TANNADICE PARK
Directions From Railway Station
Tannadice Park is around 2 miles away from Dundee railway station and so I jumped into a taxi which cost me £5 to get there and £7.30 on the way back slightly more because of heavy traffic around the football ground trying to get back home. Here are some directions anyway supplied by a visiting supporter.
Leave the station and cross the road at the predestrian crossing. Take the exit to the right before the walkway enters the Nethergate centre, this exit has steps down to Union Street. Go to the top of Union St & turn right into the High St, after a couple of hundred yards veer left into the pedestrianised Murraygate and proceed to the Wellgate centre. Go via the escalators in the Wellgate centre to the top floor of the centre and exit onto Victoria Road. (If Wellgate is closed, turn left along Panmure Street, right up Meadowside and right onto Victoria Road to rear of Wellgate Shopping Centre).
Here you have two choices, via the Hilltown (Shorter distance but like climbing the north face of the Eiger) or via Dens Road (much longer but far less likely to induce a heart attack).
Option 1 (for those fit enough) cross Victoria Road to the foot of the Hilltown walk up this for approx 1/3 mile (it feels like 3) till you reach the junction of Main St & Strathmartine Road this is easily recognisable by the ornamental clock near the junction. Turn right onto Main St and proceed until you reach the junction with Isla St (Church on the corner opposite the excellent Snug Bar). Turn left into Isla St & you will see the ground directly ahead of you.
Option 2 Turn right onto Victoria Road proceed about 1/4 mile, veer left at the Eagle Mills into Dens Road. Pass Dura Street, Alexander Street and Dens Road Market then right into Arklay Street. Once you reach Tannadice Street you can see the Tannadice ground.
Tannadice Park
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| George Fox Stand |
The ground was improved in the 1990's with the construction of two new stands and an extension to the existing Main Stand. One of these is the impressive two tiered George Fox Stand, running along one side of the pitch. This stand has a large lower tier and a smaller top tier. It opened in 1992 and was named after a former Chairman of the Club. On the other side is the Main (South) Stand, which was renamed the Jerry Kerr Stand in 2003, after a former player and manager. The original Main Stand was opened in 1962 and holds a place in the history of Scottish football grounds in being the first in Scotland to be
constructed with a cantilever roof to provide column free viewing. It is also unusual in that the stand is slightly 'L'-shaped, just extending around the South East corner of the stadium. It was intended at the time that the whole ground would be re-built in a similar manner to the Main Stand, but due to lack of finance it never happened. It is worth noting though that the Club was the first ever to have a glass fronted lounge in the Main Stand for the benefit of sponsors. This was opened in 1971 and overlooked the pitch, something that is now a common sight in grounds across the country today.
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| Jimmy Kerr Main Stand |
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| West Stand "The Shed" |
The Main Stand was extended in 1997 so that it now runs the full length of the pitch.The extension replaced what was known as the 'Fair Play Enclosure', so named as it was funded from an award made to the Club from UEFA in 1987. The stand is two tiered and has a strip of perspex running across the back of it, just below the roof to allow more light to reach the pitch. The relatively new extension to the stand can be identified as it has an unusual roof jutting out towards the pitch. At one end of the ground is the West Stand (known affectionately as 'The Shed'), a former terrace with seating now fitted to it. Parts of the
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| Eddie Thompson Upper Stand |
original terrace that are no longer used for spectators can be seen on either side of it. There are a couple of supporting pillars in this stand that could hinder your view of the pitch. Opposite is the covered two tiered East Stand, opened in 1994. This was renamed the Eddie Thompson Stand in 2008 after the Club Chairman.
Today's Opposition HIBERNIAN are currently top of the Ladbrokes Championship and looking strong candidates for an automatic return to the premier league. Hibs dropped to the Scottish second tier after losing the Premier play off final to Hamilton on penalties two seasons ago and now with ex Celtic manager Neil Lennon at the helm are hoping to join their Edinburgh rivals Hearts back in the top flight.
The Hibees qualified for the play off's last season only to be beaten in a two leg semi final by Falkirk 5-4 on aggregate and so will be battling to maintain their position at the top to avoid such a disappointment this time round and match their Tynecastle neighbours with a Premiership return with honours.
DUNDEE UNITED ... 0 HIBERNIAN ... 1
Hibernian went nine points clear at the top in what can only be described as a bad tempered contest between the two teams. Referee Don Robertson who struggled to keep a hold of the game produced twelve yellow cards two of them resulting in a dismissal.
Dundee started the brighter of the two teams and looked as though they were up for the battle ahead, well, that was until the 31st minute when Lewis Toshney got booked for the second time for a foul on the same Hibernian player, Andrew Shinnie. This seemed to turn the game around and eight minutes later Hibernian were in front Jason Cummings beat the Dundee offside trap when a ball from Shinnie was played through to him and the 21 year old striker finished with aplomb.
The fouls and flare ups kept coming and the referees book got more full as the game went on neither team could afford to drop points in this one and it showed.
Cummings claimed a penalty when he seemed to get brought down in the box by Dundee man of the match William Edgenguele but the referee ended up booking the Hibernian goal-scorer for over protesting.
Three minutes later and the Hibs number 35 had the ball in the net for a second time but all around the ground you could hear the thud of the ball hitting Cummings's palm before it crossed the line so instead of putting his team further ahead he only managed to level the teams to ten aside as the ref produced a second yellow card and sent the Hibs man off.
Martin Boyle had a chance before being retired to the bench but sent his volley flying over the bar from six yards.
And so the game ended with a Hibs win that wasn't for the faint hearted but took them closer to their dream return while Dundee were left nursing the bruises and contemplating a place in the play offs currently holding fourth spot nine points clear of Queens and one point behind Morton.
MATCH DETAILS
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