Dundee have only ever played a handful of games on Easter Monday but the most significant without a shadow of a doubt was the Dundee United v Dundee on April 9th 1962 in the third last game of Dundee’s Scottish League Championship winning season.

Dundee went into the derby match one point behind Rangers in the Championship race and Easter Monday would prove to be a pivotal day in the destiny of the League Flag with Dundee crossing ‘the great divide’ of Tannadice Street to take on United while Rangers were facing their own derby against Celtic in an Old Firm clash at Parkhead.

Both derbies were postponed at New Year and rescheduled for the Spring Holiday Monday and the match programme from Tannadice has become a rare Dundee collectible. The original Dundee derby on January 2nd had been postponed due to frost but the decision to call the game off had been a late one, with some fans already in the ground. Some supporters therefore and as well as the press already had their hands on a match programme and when the game was called off at 1.30pm, 45 minutes before the 2.15pm kick off, United officials threw the remaining programmes in the bin. With no programme issued for the rescheduled match on Easter Monday, the January edition has become a rare collectable for Dundee fans with one recently selling on eBay for £600.

There was a tremendous cup tie atmosphere amongst the 20,000 all-ticket crowd and the teams lined up as follows:

Dundee United: Ugolini, Gordon, Briggs, Neilson, Smith, Fraser, Carlyle, Millar, Gillespie, Irvine, Mochan

Dundee FC: Liney, Hamilton, Cox, Seith, Ure, Wishart, Smith, Penman, Cousin, Gilzean, Robertson

Dundee went into the final derby of the 1961/62 knowing that there were in for a tough game and it proved to be an action packed thriller with the home side in no mood to lie down to their more illustrious rivals. Bob Shankly’s daughter had recently become engaged to United left-back Jimmy Briggs but Briggs was in no mood to do his future father-in-law any favours and was in The Courier Monday morning stating how determined United were to win the match.

In his autobiography “The Game of My Life”, Craig Brown recalls that after doing Dundee a favour in the title race by beating Rangers at Ibrox the previous month, “United were no less determined to beat us in the return local derby in April.”

Dundee had defeated United 4-1 at Dens in September in the first derby but in Bob Miller’s report in The People’s Journal after Dundee had beaten Stirling Albion on March 31st, he stated “Dundee should hammer the lot – except maybe United.” United were clearly going to have a big say in the destiny of the Championship and the press build up was intense with the Evening Telegraph running a special early edition which would include a half time report.

The match lived up to all expectations but it was United who took the lead on 15 minutes through Jim Irvine but Alan Gilzean pulled the sides level a minute before the break with a speculative effort.

The game ebbed and flowed in the second half with neither side able to make another break through but with just four minutes left Gilzean got his second when he thundered a 25 yarder into the top corner of the United net.

Gillie remembers the game well and says that, “the first was definitely thanks to United’s keeper Ronald Ugolini as my speculative shot bounced as it approached the goal and he dived over the top of it. The second from about 25 yards out screamed right into the top corner and the win was crucial in a very difficult game. It was a huge step for us.”

The news that greeted the Dundee players in the dressing room was that Rangers had been held 1-1 at Celtic Park. The Dark Blues were now level on points with Rangers with two games to go although the Ibrox side were still top on goal average.

Rangers’ next game was away at Aberdeen who had already defeated the Dark Blues at Pittodrie the previous September and they dealt out the same fate to the Light Blues with a 1-0 win. On the same night Dundee beat St Mirren 2-0 at Dens, inspired by the famous Pat Liney penalty save meaning they went into their last game in Perth with a two point lead where a draw would give them the title.

Dundee didn’t slip up and dispatched St Johnstone 3-0 on April 28th to become Champions of Scotland. It had been a rollercoaster ride of a season en route to winning the title, none more so than on Easter Monday 1962 when The Dee came back from behind to win 2-1 at Tannadice thanks to a Gillie brace.