# 1988–89 Dundee United F.C. season

The 1988–89 season was the 80th year of football played by Dundee United, and covers the period from 1 July 1988 to 30 June 1989. United finished in fourth place, securing UEFA Cup football for the following season.

## Match results

Dundee United played a total of 50 competitive matches during the 1988–89 season. The team finished fourth in the Scottish Premier Division.
In the cup competitions, United lost in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup to eventual runners-up Rangers and lost in the Skol Cup semi-finals to Aberdeen, who also finished as losers in the final. Romanian side Dinamo Bucharest knocked United out of the Cup Winners' Cup in the second round.

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |
All results are written with Dundee United's score first.

### Premier Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 13 August 1988 | St Mirren | A | 1–0 | 5,832 | Clark |
| 20 August 1988 | Celtic | H | 1–0 | 18,769 | Gallacher |
| 27 August 1988 | Aberdeen | H | 2–2 | 13,128 | Clark, Meade |
| 3 September 1988 | Dundee | A | 3–0 | 14,927 | Paatelainen (2), Gallacher |
| 17 September 1988 | Hibernian | H | 1–1 | 11,017 | Paatelainen |
| 24 September 1988 | Motherwell | A | 2–1 | 3,559 | Redford (2) |
| 27 September 1988 | Rangers | H | 0–1 | 20,071 | |
| 1 October 1988 | Hearts | H | 0–0 | 10,838 | |
| 8 October 1988 | Hamilton | A | 4–0 | 3,538 | Meade, Paatelainen (2), McPhee |
| 12 October 1988 | Celtic | A | 0–1 | 36,870 | |
| 22 October 1988 | St Mirren | H | 0–1 | 7,618 | |
| 29 October 1988 | Motherwell | H | 1–1 | 6,266 | Paatelainen |
| 2 November 1988 | Hibernian | A | 1–1 | 10,000 | Meade |
| 5 November 1988 | Dundee | H | 2–0 | 14,882 | Meade, Paatelainen |
| 12 November 1988 | Aberdeen | A | 1–1 | 15,000 | Preston |
| 19 November 1988 | Hearts | A | 0–0 | 10,121 | |
| 26 November 1988 | Hamilton | H | 1–0 | 6,357 | Bowman |
| 3 December 1988 | Rangers | A | 1–0 | 39,200 | Beaumont |
| 10 December 1988 | Hibernian | H | 4–1 | 9,963 | Mitchell, French, Gallacher, McKinlay |
| 17 December 1988 | Celtic | H | 2–0 | 18,745 | Paatelainen, Baillie |
| 31 December 1988 | St Mirren | A | 1–0 | 7,762 | Gallacher |
| 3 January 1989 | Aberdeen | H | 1–1 | 17,952 | French |
| 7 January 1989 | Dundee | A | 1–0 | 16,332 | French |
| 14 January 1989 | Hamilton | A | 5–0 | 4,000 | McInally, Gallacher (3), Paatelainen |
| 21 January 1989 | Hearts | H | 0–0 | 13,674 | |
| 11 February 1989 | Rangers | H | 1–1 | 20,013 | Stevens |
| 11 March 1989 | St Mirren | H | 1–4 | 8,320 | Malpas |
| 14 March 1989 | Motherwell | A | 2–1 | 3,545 | Krivokapic, Gallacher |
| 25 March 1989 | Celtic | A | 0–1 | 36,870 | |
| 1 April 1989 | Aberdeen | A | 0–1 | 16,700 | |
| 8 April 1989 | Dundee | H | 2–1 | 11,910 | Sturrock, Gallacher |
| 22 April 1989 | Motherwell | H | 1–1 | 6,301 | Hegarty |
| 29 April 1989 | Hibernian | A | 2–1 | 7,700 | Irvine, Paatelainen |
| 2 May 1989 | Rangers | A | 0–2 | 39,058 | |
| 6 May 1989 | Hearts | A | 0–0 | 8,613 | |
| 13 May 1989 | Hamilton | H | 0–1 | 11,503 | |

