Dundee United F.C. season 2007–08

Infobox Football club season
club = Dundee United

season = 2007-08
manager = Craig Levein
chairman = Eddie Thompson
league = Clydesdale Bank Premier League
league result = 5th
cup1 = Scottish Cup| cup1 result = Fifth round
cup2 = CIS Insurance Cup | cup2 result = Runners-up
league topscorer = Noel Hunt (13)
season topscorer = Noel Hunt (18)
highest attendance = 13,613 (vs Celtic, 22 May)
lowest attendance = 5,845 (vs Inverness CT, 01 Dec)
prevseason = 2006-07
nextseason = 2008-09

Dundee United finished the Scottish Premier League 2007-08 season in 5th place with 52 points. Noel Hunt was the top scorer with 18 goals.

Review and events

The pre-season period began with two new permanent signings at the club, Polish goalkeeper Łukasz Załuska and Darren Dods having signed deals in June. Irishman Willo Flood also arrived from Cardiff City on a season-long loan deal. In July, former Ajax youngster Prince Buaben signed after a successful trial and was joined by a second Polish keeper, Grzegorz Szamotulski, in time for the league season. Englishman Jordan Robertson became the second long-term loan signing when he arrived from Sheffield United in late August.

A number of players who were out of contract left the club following the end of the 2006–07 season. Lee Mair signed a pre-contract deal with Aberdeen and Derek Stillie moved to England to pursue a law career. David McCracken and Collin Samuel were both released. Also leaving the club were a number of younger players who had failed to earn extensions to their contracts. These were Gregg Burnett, Barry Callaghan and Ross Gardiner. All had played at least once for the first team.

The first game of the season was home to Aberdeen in the SPL, and ended in a 1-0 victory. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6928887.stm |title=Dundee Utd 1-0 Aberdeen|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2007-08-04 ] As the season progressed, United maintained their high league table position, ending 2007 in 4th place.

The club lost to Rangers in the CIS Insurance Cup final in March, losing on penalties. The Scottish Cup campaign was ended by St Mirren in the fifth round.

Chronological list of events

This is a list of the significant events to occur at the club during the 2007-08 season, presented in chronological order. This list does not include transfers, which are listed in the transfers section below, or match results, which are in the results section.

*26 July: Played a pre-season friendly against Barcelona, losing 1-0 to a last-minute Thierry Henry goal. Minutes earlier, Barry Robson had seen a legitimate header wrongly disallowed. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/6918455.stm|title=Henry strikes on Barcelona debut|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2007-07-26]
*4 August: United win the opening league match of the season for the first time in eight years. It was only their second opening day win since the 1992-93 season.
*6 September: Cameroonian striker Patrick Suffo arrives on trial. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/6981225.stm|title=Tannadice trial for striker Suffo|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2007-09-06]
*18 September: French midfielder Morgaro Gomis signs a two-year contract extension. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7000965.stm|title=Gomis extends Dundee Utd contract|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2007-09-18]
*8 November: Craig Levein picks up the Premier League Manager of the Month award for October. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7082613.stm|title=Levein nets monthly boss award|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2007-11-08]
*10 November: Lee Wilkie follows manager Craig Levein by picking up the Premier League October Player of the Month award. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7088694.stm|title=Wilkie wins October player prize|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2007-11-10]
*4 December: Gary Kirk leaves Raith Rovers to replaces Tony Docherty as club coach, after Docherty moved to St Johnstone. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7160521.stm|title=Szamotulski answers Levein call|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2007-12-28]
*28 December: Goalkeeper Grzegorz Szamotulski delays his departure and extends his contract by a month until the end of the transfer window. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7160521.stm|title=Szamotulski answers Levein call|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2007-12-28]
*29 December: Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell collapses during the 5-3 win over United and is pronounced dead thirty minutes after the match. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/motherwell/7164150.stm|title=Motherwell captain O'Donnell dies|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2007-12-29]
*7 January: United turn down a £175,000 bid from Blackpool for top scorer Noel Hunt. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7174627.stm|title=Dundee United dismiss bid for Hunt|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2008-01-07]
*18 January: Jordan Robertson is recalled from his loan spell by Sheffield United. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sheff_utd/7196157.stm|title=Robertson makes Sheff Utd return|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2008-01-18]
*21 January: Manager Craig Levein's role is extended to include director of football. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7198007.stm|title=Levein given United director role|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2008-01-21]
*23 January: United reject bids from Burnley and Nottm Forest for captain Barry Robson. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7185054.stm|title=Dundee Utd reject Robson offers|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2008-01-23]
*14 February: Chairman Eddie Thompson appoints his son Stephen as chief executive. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7246029.stm|title=United reveal new chief executive|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2008-02-14]
*21 March: The East Stand at Tannadice is renamed after chairman Eddie Thompson. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7308624.stm|title=Thompson gets Tannadice tribute|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2008-03-21]
*8 April: French striker Joël Thomas arrives for a ten-day trialcite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7337159.stm|title=Striker Thomas on Tannadice trial|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2008-04-08]
*12 May: Referee Mike McCurry publicly admits that he got two decisions wrong in the match against Rangers, wrongly denying United both a penalty and goal.cite news|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news.cfm?newsid=3948|title=Rangers v Dundee United|publisher=SFA website|date=2008-05-12]
*16 May: Australian defender Scott Jamieson arrives for a fourteen-day trial
*20 May: The club submit an official complaint to the SFA following Mike McCurry's handling of the match at Ibrox against Rangerscite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7410746.stm|title=Dundee United lodge ref complaint |date=2008-05-20|publisher=BBC Sport website|accessdate=2008-05-20]
*20 May: A second friendly is arranged against Barcelona with the 'rematch' scheduled for 26 July.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/7411006.stm|title=Barca face Hibs and Dundee United |date=2008-05-20|publisher=BBC Sport website|accessdate=2008-05-20]
*26 May: The club announce the possibility of taking legal action against George Peat after the SFA president branded manager Craig Levein's earlier comments "criminal".cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7420501.stm|title= United seek legal advice on Peat |date=2008-05-26|publisher=BBC Sport website|accessdate=2008-05-26]

