fao Ram

[RAM1971]

Ram, nothing personal but you referring to United as the Shed is grinding my gears mate.

Any United fan of advancing years will tell you The Shed was the all standing terracing behind the goal at the top of the slope. The term has sometimes been used to refer to the collective group that stood there. Shed Rule/Shed on Tour/Shed on the march etc. But is has never been used to describe our club as an entity.

I stood in the Shed for years
I watched many a game there
I was right in line with Finn Dossings goal v Juventus there
Among many other great Shed memories

The Shed as a place still exists but The Shed is not Dundee United.

Many thanks for your concern and kindly comments my friend. I do not hail from the city of Dundee but have been a United fan (to varying degrees) since season 1970/71. However, much of the Dundee United/Dundee culture is either alien to me or something that I am not too familiar with. I frequently see references to local (Dundee) footballing culture which I do not have a Scooby about. For instance, United were nicknamed 'The Arabs' a long time before it became accepted culture with myself and a small band of fellow supporters. We regarded it as a derogatory term for quite a while, and probably had even greater reservations about it than what you are expressing about my extended use of 'The Shed.'

Since our early days we colloquially referred to going up to Tannadice as going up to 'The Shed,' which I'm sure you will be familiar with. This gradually mutated to 'Going up to see the Shed' i.e. the Team, then it spread to all things United,fans included. Wasn't the official programme called 'The Shed' for a while, long before it was called the Arab? Some of that initial small band have gone to join Jerry Kerr in the DUFC Boardroom in the sky (The Shed in the sky?). A good few of my (non-United) friends to this day often ask me 'are you going up to see the Shed today,' etc. For us, few as we are, it is part of our footballing culture. The use of the term is second nature to us.

I would contest that 'Shed' has grown to have far greater DUFC related meanings than the just the origins it sprang from. Nevertheless, it is not my intention, either on this board or on any other, to cause offence of any kind to anyone, therefore I will try and limit my references to 'Shed.' Please keep in mind that I have never properly embraced the term 'Arabs,' but accept its common use amongst fellow fans. For myself, the Arabs are the Shed, in whatever DUFC context it is being used in. The term Arabs is commonly used to refer to just about anything United in much the same way as I use The Shed.

As said, I will try and keep your advice in mind. I am grateful to one recent poster who implied that no one has the monopoly over deciding who is a fan or not, or has a right to force their will on others. Nevertheless I enjoy posting on this board, but will try and keep the sensitivities of others in mind.