Yes, the introduction ot the Premier Division in 1975 had gradually raised the overall standard at the top level, making the championship slightly more accessible than had been the old Division One, Yes, both Celtic and Rangers had ceased to dominate the Scottish scene in quite the manner of days gone by, Yes, the reputation of Dundee United had risen to the level where they were securely installed as one of the "big four" of Scottish football, But no, it simply was not realistic to suggest that United, surviving on gates averaging less than 10,000, could see off the inevitable challenge of the Old Firm plus the emergent, multi-talented, Aberdeen and fly the championship flag at Tannadice Park Such was surely the view of the great majority ot Dundee United's growing band of supporters as season 1982/83 began, and indeed it is probably not unfair to say that their hopes consisted ot a lengthy run in Europe, a third League Cup or a first Scottish Cup success, and possibly runners-up spot in the championship. The latter aim in itself would have seen new ground broken, as the Terrors had never previously achieved higher than third place. The new League campaign began encouragngly on 4 September with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Aberdeen, and indeed United completed the first quarter of the League programme for the loss of only four points. Yet despite having the only unbeaten record at that stage, they occupied second place, one point behind Celtic, as they travelled to meet Aberdeen at Pittodrie on 6 November. The match began encouragngly, Richard Gough securing an early lead, but by half-time the Dons had hauled themselves ahead by 3-1 and United's heaviest reverse of the season was well under way. That the final score was restricted to 5-1 owed more to the home side's apparent tack of interest in inflicting further humiliation than anything else, but at any rate what would turn out to be the low-point ot the season for United proved only a momentary aberration.

The following week McLean's men regained second place, coming from behind to beat Rangers by 4-2 at home with a late double from Gough and Ralph Milne. The goals continued to flow, thanks mainly to the consistency ot Davie Dodds, deadly accurate inside the penalty area, and the more distant efforts of Milne, whose electrifying pace and devastating changes of direction left defenders floundering in his wake. The weaker clubs were particularly severely dealt with, as Kilmarnock (7-0), Morton (6-0) and Motherwell (5-0) felt the full torce of the Tannadice arsenal. The halt-way stage ot the season thus arrived with a meagre eleven goals conceded ot which almost halt had been lost at Pittodne, in what remained the sole defeat Quite unexpectedly, 1983 began disastrously. For the second time in eight weeks, Aberdeen completely outplayed the Terrors, this time winning 3-0 at Tannadice, and the following week not even the boost of an early John Reilly counter could prevent their ultimate demise at Ibrox. A drab and goal-less visit to Easter Road (the second of the season) meant that only one point had been taken from a possible six since the turn ot the year, and left United trailing Celtic by five points.

At that time, the club's best chance of success seemed to lie in the direction of one of the cup competitions Celtic had already ended their hopes of a fourth successive League Cup final appearance with a narrow semi-final aggregate win, but for the second consecutive season a quarter-final UEFA Cup place had been secured, via an outstanding win in Eindhoven and a backs-to-the-wall rearguard action in Bremen With the big guns about to enter the tray in the Scottish Cup. the League championship looked very much United's third option by mid-January. However, although a cup rehearsal produced a 3-2 League win over St Mirren, this augured ill for the following week. True to Cup form of recent years, the visit to Paisley proved to be both the start and finish of the club's aspirations in the Scottish, as Saints took a first-half lead then held on to deliver the knock-out to United for the third time in five seasons. The morale of both players and supporters had by now, it seemed, reached rock-bottom An almost injury-tree run so far had produced a stable, yet curiously unsettled team. The fluency and creativity of early season had deserted the side, and the view shared by both fans and press was that United remained some way short of the blend necessary to lift the club onto a trophy-winning level. Continue