SAYS KEVIN GALLACHER
Kevin Gallacher, among his many claims to fame, is the man who scored a wonder winner against Barcelona, only to get dropped by Dundee United boss Jim McLean for that same season’s Scottish Cup Final.
Like the Murphy’s, though, the 52-year-old former Scotland internationalist isn’t bitter.
In fact, he declares himself a supporter of the campaign to raise £75,000 to erect a statute of the legendary Tannadice manager as a “brilliant, inspired” idea.
He takes issue, too, with the argument recently put forward by former Tangerines defender Paul Quinn that celebrating the successes of the club’s storied past is contributing to the troubles of the present.
The class of 2018 players, who recently crashed 5-0 at home to Ayr United, must, he insists, shoulder the responsibility for their own shortcomings.
“Listen, I’d understand if there were statues of all the 1983 League winners lined up around the players’ entrance,” said Gallacher, of the Steering Group’s plans to raise £75,000 to honour McLean’s decadeslong contribution to United.
“You do get some clubs where you think: ‘Really?’ with the sculpture Fulham used to have up of Michael Jackson probably the best example.
“But it is not like that at Tannadice.
“Not at all. There are photographs of the 1980s lads playing in big games, but why would any club, in this country or any country, choose to ignore their great achievements? “And they were great achievements. “Under Jim McLean’s charge, we won the Premier League, the League Cup and reached the semi-final of the 1984 European Cup and the UEFA Cup final in 1987.
“During that time we were beating all sorts – Monaco, Borussia Monchengladbach, PSV Eindhoven and, of course, Barcelona.
“To get paired with Barca in the draw was phenomenal, because Terry Venables was the manager and they had Mark Hughes and Gary Lineker in the side.
“Then, as now, they were a massive name all over the world, with Jim describing the tie as being a contest between a corner shop and a supermarket. And, of course, it was us wee yins that came out on top – home and away!
“So you look at that, at that record of a smaller club punching above its weight, and you think why wouldn’t you put up a statue of the man who made that all possible?
“As a manager, he was years and years ahead of his time. He was an absolute football obsessive who spent all his time thinking about the game and, as a result, knew it inside out.
“Tactically he always got it spot on (McLean would later claim his side had mastered the demands of a hybrid 4-3½-2½ formation he demanded his team play with Eamonn Bannon the defensive half on one flank and Ralph Milne his more attacking counterpart on the other) and we were as fit and as well prepared as anybody could be.
“Plus our team spirit was second to none, something which is not be underestimated, and he helped foster that.
“Everyone knows what Sir Alex Ferguson, his big rival those days up at Aberdeen, went on to do with Manchester United.
“Jim had chances to move on too, in Scotland and down south.
Had he done so, I don’t doubt he would have been a success because we know the passion and drive he would have brought to any new employer.
“As it was, he decided to stay put and England’s loss was Dundee United’s gain. The contribution he made to the club over the course of his working life was huge.”
During that time we were beating all sorts – Monaco, PSV and, of course. Barcelona
Gallacher isn’t about to pretend the man nicknamed ‘Jolly Jim’ in the press circles for his lugubrious manner was perfect.
“For all his many strengths, I think Jim himself would admit he could have done better on the man-management side of things,” he said.
“It is fair to say there were times over the years when that would be an issue with various players.”
The former winger, grandson of Celtic legend Patsy who won seven league titles and four Scottish Cups in the Hoops, acknowledges