope they come to the derby. Opinion seems mixed in the Dee camp, so hopefully some will come, boycott or not.
The cry of FTD may actually come true. And if Dundee does go, I think some Arabs think that a certain magic will go too, though not all, and the poll on this site’s front page runs very close between welcoming them and telling them to GTF. Here’s the results…
Yes, We Could Use The Revenue 33.6%
No, They Can’t Be Trusted 24.8%
Over My Dead Body (arab) 15.9%
Over My Dead Body (dee) 10.6%
Dee May Be Bust By Then Anyway 10.6%
Deal For Neutral Venue Is On 4.4%
As you can see, more voted in total for them not coming, but around a third who voted (well over 100 votes cast) thought we could use the extra income. There would also be a touch of humiliation involved should the Derry relocate to the Shed (or wherever) so I think that helps some Arabs think it might be ok. To be fair though, more Arabs don’t want them to come at all, and the Dees seem vehemently opposed, even though it could indicate the end for them – a staunch attitude I find it difficult to comprehend. Tannadice or extinction? Surely ANYTHING is better than total extinction?
United In Trouble Too?
United’s finances trouble me a bit too. There’s no secret we are in debt, to the tune of a few million, and we have a few high earners also. So I think it may be premature to laugh at Dundee too hard. The closed season, and season ticket sales, will give us a good indication of how we stand financially. We’ll maybe get a clearer picture when the football has paused for the summer. Fingers crossed that deals have been struck and all debts are ‘manageable’.
It was a good win for us yesterday against Killie, and that’s us unbeaten in three games, and unbeaten at home in eight games, and with matches against all our closest rivals in the battle for the top six coming up, it could actually be an interesting finish to the season. We are seven points from fourth place, so it’s not unachievable, and just getting into the top six would help United out financially, as well as the interest garnered from being in ‘competitive’ games.