DUNDEE UNITED IN THE SCOTTISH CUP…
Celtic have played Dundee United 17 times in the Scottish Cup. Eight of these games have been played at Hampden, four at Celtic Park and five at Tannadice. Celtic have won 13, drawn 2 and lost 2.
Let us deal with the bad news first. Dundee United, then a Second Division team, beat Celtic 4-3 at the then primitive Tannadice Park on 22 January 1949, a result that plunged the Dundee Irish population into confusion, for they supported both teams!
The only other time that United beat Celtic in the Scottish Cup was in 1981 when after a dreadful 0-0 draw in the first game, United went two ahead in the first half and stayed on top in spite of a Celtic fight back. Rumour has it that Jim McLean even smiled that night!
To better times – there are four Scottish Cup finals, and Celtic won them all. 1974 was fairly one–sided, 2005 was a rather lacklustre performance from a team which had lost its way. Martin O’Neill had said he was going, and it was just 6 days after Black Sunday.
On the other hand 1985 and 1988 were epic Celtic performances and well worth watching on You Tube.
Other highlights that you might care to look for are the last five minutes of the 1996 game, the poor Dundee United defender in 1998 who conceded an own goal late in the game on the same day as his wife had given birth to a baby, a bullet header from Henrik Larsson in 2001, a great semi-final in 2013 which I honestly thought that Celtic were lucky to get away with, and those of us who are connoisseurs of crazy refereeing will enjoy the 1-1 game at Tannadice in 2015.
Sadly however I fear You Tube will not be able to help with the first Dundee United v Celtic game. This was February 1931. Postponed because of horrendous snow on the Saturday and played before a smallish crowd on the Wednesday afternoon in conditions that were still not great, this game set a marker for future games of Dundee United being up at half time, but Celtic fighting back in the second half, in this case with goals from Peter Scarff and Charlie Napier.
The results are (Celtic scores first, Celtic scorers listed)….
1931 – 3-2 Tannadice – Scarff 2, Napier
1949 – 3-4 Tannadice – Gallacher 2, Tully
1970 – 4-0 Celtic Park – Hughes 2, Macari, Wallace
1974 – 3-0 Hampden Final – Hood, Murray, Deans
1981 – 0-0 Hampden Semi Final
1981 – 2-3 Hampden Semi Final replay – Nicholas 2 (I pen)
1985 – 2-1 Hampden Final – Provan, McGarvey
1988 – 2-1 Hampden Final – McAvennie 2
1992 – 2-1 Celtic Park – Creaney, Coyne
1996 – 2-1 Celtic Park – van Hooijdonk, Thom
1998 – 3-2 Tannadice – Brattbakk, Wieghorst, own goal
2001 – 3-1 Hampden Semi Final – Larsson 2, McNamara
2005 – 1-0 Hampden Final – Thompson
2012 – 4-0 Tannadice Ledley, Samaras, Stokes, Brown (pen)
2013 – 4-3 aet Hampden Semi FinalCommons 2, Wanyama, Stokes
2015 – 1-1 Tannadice – Griffiths
2015 – 4-0 Celtic Park – Denayer, Van Dijk, Griffiths, Commons
David Potter
