UK Stadiums: Dens Park, Dundee, Scotland
Joji Imamiya
Dens Park (Scot Foam Stadium), in Dundee, Scotland, has been the home of Dundee Football Club since 1899. It has a capacity of 11,775. Dundee moved to the arena from their previous home of Carolina Port. The ground has hosted three Scotland internationals, all against Wales. The largest attendance recorded was a Scottish Cup tie between Dundee and Rangers. The Scottish women's team played at Dens Park for the first time in a friendly with Northern Ireland in 2023.
Redevelopment
After Dundee's promotion to the newly established Scottish Premier League in 1998, Dens Park needed to undergo major redevelopment. Concrete terraces on the west and east sides were removed and replaced by the Bobby Cox Stand and the Bob Shankly Stand. Bob is the elder brother of Liverpool legend Bill. Underground heating was installed in 2005.
In 2008, there was a possibility for both Dundee FC (nicknamed The Dee) and their rivals Dundee United to leave their respective grounds due to Scotland's Euro bid for the same year. After UEFA handed the competition to Austria and Switzerland instead, the clubs remained. The proposal of ground sharing post-tournament had been met with disdain from all sides.
In 2009, it became clear that local businessman John Bennett owned Dens Park. Five years later, the Dundee Supporter's Society proposed a plan to repurchase the arena. The Society made its intentions clear: It would buy the stadium on behalf of the club, not for itself. Dundee FC completed the acquisition of Dens Park from Bennett in 2023.
The first greyhound racing at Dundee FC took place in 1932. A glass front was erected at the grandstand to allow patrons to witness the drama in all conditions. The new facility included a refreshment counter and a totalisator booth. There were four racing categories, of 260, 450, 460 and 650 yards. The ground of nearby East Craigie F.C. was suggested to be used as the next racing ground, but local protests put an end to that.
Fifty years later, a new era of greyhound racing came to town with the arrival of Canadian Ron Dixon as chairman. As the owner of Dundee Leisure, Dixon had numerous ambitious plans, including building an ice rink on-site. By late 1996, however, the ground returned to a familiar feel after the curved design was scrapped, with greyhound racing ending for good.
Rivalry with Dundee United
Scotland's fourth-largest city has two clubs based yards away from each other, Indeed Tannadice Park and Dens Park are the closest football stadiums in Britain. Dundee FC have a longer history, as Dundee United came to being in 1909 after Dundee Harp dissolved. Although United's origins stem from Irish immigration, sectarianism is not an issue in this fixture.
Dundee FC had more prestige in the early stages, winning one Scottish Cup and three League Cups before United won anything major. But as Jim McLean entered the fray in the United dugout, fortunes changed dramatically. In 1983, United secured their only top-flight title to date and established themselves as a major domestic force alongside Aberdeen. Aberdeen and United earned the title of "New Firm," a new era seemingly dawning in Scottish football.
The two clubs have a combined hooligan "firm" named the Dundee Utility, established to take on the larger firms in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
United overwhelm Dundee FC head-to-head, winning 82 matches compared to the Dee's 50.
History
Dundee FC is a result of a merger between East End and Our Boys, in the hopes of gaining election to the Scottish Football League, which was successful. Their first league match occurred at West Craigie Park, securing a 3-3 draw with Glasgow Rangers. The Dee found it hard to achieve success at this level, however, with a fifth-place finish being their best in the first decade. They were taught a lesson by Celtic in 1895 with a 0-11 loss, still their biggest defeat in history.
The Dee's first and only Scottish Cup success was achieved in 1909-10, a marathon cup run. Three games were required to defeat Hibs in the semis, and the same number of matches were needed to overcome Clyde F.C. in the final.
The outbreak of WW1 imposed many restrictions on the club, and in 1917, Dundee FC were asked to withdraw from the league owing to high transport costs.
The 1920s saw the emergence of Dave Halliday, with the 1923-24 campaign being the most fruitful. Halliday recorded 38 goals in 36 top-flight matches, a seasonal record for Dundee FC. Spanish football observers were to witness Halliday's brilliance when Halliday scored a brace against Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Club and Valencia in an end-of-season tour.
The Post-World War II era is considered a mini golden age for The Dee. Dundee broke the world record transfer fee for the acquisition of Billy Steel at the cost of £23,500. Rival Scottish fans saw this as a moment where the integrity of the game was disintegrating, as it was seen that teambuilding should be done using players from the local area.
A famous Scottish League Cup win in 1951 against Rangers at Hampden is a proud moment in Dundee FC's long history. After this hugely entertaining 3-2 victory, Dundee FC became the first team to retain the Cup after seeing off Kilmarnock 2-0 the following year.
