The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
When Dee’ s kit deal fell foul of the law
Dundee FC has attracted an array of sponsors over the years whose names can transport you back in time to teams and kits of seasons past.
Novafone brings back memories of the Tommy Coyne and Keith Wright strike partnership which produced 48 goals in the Premier Division in 1987-88.
Simon Stainrod’s fedora and the 4-3 win over Rangers in August 1992 always come to mind when you think of Kelly’s Copiers.
But can you remember the first sponsor to put its name on Dundee’s jerseys?
Hibs were the first club in Scotland to have a shirt sponsor in 1977, although the size of the Bukta lettering led to the announcement of a TV blackout.
Fans breathed a sigh of relief when the dispute ended.
Hibs arranged to use a change strip when their games were shown on TV.
Sponsored shirts became the norm during the 1980s.
Dundee were challenging for a Uefa Cup place under the stewardship of Archie Knox when Billy Boyle signed a sponsorship deal with the club in March 1985.
The late Mr Boyle was a passionate Dundee supporter.
He was running his own law firm from Reform Street and the two-year deal would include shirt sponsorship and ground advertising.
There were handshakes and backslaps when Dundee were presented with the new strips during a photocall at Dens Park.
The Courier’s sister paper The Evening Telegraph reported at the time the move was made possible by the Law Society of Scotland changing its rules to allow solicitors to advertise their services.
Mr Boyle would not disclose how much he was paying for his firm’s name to be displayed on the kit, although it was thought to be worth around £75,000.
He said: “A football club is still a major part of city life.
“We as a firm wish to take advantage of the new rules.
“Traditionally, solicitors have had difficulty in making the public aware of the services they can offer together with their prices and costs.
“We feel this is a dynamic way of doing it.”
Dundee chairman Ian Gellatly said the deal was a long time coming.
“This is a relationship we have had with Mr Boyle going back to November, but we have had to hold off because of the Law Society rules,” he said.
“This is a major step forward in that we have been looking for a shirt sponsor for the past two or three years.
“The sum involved is in line with other rates of sponsorship which other clubs like ourselves would be asking for.
“However, it is a substantial sum as far as Dundee FC is concerned.”
The new Dundee strips featuring the Boyle logo were to be worn for the first time in a league game against Aberdeen at Dens Park the following afternoon.
But they were never seen on the pitch.
The ink was barely dry on the contract when the Law Society of Scotland made a dramatic intervention to prevent the deal from going ahead. The society’s agents lodged an interdict calling for a ban on Mr Boyle advertising on Dundee shirts and tracksuits for the next three seasons.
The firm was also banned from advertising on trackside boards.
Sheriff Bowen sat late at the city’s sheriff court on the eve of Dundee’s home match.
The Law Society argued successfully that the display of Mr Boyle’s name would be in breach of the society’s rules on advertising for its members.
Lindsay Foulis told the court the advertisements might reasonably be said to bring the legal profession into disrepute.
He said this matter had been discussed by the Law Society “which decided it would be inappropriate for solicitors to advertise on dustbins, for example”.
The society allowed only advertising in papers, on TV and radio or by direct mailing.
Mr Gellatly said the contract was a binding one and the sponsorship deal would go ahead without the use of the logo.
Mr Boyle appealed against the interdict and, after a hearing on April 9, Sheriff Principal Robert Richardson Taylor ordered the interdict to be lifted.
He was not satisfied the action raised was competent.
Mr Taylor later refused an appeal by the Law Society against his decision but that did not allow the sponsorship deal with Dundee to proceed.
The Law Society also served a notice on Mr Boyle ordering the firm to withdraw.
Mr Boyle’s legal remedy to get the notice lifted was to present a case to the
Court of Session in Edinburgh and seek its adjudication.
However, the The Evening Telegraph suggested such a hearing “could be months, if not years away”.
And then? Nothing.
The case appeared to have been quietly forgotten about.
The shirt sponsor void was eventually filled by Novafone in 1987.
Daniel Smith of club history group Dee Archive stumbled upon the story during his research.
He said iconic images of Dee successes from that period would have looked very different had the sponsorship deal gone ahead.
“It’s a fascinating story, especially with the way the game is now with sponsorship on near enough anything with a bit of space,” he said.
“It’s something that I’ve never seen mentioned anywhere.
“I’d always been under the impression that Novafone was our first ever shirt sponsor.
“It makes you think how classic pictures back then would have looked like with lettering on the front of our strips?
“Who can possibly forget Albert Kidd and his onearm celebration towards the south enclosure after his double against Hearts in 1986?
“The Boyle shirt sponsor fitted perfectly on to the 1984-85 kit.
“But how might the next season’s home top have turned out?
“A different design to make space for the name would have robbed fans of a strip that many have down as their all-time favourite.”
Football sponsorship deals would grow more lucrative and valuable as the years progressed.
Dundee players would don kits down the years with sponsors that ranged from Auto Windscreens and the Firkin Brewery to the Forfar Roof Truss.
The Ceramic Tile Warehouse and Claudio Caniggia would eventually turn out to be a match made in heaven and Kilmac Energy will forever be associated with “Helicopter Saturday”. WG Boyle was the one that got away.