# 1979–80 Dundee United F.C. season

The 1979–80 season was the 71st year of football played by Dundee United, and covers the period from 1 July 1979 to 30 June 1980. United finished in third place, securing UEFA Cup football for the following season.

## Match results

Dundee United played a total of 53 competitive matches during the 1979–80 season.

### Legend

* Win
* Draw
* Loss
All results are written with Dundee United's score first. Own goals in italics

### Premier Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 11 August 1979 | Dundee | H | 3–0 | 17,968 | Sturrock, Kirkwood, Stark |
| 18 August 1979 | Kilmarnock | A | 0–1 | 5,882 | |
| 25 August 1979 | Aberdeen | H | 1–3 | 10,982 | Sturrock |
| 8 September 1979 | Celtic | A | 2–2 | 25,959 | Pettigrew (penalty), Milne |
| 15 September 1979 | St Mirren | A | 2–3 | 6,276 | Pettigrew (2) |
| 22 September 1979 | Partick Thistle | H | 2–1 | 6,786 | Pettigrew, Kopel |
| 29 September 1979 | Greenock Morton | A | 1–4 | 6,558 | Pettigrew |
| 6 October 1979 | Rangers | H | 0–0 | 19,464 | |
| 13 October 1979 | Hibernian | H | 2–0 | 7,487 | Pettigrew, Milne |
| 20 October 1979 | Dundee | A | 0–1 | 16,305 | |
| 27 October 1979 | Kilmarnock | H | 4–0 | 6,403 | Fleming (2), Pettigrew, Kirkwood |
| 3 November 1979 | Aberdeen | A | 3–0 | 13,432 | Pettigrew, Phillip, Bannon |
| 10 November 1979 | Celtic | H | 0–1 | 18,630 | |
| 17 November 1979 | St Mirren | H | 0–0 | 6,281 | |
| 28 November 1979 | Partick Thistle | A | 1–1 | 2,830 | Sturrock |
| 15 December 1979 | Rangers | A | 1–2 | 18,934 | Dodds |
| 22 December 1979 | Dundee | H | 2–0 | 15,431 | Holt, Pettigrew |
| 29 December 1979 | Kilmarnock | A | 0–0 | 4,515 | |
| 5 January 1980 | Celtic | A | 0–1 | 23,822 | |
| 12 January 1980 | St Mirren | A | 1–2 | 8,355 | Narey |
| 23 February 1980 | Hibernian | H | 1–0 | 7,822 | Pettigrew |
| 1 March 1980 | Dundee | A | 1–1 | 15,116 | Sturrock |
| 8 March 1980 | Kilmarnock | H | 0–0 | 6,497 | |
| 12 March 1980 | Partick Thistle | H | 0–0 | 6,154 | |
| 15 March 1980 | Aberdeen | A | 1–2 | 7,836 | Kirkwood |
| 19 March 1980 | Rangers | H | 0–0 | 9,533 | |
| 29 March 1980 | St Mirren | H | 0–0 | 6,292 | |
| 2 April 1980 | Hibernian | A | 2–0 | 5,919 | Dodds, Pettigrew |
| 5 April 1980 | Partick Thistle | A | 2–2 | 3,354 | Dodds, Holt |
| 8 April 1980 | Celtic | H | 3–0 | 14,616 | Dodds (2), Holt |
| 12 April 1980 | Greenock Morton | H | 2–0 | 6,467 | |
| 19 April 1980 | Hibernian | A | 2–0 | 4,921 | Pettigrew, Bannon (penalty) |
| 23 April 1980 | Greenock Morton | H | 2–0 | 4,687 | Dodds, Bannon (penalty) |
| 26 April 1980 | Rangers | A | 1–2 | 16,343 | Pettigrew |
| 28 April 1980 | Aberdeen | H | 1–1 | 12,764 | Holt |
| 1 May 1980 | Greenock Morton | A | 0–0 | 2,614 | |

### Scottish Cup

| Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 30 January 1980 | R3 | Dundee | H | 5–1 | 18,064 | Pettigrew (4 including 1 penalty), Sturrock |
| 16 February 1980 | R4 | Rangers | A | 0–1 | 29,000 | |

### League Cup

| Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 29 August 1979 | R2 1 | Airdrieonians | A | 1–2 | 2,570 | Addison |
| 1 September 1979 | R2 2 | Airdrieonians | H | 2–0 | 5,760 | Sturrock, Payne |
| 26 September 1979 | R3 1 | Queen's Park | A | 3–0 | 939 | Pettigrew, Dodds, Sturrock |
| 10 October 1979 | R3 2 | Queen's Park | H | 2–1 | 3,395 | Sturrock (penalty), Dodds |
| 31 October 1979 | QF 1 | Raith Rovers | H | 0–0 | 7,426 | |
| 14 November 1979 | QF 2 | Raith Rovers | A | 1–0 | 6,838 | Hegarty |
| 24 November 1979 | SF | Hamilton Academical | N | 6–2 | 7,974 | Sturrock (2), Kirkwood (2), Pettigrew, Hegarty |
| 8 December 1979 | F | Aberdeen | N | 0–0 | 27,156 | |
| 12 December 1979 | F R | Aberdeen | N | 3–0 | 28,984 | Pettigrew (2), Sturrock |

### UEFA Cup

| Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 19 September 1979 | R1 1 | R.S.C. Anderlecht | H | 0–0 | 12,282 | |
| 2 October 1979 | R1 2 | R.S.C. Anderlecht | Émile Versé Stadium A | 1–1 | 25,000 | Kopel |
| 24 October 1979 | R2 1 | Diosgyori VTK | H | 0–1 | 10,500 | |
| 7 November 1979 | R2 2 | Diosgyori VTK | A | 1–3 | 27,000 | Kopel |

### Drybrough Cup

| Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 28 July 1979 | QF | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 3–0 | 4,480 | Kopel, Sturrock, Milne |
| 1 August 1979 | SF | Celtic | N | 2–3 | 21,000 | Stewart (penalty), Payne |

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 2 | Celtic | 36 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 61 | 38 | +23 | 47 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 3 | St Mirren | 36 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 56 | 49 | +7 | 42 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Dundee United | 36 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 43 | 30 | +13 | 37 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 5 | Rangers | 36 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 50 | 46 | +4 | 37 | |
| 6 | Morton | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 51 | 46 | +5 | 36 | |