September 1985

Security Closes Street

MurraygateSecurity measures being taken by police for the Liberal Party Conference in Dundee next week will mean the closing to traffic of two areas in the centre from this weekend.Shore Terrace will be closed from tonight (Friday) until Sunday, September, 22, and City Square will be closed from Saturday morning.

Police say there will be no restriction to pedestrian access, while vehicles servicing premises in the area will have entry controlled by the police.

The Magic £750,000

With just a week to go to the scanner appeal's first birthday, the "Journal" can exclusively reveal that the ¾ million mark has been reached. Thanks to a single generous donation, today (Friday) sees the fund reach that milestone, which means there's just another £500,000 to go. That special gift (a covenant) was over £2000, contributed by a Dundee lady who, having suffered from several illnesses, says she has many reasons to be grateful to medical staff, and fully appreciates what a scanner will do to help them. "It's magnificent that this donation has taken us to the ¾ million mark" scanner chairman Elisabeth Soutar said this week. "I was fortunate enough to meet this charming lady who made this marvellous donation, and although she wishes to remain anonymous, I would like her to know how grateful we all are."

United Game All Ticket

The Dundee United match against Celtic on September 21 is all ticket. They will be on sale at Tannadice tomorrow (Saturday) from 9.30 a.m. until 1.30 p.m. and after the game against Clydebank.

The Week in Brief

Camperdown Play Complex in Dundee has been judged playground of the year 1985. In a competition organised jointly by the Royal Town Planning Institution and the National Playing Fields Association.

A campaign to combat Dutch elm disease, which could destroy every elm tree in Dundee district, was approved by the Parks committee on Wednesday night. Since the disease surfaced in Dundee in 1976, 354 elms have been infected and felled. But this year alone, 414 cases have already been confirmed, and it is estimated that by early autumn up to 600 trees may be infected.

He Was "The Big Man"

When Jock Stein was seen on TV being carried up the tunnel at Ninian Park, Cardiff, on Wednesday nigh, we thought perhaps he'd tripped and fallen, or that the excitement of the World Cup qualifying tie with Wales had proved too much for him and he'd felt a bit faint.

But when the awful news of his death was announced later we were devastated. Even members of the family who weren't terribly interested in football were stunned. "It just can't be" was the attitude.

That was the kind impression "The Big Man" made. He gave out a sense of indestructibility. But of course, Jock was as mortal as anyone.

The whole of sport, but Scottish football in particular, is the poorer for his passing. He brought statesmanlike quality to management which had scarcely been seen anywhere else in the world, and certainly not in these islands.

Tributes
When Jock spoke in that gruff mockingly ironic way of his, people listened because he knew football inside out. For hadn't he achieved things as a manager of lesser men cold only dream?

Tributes have been paid by individuals across sporting, political and social frontiers and nearly all of them include the statement - "He was a very nice man". Jock could wish for no better epitaph. Our sympathy goes to his wife Jean, his son, George and daughter, Rae.

Camperdown Wildlife Centre

See the Arctic Fox Cubs
Monday to Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Admission 40p.

ABC Dundee

"Rambo - First Blood 2" (15)
Separate performances.
Week 2.20, 5.10, 8.10.
Sunday 5.45, 7.40.

Starting on Friday September 13
"Friday the 13th Part 5" (18)
Programme times
Week 2.05, 4.05, 6.01, 8.30.
Sunday 5.45, 8.00.

The Smiths

Phil McIntyre and Outlaw present
The Smiths
On Tour with Easterhouse
Caird Hall, Dundee
Thursday, 26th September at 7.30pm
Tickets £5 available from the box office 0382 22200
Trax Records, St. Andrews and Concord Music, Perth.

Cornloft Delicatessen

For the best in fine food
Dundee's premier stockists of
Wholefoods
Health Foods
And
Delicatessen
Come along to
The Cornloft, Keiller Centre, Dundee.

Tangerines' Trail to Glory

"Rags to Riches" is the appropriate title of a new book launched in Dundee only this week. Written by 36 year old Mike Watson, it is the comprehensive history of Dundee United FC. And no club has climbed faster or higher to the upper reaches of Scottish football than the men of Tannadice.

It is a very full book - 300 pages of anecdote, statistics and pictures, which will delight followers not only of United of which Mike Watson is a long-time devotee, but all lovers of the game in Scotland.

United began humbly indeed as Dundee Hibernian, sporting child of the city's strong Irish community. But there was one whale of a row in 1923 when directors, looking for a new image, decided on the name Dundee City. A certain team in Dark Blue wouldn't let them away with that - and United were born.

All the greatest moments of the club's past are chronicled in Mike Watson's affectionate history and we move nicely into the modern era, when the arrival of Jim McLean saw top honours at last come the club's way.

Nowadays, only the Scottish Cup has to be added to the League Cups and Premier League Championships won under Mr McLean. And wouldn't the year of publication of the club's first official history be just the time to put that right, too?

The book, published by David Winter in softback, retails at £4.95 (or £8.95 in hardback) and will be a definite addition to many Christmas gift lists this year.