Peter Caproni Excerpts

In the city of Dundee, Dundee United played hosts to Hearts at Tannadice Park. The attendance was 6,000. But for the majority of the football supporting public in the city, another game appeared to be attracting more attention, more than 10% of the total population of the city, in fact. Over 20,000 travelled the twenty-two miles to the fair city of Perth to see their team, Dundee FC, the oldest senior club in the city, play St. Johnstone.

The time was 8.30am. I waved goodbye to my Dad as he left for work. Today, he organised his calls so that he could be back before eleven instead of his usual 1pm. True to his word, Dad was home at the promised time of 11am and, by 11.30, we were both ready. But I had been ready long before then. We waved our goodbyes to my Mum and sister Margaret and walked down to catch the bus to Alloa, where we met Jock and James at the railway station. With Dundee scarves draped proudly around our necks, James and I waited with our Dads for the train to take us to Perth.

When we reached our destination, we descended excitedly from the train where there were already hundreds of other Dundee supporters. On leaving the station, the Dundee fans burst into song, "Hail, hail, the 'Dee are here!" (Originally sung by the Celtic fans, this was the song that Dundee fans had adopted as their anthem). It made a great noise as it echoed throughout the station!

When we eventually reached Muirton Park, the gates were still closed. It was only ten minutes to two but already there were long queues stretching back around thirty yards as the Dundee supporters arrived in their thousands.

We eventually took our place in the stadium, down at the front right at the corner flag. The ground was full, long before the kick-off. The attendance: 26,500. The whole stadium seemed to be taken over by Dundee supporters and I don't recall seeing one single person sporting St. Johnstone colours!

The weather was magnificent and the atmosphere electric. At three o'clock it was almost a relief when the referee blew his whistle to start the match.

We were only ninety minutes from glory.

We managed, just, to squeeze into the body of the crowd - but were unable to see any of the pitch! Then came Dad's masterstroke. He spied a tree behind the terracing and, as quick as a flash, we were both climbing up it. Minutes later, we had a bird's eye view of Dens Park!! As we clung on, Dad's words could never have sounded more apt. "We must be daft!" More supporters followed our genius and clambered up the tree too, some even higher than us!.......

......With only six minutes remaining, Robertson made a run up the left and crossed low to Gordon Smith, who seemed to lose his chance as he dragged the ball into the defence. But then he quickly switched the ball to his left foot and shot for goal, resulting in the ball cannoning in off the far post for a glorious winner!

It was pandemonium all around us! The tree shook violently as the rambunctious fans celebrated! Dad and I did well to hang on! Some weren't so lucky though and came tumbling down past us - but they didn't seem to mind; the joy replaced the pain! The roars from the ground that day were apparently heard as far away as the harbour - two miles away!

When writing this book, I pondered about just how important football really is? Is it really as important as life itself? Or, as famously put by Bill Shankly, "More important?"

Of course it isn't. There is, however, no doubt that it plays an integral part in the everyday lives of ordinary football fans everywhere. When Sunderland last won the FA Cup, apparently productivity went up in the area by around 20%! And there is no doubt that when Dundee wins, I am a completely different person to that when they lose - and my wife is testimony to that!....

I was pretty depressed one Saturday after losing 2-0 and my wife had arranged for our good friends to come over for dinner that evening. During the meal, I suddenly felt this kick under the table. It was then that I realised that I had disassociated myself from the general conversation and was away in a world of my own, thinking about the game. My wife indicated later that I actually at one point "tutted" and shook my head in disgust!! So, sorry to our friends!

August 1965. I am invited by Bobby Ancell to spend two weeks full time training at Dens Park! They wanted to take a closer look at me, I was really excited - understatement!.....

That fortnight was a dream come true for me, training and playing with and against all my Dundee heroes; Charlie Cooke, Bobby Cox and Alex Hamilton, not to mention Alan Cousin.....

.....After the two weeks were over, I was transferred to Bo'ness United from Sauchie. Bo'ness was, in junior terms, a big club and I hoped that it would be the catalyst that would see me land at Dens Park, not as a supporter - but as a player.