Duncan’s hat-trick saved United’s summer holiday
It used to be that footballers knew exactly when their holidays started.
The cup final was nearly always the last game of the season, and then they were free to take a break.
It’s not quite the same now, with some sides having relegation and promotion play- off matches.
Dundee United’s players were all ready for a sharp exit at the end of the 1973-74 season.
Their last game was a home fixture against Morton that took place on a Friday night.
The match came a fortnight after the Tangerines had lost the Scottish Cup Final to Celtic.
David Narey scored the first goal of his club career after 10 minutes, but things weren’t looking too promising on the holiday front at the break.
Then striker Duncan MacLeod saved the day in spectacular style.
He recalled: “We were drawing 1- 1 at halftime, and Jim McLean had an eruption in the dressing room.
“He was a hard manager to please, and I think he was still feeling aggrieved about the cup final defeat.
“We were told we’d be in training the next week if we didn’t win the game. It didn’t matter that we were supposed to be off for the closeseason break.
“It was then I probably had the best 45 minutes of my football career.
“I scored a hat-trick to give us a 4-1 win, and make sure the holidays went ahead.
“It was the perfect treble – right foot, left foot and a header.”
Duncan’s route into professional football started 50 years ago – when he spent the summer working as a porter for MacBrayne’s Ferries at Tobermory pier on the Isle of Mull.
He was doing that as a summer job before leaving to join Southampton.
There weren’t many footballers who came from his part of Scotland.
Probably the best-known person from Mull was, and still is, Duncan’s father – Bobby MacLeod, the famous Scottish country dance band leader.
Duncan said: “I wasn’t involved in any organised football until I went to Oban High School.
“I then went to Glasgow University and spent a season with Queen’s Park Strollers.
“That led to a successful tr ial with Southampton, and I came home to spend the summer before reporting for pre-season at The Dell.
“There were quite a few Scots at the club, people like Jimmy Gabriel, Hugh Fisher, Eric Martin and Denis Hollywood.
“Denis was probably the hardest player I met in football. His sliding tackles in the car park were quite something!
“I spent three years at Southampton, but I got a bit homesick and realised I wasn’t going to make the first-team.
“I came back to Scotland and was signed by Dundee.
“I only played one game for them, in the Texaco Cup against Norwich.
“Jim McLean was a coach at Dens Park when I arrived, before becoming Dundee United boss.
“He took me to Tannadice. Being from the west coast, crossing the Dundee divide didn’t bother me.”
After two seasons with United, Duncan went to St Johnstone as part of a transfer involving Henry Hall.
Saints were relegated from the first Premier Division, and he then joined Brechin City.
“That was probably my level,” said Duncan modestly. “I enjoyed playing every week.”
Duncan retired in 1981 and started work as an accountant.
He said: “The job took me to places such as Singapore and Malaysia. “I played football in Singapore until I was 46.” Duncan, now 69, is back on Mull and living in Tobermory.