Tributes on Tayside to Tannadice legend Tributes to Mr United
Fans and family hailed Dundee United legend Jim Mclean last night after his death at the age of 83. He was United’s most successful ever manager, steering the Tannadice club to success in Scotland and Europe across two decades.
His family said: “Jim was a muchloved husband, father, brother, uncle and father-in-law, and we will all sadly miss him. His remarkable six-decade career made him a true legend, not only at Dundee United, but across the world of football.
“This is a very sad day for our family, but we will be eternally proud of Jim. We would ask that our privacy is respected at this very difficult time for our family.”
The club also issued a statement saying it was “extremely saddened”. It said: “An integral part of our history and rise to the forefront of European football, Jim was simply a titan of Dundee United folklore.”
Mclean, who had been living in a care home after suffering dementia, led United through a series of successful campaigns including the Scottish Premier League title in 1983 and the European Cup semi-final in 1984. He managed United from 1971-93, becoming the longest-serving and most successful manager in the club’s history, and was also assistant to Jock Stein with the Scotland national team in the early 1980s.
Former Dundee United player Maurice Malpas paid tribute to the forward-thinking manager: “Psychologists, dieticians, experts in plyometrics – all the people everyone uses now – we had them all at Tannadice back in the 1980s.
“His football knowledge was out of this world. We would try tactics and set-pieces he had picked up from other parts of the world, and wanted to try out. Clubs from all over Europe would send people to see what we were up to.”
TV’S Lorraine Kelly, a huge Dundee United fan, said: “Very sad news. RIP Jim Mclean.”