### Scottish Cup

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 28 January 1989 | Dundee | A | 2–1 | 18,117 | Bowman, Meade |
| 18 February 1989 | Aberdeen | A | 1–1 | 23,600 | Paatelainen |
| 22 February 1989 | Aberdeen | H | 1–1 | 18,756 | Paatelainen |
| 27 February 1989 | Aberdeen | H | 1–0 | 21,095 | Paatelainen |
| 21 March 1989 | Rangers | A | 2–2 | 42,177 | Gallacher, Paatelainen |
| 27 March 1989 | Rangers | H | 0–1 | 21,872 | |

### Skol Cup

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 16 August 1988 | Partick Thistle | A | 2–0 | 4,500 | Paatelainen (2) |
| 24 August 1988 | St Mirren | A | 3–1 | 5,970 | Paatelainen, Gallacher, Meade |
| 31 August 1988 | Celtic | H | 2–0 | 21,178 | Gallacher, Redford |
| 20 September 1988 | Aberdeen | N | 0–2 | 18,481 | |

### Cup Winners' Cup

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 6 September 1988 | Floriana | A | 0–0 | 4,000 | |
| 5 October 1988 | Floriana | H | 1–0 | 9,138 | Meade |
| 26 October 1988 | Dinamo Bucharest | H | 1–1 | 10,594 | Beaumont |
| 9 November 1988 | Dinamo Bucharest | A | 0–1 | 18,000 | |

## Player details

During the 1988–89 season, United used 31 different players comprising four nationalities. Maurice Malpas was the only player to play in every match. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Scottish Premier Division | Scottish Premier Division | Tennent's Scottish Cup | Tennent's Scottish Cup | Skol Cup | Skol Cup | Cup Winners' Cup | Cup Winners' Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | GK | SCO | Billy Thomson | 49 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | GK | SCO | Scott Y. Thomson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Dave Beaumont | 22 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| | DF | SCO | John Clark | 30 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Alex Cleland | 12 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Paul Hegarty | 41 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | DF | YUG | Miodrag Krivokapić | 29 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Gary McGinnis | 16 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Maurice Malpas | 50 | 1 | 36 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Dave Narey | 46 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Brian Welsh | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Charlie Adam | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Dave Bowman | 39 | 2 | 28 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Harry Curran | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Alan Irvine | 7 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Jim McInally | 40 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Billy McKinlay | 41 | 1 | 30 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Ray McKinnon | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Gordon McLeod | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Joe McLeod | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Ian McPhee | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | John O'Neil | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Allan Preston | 10 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Ian Redford | 15 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Paddy Connolly | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Hamish French | 25 | 3 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Kevin Gallacher | 44 | 12 | 31 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Raphael Meade | 22 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| | FW | SCO | Darren Jackson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | FIN | Mixu Paatelainen | 45 | 17 | 33 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Paul Sturrock | 14 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Goalscorers

United had 17 players score with the team scoring 60 goals in total. The top goalscorer was Mixu Paatelainen, who finished the season with 17 goals.
| Name | League | Cups | Total |
| Mixu Paatelainen | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| Kevin Gallacher | 9 | 3 | 12 |
| Raphael Meade | 4 | 3 | 07 |
| Hamish French | 3 | 0 | 03 |
| Ian Redford | 2 | 1 | 03 |
| Own goals | 3 | 0 | 03 |
| John Clark | 2 | 0 | 02 |
| Dave Beaumont | 1 | 1 | 02 |
| Dave Bowman | 1 | 1 | 02 |
| Paul Hegarty | 1 | 0 | 01 |
| Alan Irvine | 1 | 0 | 01 |
| Miodrag Krivokapic | 1 | 0 | 01 |
| Jim McInally | 1 | 0 | 01 |
| Billy McKinlay | 1 | 0 | 01 |
| Ian McPhee | 1 | 0 | 01 |
| Maurice Malpas | 1 | 0 | 01 |
| Allan Preston | 1 | 0 | 01 |
| Paul Sturrock | 1 | 0 | 01 |

## Team statistics
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 36 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 51 | 25 | +26 | 50 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Celtic | 36 | 21 | 4 | 11 | 66 | 44 | +22 | 46 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 4 | Dundee United | 36 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 44 | 26 | +18 | 44 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 5 | Hibernian | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 35 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 6 | Heart of Midlothian | 36 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 35 | 42 | −7 | 31 | |

## Playing kit

| Home colours | Away colours |
The jerseys were sponsored by Belhaven for a second season.

## Trivia

* All four of United's matches against Hearts finished 0–0.