# 1973–74 Dundee United F.C. season

The 1973–74 season was the 65th year of football played by Dundee United, and covers the period from 1 July 1973 to 30 June 1974. United finished in eighth place in the First Division and reached their first Scottish Cup final losing 3–0 to Celtic.

## Match results

Dundee United played a total of 53 competitive matches during the 1973–74 season.

### Legend

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

### First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 September 1973 | Dumbarton | A | 2–1 | 3,741 | Fleming, Gray |
| 8 September 1973 | St Johnstone | H | 2–0 | 4,671 | Gray, MacDonald |
| 15 September 1973 | Dundee | A | 1–0 | 12,092 | W Smith |
| 29 September 1973 | Motherwell | A | 0–4 | 4,973 | |
| 6 October 1973 | Clyde | H | 4–0 | 2,817 | Gray, Gardner, Rolland, Fleming |
| 13 October 1973 | Greenock Morton | A | 2–0 | 2,295 | Rolland, Gray |
| 20 October 1973 | Rangers | H | 1–3 | 11,258 | Johnstone |
| 27 October 1973 | Aberdeen | A | 1–3 | 8,089 | Gray |
| 10 November 1973 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 1–1 | 9,843 | Rolland |
| 17 November 1973 | East Fife | H | 0–0 | 2,971 | |
| 21 November 1973 | Falkirk | H | 2–1 | 1,302 | Cameron, Knox |
| 24 November 1973 | Ayr United | A | 1–1 | 3,764 | White |
| 8 December 1973 | Celtic | A | 3–3 | 17,314 | Gray, Fleming, Knox |
| 22 December 1973 | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 3–2 | 3,274 | Gray (2), Fleming |
| 29 December 1973 | Dumbarton | H | 6–0 | 3,245 | Gray (4), Traynor, Kopel |
| 2 January 1974 | St Johnstone | A | 1–1 | 6,707 | Gardner |
| 5 January 1974 | Dundee | H | 1–2 | 12,087 | Gardner |
| 12 January 1974 | Hibernian | A | 1–3 | 10,394 | Edwards |
| 19 January 1974 | Motherwell | H | 0–1 | 3,550 | |
| 2 February 1974 | Clyde | A | 2–1 | 1,351 | Traynor, Knox |
| 24 February 1974 | Rangers | A | 1–3 | 16,933 | Gardner |
| 3 March 1974 | Aberdeen | H | 0–3 | 6,530 | |
| 16 March 1974 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 3–3 | 6,748 | Knox, D Smith (penalty), Gray |
| 23 March 1974 | East Fife | A | 2–0 | 2,596 | Traynor, Gray |
| 30 March 1974 | Ayr United | H | 2–1 | 4,010 | D Smith (penalty), Gray |
| 2 April 1974 | Falkirk | A | 1–0 | 2,014 | Knox |
| 13 April 1974 | Celtic | H | 0–2 | 16,877 | |
| 17 April 1974 | Arbroath | H | 3–1 | 4,001 | Rolland, Payne, D Smith (penalty) |
| 20 April 1974 | Arbroath | A | 2–1 | 3,392 | Knox, White |
| 24 April 1974 | Partick Thistle | H | 1–1 | 2,626 | Knox |
| 27 April 1974 | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 0–1 | 3,896 | |
| 29 April 1974 | Partick Thistle | A | 1–2 | 2,387 | Copland |
| 8 May 1974 | Hibernian | H | 1–4 | 4,963 | Gray |
| 10 May 1974 | Greenock Morton | H | 4–2 | 1,437 | MacLeod (3 including 1 penalty), Narey |

### Scottish Cup

| Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 26 January 1974 | R3 | Airdrieonians | H | 4–1 | 6,000 | Gardner (2), Traynor, D. Smith |
| 17 February 1974 | R4 | Greenock Morton | H | 1–0 | 7,000 | Rankin |
| 10 March 1974 | QF | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 1–1 | 8,928 | Traynor |
| 12 March 1974 | QF R | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 4–0 | 7,020 | Fleming, Copland, Traynor |
| 6 April 1974 | SF | Heart of Midlothian | N | 1–1 | 22,725 | Gardner |
| 9 April 1974 | SF R | Heart of Midlothian | N | 4–2 | 12,960 | D. Smith (penalty), Payne, Gray, Knox |
| 4 May 1974 | F | Celtic | N | 0–3 | 75,959 | |

### League Cup

| Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 11 August 1973 | G4 | East Fife | A | 2–1 | 3,641 | Cameron, Rolland |
| 15 August 1973 | G4 | Aberdeen | H | 0–0 | 6,401 | |
| 18 August 1973 | G4 | Motherwell | A | 0–4 | 4,783 | |
| 22 August 1973 | G4 | Aberdeen | A | 2–0 | 8,663 | Knox, Cameron |
| 25 August 1973 | G4 | Motherwell | H | 0–3 | 4,507 | |
| 29 August 1973 | G4 | East Fife | H | 5–2 | 3,120 | Cameron, Gray, W. Smith, D. Smith (penalty), MacLeod |

### Texaco Cup

| Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 18 September 1973 | R1 1 | Sheffield United | A | 0–0 | 12,657 | |
| 3 October 1973 | R1 2 | Sheffield United | H | 2–0 | 6,000 | Henry (2) |
| 24 October 1973 | QF 1 | Leicester City | A | 1–1 | 9,036 | Kopel |
| 7 November 1973 | QF 2 | Leicester City | H | 1–0 | 7,500 | Fleming |
| 12 December 1973 | SF 1 | Newcastle United | H | 2–0 | 8,500 | Kopel, Knox |
| 19 December 1973 | SF 2 | Newcastle United | A | 1–4 | 5,009 | Gray |