Match results

Dundee United played a total of 46 competitive matches during the 2007-08 season,cite web|url=http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=9&date=2007&submit1=List|title=2007/2008 - First Team Fixtures & Results|work=Dundee United FC|accessdate=2008-05-22] as well as four first team pre-season friendlies. The team finished fifth in the Scottish Premier League.

In the cup competitions, United were runners up in the final of the CIS Insurance Cup, losing on penalties to Rangers. United lost to St Mirren in the Scottish Cup fifth round, after a replay.

cottish Premier League

cottish Cup

Fb match2
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home=Clyde
away=Dundee United
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score= [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/7189299.stm 0-1]
venue=Broadwood
attendance=1,550
referee=C Richmond
date=2008-01-16
home-score=
away-score=Robson goal|57
goalscorers=yes

Fb match2
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home=St Mirren
away=Dundee United
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score= [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/7221860.stm 0-0]
venue=St Mirren Park
attendance=3,945
referee=M McCurry
date=2008-02-02
home-score=
away-score=
goalscorers=no

Fb match2
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comp=Fifth round replay
home=Dundee United
away=St Mirren
style=background:#ffcccc;
score= [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/7240767.stm 0-1]
venue=Tannadice
attendance=3,723
referee=A Freeland
date=2008-02-13
home-score=
away-score=Dorman goal|48
goalscorers=yes

CIS Insurance Cup

Player stats

During the 2007-08 season, United used 30 different players on the pitch. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/squad_season.sd?teamid=740&seasonid=137|title=Dundee Utd 2007/2008 player appearances|work=Soccerbase|accessdate=2008-05-22]

Goalscorers

Fifteen players scored for the United first team with the team scoring 64 goals in total. The top goalscorer was Noel Hunt with 18 goals.cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/squad_season.sd?teamid=740&seasonid=137|title=Dundee Utd 2007/2008 player appearances|work=Soccerbase|accessdate=2008-05-22]

Out

Five players left United during the season, with a number of young players spending time on loan with lower league clubs. Two player also agreed moves at the end of the season.

Playing kit

The jerseys were sponsored for a secondcite web|url=http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=2&nID=2299&cd=2006&cd1=5|work=Dundee United FC|date=2006-05-08|title=Dundee United announces new shirt sponsor] (and final) season by "Anglian Home Improvements" (who again sponsored Motherwell). The sponsor logo is displayed as a simple font across the chest, with white logo for the home top and black logo on the change strip.cite web|url=http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/shop/shop.asp?cat=1&s=2&Item=609|work=Dundee United FC|dateaccessed=2007-11-26|title=Adults home top] The shorts were again sponsored by "Ole International" after the Spanish property firm extended the deal for a second year.cite web|url=http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=2&nID=2645&cd=2007&cd1=7|work=Dundee United FC|date=2006-05-08|title=Ole International sponsorship extension] The shorts logo is displayed on the right hand side, above the club badge.cite web|url=http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=2&nID=2645&cd=2007&cd1=7|format=HTML|work=Dundee United FC|date=2006-05-08|title=Ole International sponsorship extension] The expiry of both deals at the end of the season means the club will have at least one new sponsorship for 2008-09, as the option of a third year of shirt sponsorshipcite web|url=http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=2&nID=2299&cd=2006&cd1=5|format=HTML|work=Dundee United FC|date=2006-05-08|title=Dundee United announces new shirt sponsor] was passed for a new one-year deal with JD Sports' Carbrini label for 2008-09. [cite news|url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2008/04/14/sportstory11206252t0.asp|title=United unveil new sponsor|last=Roache|first=Ian|date=2008-04-14|publisher=The Courier|accessdate=2008-04-14] [cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/13/retail|title=JD Sports scores Scots shirt deal|last=Wood|first=Zoe|date=2008-04-13|publisher=The Observer|accessdate=2008-04-14]

The club has no third strip, with the last third strip used in the 2002-03 season.

Awards

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References

External links

* [http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=9&date=2007&submit1=List Official site: 2007/08 Fixtures]
* BBC - [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/club_stats/default.stm Club stats]
* Soccerbase - [http://www.soccerbase.com/results2.sd?teamid=740 Results] | [http://www.soccerbase.com/squad_season.sd?teamid=740 Squad stats] | [http://www.soccerbase.com/transfers_by_team.sd?teamid=740 Transfers]