The decade also saw the biggest embarrassment for Dundee after they were dumped out of the Scottish Cup by Fraserburgh from the Highland League, the fifth level on the Scottish football pyramid.
European Cup Run
By the 1960s, Dundee FC had cemented their status as a Scottish powerhouse, evident from their run to the semi-finals of the 1962-63 European Cup. Dundee were the fourth Scottish participant, after Hibs, Rangers and Hearts. Dundee's first opposition were Koln, a team full of West Germany internationals, the star being Karl-Heinz Schnellinger at left-back.
In one of the most extraordinary games Dundee FC have ever contested, the home side were ahead 3-0 after just 12 minutes and finished the game as 8-1 victors. Alan Gilzean was unplayable, helping himself to a hat-trick. Koln hit back and showed pride in the second leg, but even with a 4-0 scoreline, Dundee comprehensively won the tie. Dundee then got the better of Sporting CP and Anderlecht before facing the mighty AC Milan. Managed by Nereo Rocco, Milan had too much for Dundee and pulverized them 5-1 in Italy in the first leg. Although Dundee earned a respectable 1-0 win in the return leg, it showcased the gulf in class between Scottish football and what the best of the Continent had to offer at the time. Milan went on to win the competition.
2003 Scottish Cup Final
Dundee made headlines in the 2000s when high-profile names such as Temur Ketsbaia and Claudio Caniggia arrived at Dens Park. It produced some positive results, notably the 2003 Scottish Cup final appearances, but Dundee FC were denied by their old foes Rangers by a 0-1 scoreline.
Such frivolous spending would cost the club, literally. After that Scottish Cup final, debt at the club rose to £23m, meaning Dundee would go into administration. An almost-decade-long spell in the doldrums, also known as the Scottish second division, ended when Dundee were "promoted" back to the Scottish Premiership in 2012. The Dee were back in the big time only after Glasgow Rangers' finances collapsed that year.
The last decade has seen some yo-yo-ing, but Dundee FC fans were delighted when Dundee United were condemned to the Scottish Championship at Dens Park in 2016.
There was big news in early 2024 when ALK Capital, the majority owners of Burnley, announced a partnership between the two clubs that will secure a pathway for players to develop on both sides of the border.
Players
All the way back to Dundee FC's first match against Rangers, William "Plum" Longair led his team out as captain. Longair is not only a club legend but a wonderful servant to the city of Dundee. He became the club's first-ever international player when he featured for Scotland versus Wales in 1894. An estimated 20,000 lined the streets when his coffin was taken from his home to Eastern Cemetery to honour this true Dundee icon.
When Claudio Caniggia arrived at Tayside, he had been out of action for months. But all concerns were soon forgotten when the away end at the Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen erupted as the Argentinian scored to secure a 2-0 win in October 2000. As the months wore on, it became increasingly harder to find a fan who was not wearing a shirt with 'Caniggia 33' on his or her back. Though it only lasted for an unsatisfying single season, he left a monumental impact.
On and off, Jocky Scott had a 45-year connection at the Dens. Scott had two spells as a player and three as a coach. His first time as a player lasted from 1964 to 1975, known for being a clinical striker, recording over 110 goals. His greatest hour came in the 1973 League Cup, overcoming Celtic and bringing their third title. He also managed Aberdeen to a 1990 Scottish Cup victory, where again the Hoops were defeated.
Access - Getting To Dens Park
There are restrictions on parking in the vicinity of the stadium. But blue badge holders can park in designated locations on the east side of Provost Road between Sandeman Street and Dens Road.
If you are arriving via Dundee Station, the most straightforward path is to get on board the Line 22 bus service to Strathmartine Road and walk from there to the ground.
Dundee railway station has trains to King's Cross Station in London from Aberdeen via Edinburgh, Newcastle and York Station in York as well as more local ScotRail trains to Glasgow Queen Street in Glasgow via Perth and Stirling as well as connections south to Edinburgh Waverley Station and Haymarket in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.
There are also trains to Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol Temple Meads, Aberdeen, Arbroath, Broughty Ferry, Dumbarton Central, Falkirk High, Galashiels, Inverkip, Kilpatrick, Lanark, Prestwick Town, Pollokshaws East, Prestonpans and other destinations.
Address: Dens Park Stadium, Sandeman Street, Dundee DD3 7JY, UK
Nearby Hotels
If you wish to stay in Dundee try the Sleeperz Hotel Dundee, located directly above the train station with three stars and views of the V&A Dundee. Also recommended are the Malmaison Dundee and Holiday Inn Express Dundee.
See here for a complete listing of hotel accommodation in Dundee.
More UK Stadiums
Kirklees Stadium (John Smith's Stadium)
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