History of Dundee United F.C.

Dundee United F.C. is a Scottish football club based in Dundee. Formed on 24 May 1909 as Dundee Hibernian, the club first joined the Scottish Football League (SFL) in 1910. After changing their name to Dundee United in 1923, the club were promoted to the top division of Scottish football for the first time in 1925, but spent most of their first fifty years in the second tier.

The club came to greater prominence under two long-serving managers, Jerry Kerr (1959–1971) and Jim McLean (1971–1993). Kerr established United in the top flight and led them into European competition for the first time. During the McLean era United won their first major trophies, lifting the Scottish League Cup in 1979 and 1980 and the Scottish Premier Division title in 1983. They were also successful in European competitions, reaching the European Cup semi-finals in 1984 and the UEFA Cup final in 1987.

While that level of success has not been maintained since McLean's retirement, the club has continued to challenge for honours in Scottish football, winning the Scottish Cup in 1994 and 2010.

Inspired by the example of Hibernian in Edinburgh the Irish Catholic community in Dundee formed a new football club in 1909, following the demise of Dundee Harp. Originally called Dundee Hibernian, the club took over Clepington Park (renamed Tannadice Park) from Dundee Wanderers and played its inaugural game on 18 August, 1909 against Hibernian, a match which ended in a 1–1 draw. The following year, the club was voted into the Scottish Football League. The club was saved from going out of business in October 1923 by a group of Dundee businessmen who then decided to change the club's name to Dundee United to appeal to a wider audience than the Irish Catholic community; the name Dundee City was considered but was objected to by long standing city rivals Dundee F.C..

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