Inside Dundee United's memorable European trip of 28 years ago as milestones up for grabs in Vienna
I was there for both legs of thumping win over Andorrans
Of all the ties involving Scottish clubs this week, one in particular sticks out. Rapid Vienna versus Dundee United sets the pulse racing, evoking memories of the night the great penalty innovator Antonin Panenka graced the Tannadice turf (along with Hans Krankl) but could not stop Jim McLean’s side progressing to the last four of the European Cup.
“It was the fulfilment of another impossible dream for the club that has dragged itself forward in the past decade,” wrote Wallace Moore in the next morning’s Daily Record. Sweeter still, it meant emulating Dundee’s achievement of 21 years earlier.
United are returning on Thursday to Vienna, where Derek Stark slammed home a priceless away goal in March 1984. They have been emboldened by last week’s long overdue aggregate victory over Luxembourg’s UNA Strassen. While this success hardly seemed like news to stop the traffic, there was surprise from many – manager Jim Goodwin among them – when it was noted that it was in fact United’s first victory in a European tie since 1997. It was not news to me, however. I was there for both legs of the thumping aggregate win over Club Esportiu Principat of Andorra.
What has been surprising to discover is that United have not progressed through successive rounds of European competition since that never-to-be-forgotten run to reach the Uefa Cup final in 1987, when the likes of Borussia Moenchengladbach and Barcelona were put to the sword. Maybe not as memorably, but nearly as impressively, very decent opposition in the shape of Lens, Hadjuk Split and Universitatea Craiova were also taken care of.
So while playing for a place in the semi-finals of Europe’s premier club competition is now a pipe dream for both United and Rapid Vienna, there’s still much at stake in this tie, with the winners rewarded with a Conference League play-off round berth. Additionally, a victory in the rebuilt Weststadion in the Hutteldorf district of Vienna would represent a very significant milestone for United. It would stand as their 50th victory in Europe stretching all the way back to that celebrated maiden win in 1966 against the team now firmly installed as their patsies: Barcelona.
Modern times have not been so storied, with aggregate wins over the likes of Glentoran, Coleraine and Fimleikafelag Hafnarfjordur of Iceland interspersed with painful KOs delivered by the Tatran Presovs and MyPa-47s of the world.
Goals galore and a recognisable referee
The games against Principat were, however, a lot of fun. The first leg in Andorra – 23 July, 1997 - was particularly memorable for this writer since it was my first European trip for The Scotsman and involved taking a charter flight from Dundee airport with Tommy McLean’s team to Toulouse. We were then decanted into a bus for a nausea-inducing ride through the Pyrenees to Andorra.
However far they had fallen from the days the previous decade when they were jousting with giants, if a soothsayer had told anyone on that trip that United, recent European aristocrats, would not win another European tie for almost thirty – yes, thirty – years, well, it would have called for another round of (stiff) drinks for their fans.
The tiny principality proved a hospitable place for the 100 or so supporters who made the trip. The generosity extended to United, who helped themselves to eight goals (Robbie Winters 4, Gary McSwegan 3 and Lars Zetterlund). Re-reading my report of the match, it ought to have been more. Erik Pedersen’s penalty was saved by overworked ‘keeper Rui de Castro. It was awarded by referee Pierluigi Collina. Whatever became of him?
The Andorran leg was the first leg so the job was only, er, half done. The second leg was of course academic although United had a record aggregate victory in their sights. An 11-0 win would have done it, bettering Rangers’ 18-0 aggregate win over Valetta in 1983, which still stands as the record for a Scottish club. United ‘only’ hit another nine to book an appointment with Turkish side Trabzonspor from the Black Sea port city of Trabzon (interestingly, Rapid Vienna were potential opponents when the draw was made).
That, too, was a strange but memorable trip. Popular United 'keeper Sieb Dykstra complained about being distracted by the call for prayers from the mosque behind his goal at Trabzonspor’s winner.
What became of Principat?
But that’s another story. We’re recalling the time Dundee United beat a team from Andorra whose HQ appeared to be a restaurant. A quick internet search suggests Charlie’s restaurant, which was themed on Charlie Chaplin obviously and sponsored the team, has since closed. This also appeared to have been the fate of the club. Wikipedia claims Principat folded in 2015, which was sad news given the memories of the 1997 tie and their European pedigree that extended beyond debut games against Dundee United to involve ties against Ferencvaros (1-14 – a goal!) and Viking of Iceland (0-18).
However, an email address found on the Andorran FA website suggested the club still existed in some form, and so it proved. They had re-formed as a futsal team, the small-sided, indoor version of football, so unlikely to re-appear on the European stage anytime soon, but still performing a very admirable function.
A phone number was produced. I learned from an official that not only does the name survive, the actual club is set to return to competitive 11-aside football. Principat will play in the second tier of the Andorran league, with their opening game scheduled for as soon as next month in La Massana.
President Fernando Dias was tickled to hear that there has been reason for Principat’s name to be mentioned in despatches in Scotland in these already exciting times for the reconstituted club. It sums up the beauty of European football - contacts made and, years later, renewed. Now let’s see what United can come up with against their old pals from Vienna.
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