Dundee may have a tough looking week ahead of them with trips to both Celtic Park and Ibrox but there is plenty of reason of optimism going into these games, not only after a decent performance against Hearts last weekend but also because we have beaten both Rangers and Celtic within four days of each other before.
In March of 1984 Dundee faced both Rangers and Celtic within four days of each other and remarkably emerged with 3-2 victories in both games.
The Old Firm odyssey actually started the week before on March 10th when Dundee were due to meet a strong going Rangers at Dens in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup. Twice the Ibrox side took the lead but goals by Iain Ferguson and Albert Kidd gave Dundee a well earned draw and a replay back in Glasgow.
With Rangers 2-1 ahead an Iain MacDonald header was tipped onto the bar by Nicky Walker and after spinning high into the air, the ball came down for Walker McCall to head home. Initially a goal was given but when the linesman adjudged the ball to have gone out and come back in, referee Alan Ferguson changed his mind and awarded a goal kick.
The embarrassed officials knew they had blundered and left Dens Park trying to convince anyone prepared to listen that the swirling wind had blown the ball back into play for McCall to score, prompting the Dundee match programme to have a tongue in cheek jibe in its next edition.
In its Over The Turnstile (OTT) column by Jock Ferguson, he jokingly reported, “Blow Out For Fans”.
He said, “A section of Dundee fans at the Dundee v Rangers Scottish Cup tie have been reported to the SFA by match-day referee Alan Ferguson.”
“Mr Ferguson has accused those fans in the Provie Road end of blowing the ball back into play after it had come off the Rangers crossbar, subsequently allowing Walker McCall to illegally nod the ball into the net.”
“The referee was also incensed at the Dundee fans for having the audacity to shout for a penalty when Rangers Dave McPherson accidently handled the ball in the six yard box. A home ban for Dundee fans looks likely.”
So it was off to Ibrox on March 17th with a sense of injustice and it turned out to be a memorable afternoon for every Dee who made the trip.
Bobby Glennie, George McGeachie and Tosh McKinlay would miss the replay through suspension but Cammy Fraser and Iain Ferguson had shrugged off injuries to play. Jim Smith headed Dundee into the lead and in 63 minutes Ferguson finished off a brilliant three-man move for a second. Things looked bleak for Rangers when former Dee Ian Redford was ordered off after a clash with Kidd but McClelland and McPherson levelled the score with 10 minutes remaining.
Now the rampant Light Blues pushed for a winner but three minutes later Ferguson crashed a high shot past Walker to send the travelling support wild with delight. Rangers 21-game unbeaten run was over and after the full time whistle, their Swedish international midfielder Robert Prytz was sent off for dissent.
Lex Richardson and Peter Mackie had excelled in their unaccustomed roles at full back and although Ferguson had scored two fine goals, the influential skipper Fraser had been a key figure in midfield despite playing with a heavily bandaged thigh after taking a pre-match pain killing injection.
Despite all that, manager Archie Knox made two changes for the Premier Division visit of second placed Celtic four days later. McGeachie and McKinlay returned to the side at full back, Lex Richardson went back into midfield while Peter Mackie and Colin Harris dropped to the bench.
Dundee were teetering near the bottom of the table while Celtic were challenging Aberdeen for the title and the previous visit of Celtic to Dens had seen The Hoops put six past the hapless Dee in September.
However this time Dundee incredibly recorded a second successive 3-2 win over one of the Old Firm thanks to a double from Walker McCall and a beautiful goal from Ray Stephen.
Celtic had taken the lead through Tommy Burns 30 seconds before the break but six horrendous minutes for The Bhoys virtually ended their title hopes. A two goal burst early in the second half paved the way for a deserved Dundee victory with Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner shouldering the blame for Dundee’s equaliser.
On 50 minutes substitute Colin Harris, who had replaced the limping Fraser at half time, drove an angled at goal from 20 yards and when Bonner couldn’t hold it, McCall drove it into the net from close range.
Six minutes later Dundee were ahead when Stephen took a superb forward pass from McKinlay on the drop and calmly lofted the ball over the keeper and in off the left hand post.
Dundee scored again on 77 minutes when McCall took a pass from Stephen and turned quickly before firing home and although Mark Reid pulled one back from the spot four minutes later after Smith had fouled substitute Jim Melrose, The Dee held on for a memorable and crucial win.
As well as having previously beaten both sides of the Old Firm within four days, Dundee are also the last side to have beaten both Rangers and Celtic away from home in the same season when Ivano Bonetti twice took his side to Glasgow and came back with all three points in 2001.
On March 14th Dundee travelled to Ibrox and recorded a 2-0 win which was described in The Scottish Daily Mail as “A Caniggia inspired performance of verve and dynamism which stunned the fallen champions.”
In 14 minutes the long haired Argentinean despatched a powerful shot in off the near post but despite Craig Moore’s dismissal early in the second half, it took a flashing injury time header by Stevie Milne to secure the 2-0 win after a constant home onslaught.
Two months later Dundee travelled to Celtic Park for the penultimate match of the season having qualified for the top six in the first SPL split and repeated their 2-0 win recorded across the city in March.
Fabian Cabellero’s return to the side from long term injury had been a major boost and he was the hero at Parkhead with both goals against the champions. The first was a glorious effort when, with his back to goal, he brilliantly turned Ramon Vega before curling the ball past Jonathon Gould in the Celtic goal.
Soon after however the cultured Zurab Khizanishvili was controversially sent off after a tussle with Henrik Larsson. Certainly there had been a spot of jostling as the pair chased a long through ball but although the Scotsport cameras later showed it had been the Georgian who was tripped, referee Tom Brown allowed Larsson to run on and shoot wide before returning to dismiss the grounded Khizanishvili and award a free kick to Celtic.
However the ten men Dark Blues were not to be denied and a second strike by Caballero earned them a seasonal Old Firm away double.
So both the Class of 84 and the Tayzurri have shown that is possible to beat both Rangers and Celtic within four days of each other and beat both halves of the Old Firm on their own grounds in the same season. Added to the fact that Dundee are undefeated against Graeme Murty’s Rangers, The Dee can head to Glasgow this week full of confidence and knowing anything is possible!
