The 85/86 season - Albert Kidd, near misses for United and league reconstruction

[JamesMcClean]

We should have won the title that year. It was totally self inflicted with a few ridiculous results as detailed above, in many ways the team that year was even better than the title winning side. Redford had come into the midfield by then and that was Kevin Gallacher’s breakout season where he was absolutely sensational and ripped defenders absolute new ones. Billy The Fish had come in to upgrade between the sticks (Sorry Hamish!) and overall guys like Malpas, Hegarty, Narey, Doddsy,Luggy, Gough etc were all that couple of years stronger and more experienced. Finally, there was just that bit more depth to the squad to cope with the rigours of a season. Oustside of Tannadice, Fergie left Pitoddrie which totally derailed the Sheep out of the running and we were undefeated against Celtic including a 4-2 horsing at Tannadice, where Gallacher ran absolute riot and we were 4-1 up at half time. That day we could and should have put five or six past Celtic and remains one of the finest displays by a team in Tangerine I’ve had the pleasure of watching. So how they didn’t win it is beyond me. Thon Hearts team is what the season gets remembered for but jeezo they were phucking brutal. Guys like Brian Whittaker, Roddy McDonald, Neil Berry, Walter Kidd, the original ‘Elbows’ Sandy Clark, Gary McKay, Kenny Black - how the phuck they got anywhere near it is beyond me. They were dirty b@stards and that’s not an exaggeration. But thon game we lost 3-0 near the end of the season was one of the biggest injustices ever - we absolutely battered them and to this day still can’t get my head round how we got beat 3-0.

I never want to see the Funsters win nor Celtic win a title but I’ll be honest, and with us out of it by then, I was chuffed as phuck when Albert Kidd did his stuff.