The Rise of the Terrors

Extract from Section 1 of The Rise of the Terrors

1962-63

The Origin of the Arabs

..............................................................The worst winter on record for years wiped out the derby on 2^nd January and a frozen pitch knocked out the match against Third Lanark to begin three weeks of inactivity on the pitch. Even the help of snow-blowers was not enough, as the real problem was ice beneath the snow. Off the pitch however, things were still happening. Fraser had a transfer request refused and Mochan was being linked with a move to Airdrieonians, whilst Riddle was transferred back to Montrose. Keeper Bobby Reid was signed from Arbroath just after Wren was released. The team trained when ever and where ever they could and were frequent visitors to Broughty Ferry beach.

The winter freeze, which had even created large ice flows on the river Tay, caused the postponement of United’s Scottish Cup tie against Albion Rovers four times before a squad of 25 workmen was employed to break up the ice with picks. That proved inadequate and Kerr then arranged for tar-burners to be brought in to melt two inch thick ice. That resulted in a water logged pitch and over a hundred tons of coarse sand was then used to make it playable for the match on 26^th January. It cost United over £600 but it was money well spent.

The conditions were described by one reporter as ‘Sahara-like’ and by another as ‘a beach after the tide had gone out’. In fact, the pitch was a sticky quagmire and sapped the strength of both sides. United’s superior stamina prevailed and the Terrors advanced to the next round with goals from Irvine, Gillespie and Howieson, all in the final fifteen minutes. In news reports a few days later United were likened to the ‘Desert Rats’, so well did they adapt to playing on the sand. This incident may also have given birth to (or perhaps reinforced) another new nickname for United - the ‘Arabs’- a term which later attached to the fans rather than the team. However, in establishing the origin of the Arabs, consideration must be given to another possibility;

Extract from Section 2 of The Rise of the Terrors

1962-63

Player Profiles

Ally Riddle was an attacking player signed from Montrose. He made his debut for United on 25^th August 1962 against Dundee in a League Cup tie but after just a few more first team matches, he was demoted to the reserves. He was transfer listed in January 1963 and was re-signed by his former club Montrose, moving to Brechin City four years later.

Benny Rooney was a promising twenty year old signed on a free transfer from Celtic, initially as a part timer. Several other clubs including Liverpool, Leyton Orient and Crewe Alexandra were tracking the player at the time. A versatile forward, he immediately joined the United travelling party on a tour of Southern Africa and scored twice on his first appearance against a Nyasaland Select on 19^th June 1963. Benny made his debut in major competition against Aberdeen on 10^th August 1963 in a League Cup tie and was a regular in the side in the early stages of the season. However, he was relegated to the reserves in October 1963 and requested, but was declined a transfer in March 1964, after making just a few first team appearances. Over the next two years, he played mainly in the reserves where he scored more than 40 goals in around 60 appearances. He only had occasional first team outings, and in January 1966, he lodged another transfer request. This time it was granted and two months later, he left United to join St Johnstone for a fee of around £3,500. Benny was with the Perth side for a decade and then moved to Partick Thistle where he remained until he became manager at Morton in 1976.

Bobby Smith joined Burnley as a teenager but he had not settled in England. His registration was cancelled in January 1962 so that he could sign for United and he spent the rest of that season in the Tannadice reserves. He made his debut at first team level on the left wing against Hearts in a League Cup tie on 29^th August 1962 and seemed to have made the breakthrough into a regular first team berth in early 1964. However, he was soon back in the reserves, where he played mainly on the left side of defence in a total of around 100 games. He made just fleeting first team appearances and in January 1966, he requested a transfer. He was released three months later and then joined St Johnstone for a season before moving to Montrose where he spent five years.