Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
United and renew New
FOR the first time in almost two years, Sunday will see two of the country’s fiercest rivals do battle when Dundee United travel to face Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup.
Unlike the heady days of the 1980s when the pair were evenly matched and their exploits earned them the title New Firm, their second-tier status means the Tangerines are now underdogs.
In the past, these north-east derbies were too close to call and produced epic clashes. Tonight we look back at four that more than lived up to the billing of ‘tie of the round’.
January 7, 2006, Tannadice. United 2 Aberdeen 3.
Last time United and Aberdeen met in this cup, Dons boss Derek McInnes was an unused sub for the Tangerines.
He must have watched openmouthed as Gordon Chisholm’s team blew a comfortable half-time lead and crashed out.
David Fernandez struck twice and by the break it seemed to be all over.
Jimmy Calderwood’s Reds had other ideas and the second half saw two goals from Stevie Crawford drag them level before Barry Nicholson struck.
If it was raining goals on the pitch, it was punches that were almost flying off it as Calderwood and United assistant Billy Dodds almost came to blows.
Worse was to follow for the United management team. Four days later, Chisholm was sacked, and after one game as caretaker boss, Dodds also left.