The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
In case you missed it - Dundee Utd has won a league at last.
football: Players in under-15 side from KwaZulu-Natal tops in region’s first awards
Dundee United have won the league, it has been announced.
At least, their namesake in a South African town has.
The under-15 side from Dundee, in the east of the country, were named the champions of the Endumeni soccer league this month.
They are based in the town of Dundee – named after the hometown of a pioneering Scottish settler Peter Smith – which has a population of 34,924, less than a quarter of its Scottish counterpart.
Dundee United took the top spot in the first-ever under-15 soccer awards in the region.
The South African town has its own Gray Street and Dundee High School, with a nearby town called Glencoe.
Local reports talk of the boys’ excitement at receiving their trophies and medals. However, while the Tannadice team may be immaculately turned out every week, youngsters in South Africa face a regular struggle to secure proper attire, such as strips.
Meanwhile, the team cannot boast quite the proud history of the one-time Scottish champions, having been formed just 13 years ago, in 2004.
The Dundee in South Africa is one of at least two dozen around the world. Others include Dundee in the American state of Wisconsin. Its claim to fame surrounds the unusually high number of local UFO sightings.
Antarctica, meanwhile, is home to Dundee Island, named after it was discovered by a whaling expedition in 1892.
There is also a Dundee in Illinois, which is home to 64,000 people. Somewhat confusingly it was named after another Dundee – a village in New York state, which was itself named after Dundee, Scotland.
Having confirmed their place in the Championship play-offs, Dundee United are within touching distance of a coveted place back in Scottish football’s top flight.
They need look no further than their namesakes in South Africa for inspiration to get them over the line.
The under-15 side have achieved medal-winning glory in the regional soccer awards.
It’s time for the Tangerines to emulate them.