The 2006–07 season was the 97th year of

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

played by Dundee United, and covers the period from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. United finished in ninth place for the third season in the row and meant they had only finished in the top six once in the seven seasons since the split was introduced. United finished the season in 9th place with 42 points in the 2006–07 SPL season. In a poor end to the post-match split, United failed to win, scoring just one goal. The League Cup campaign was ended by

St Johnstone St Johnstone Football Club is a professional association football club in Perth, Scotland which is a member of the Scottish Premiership for the 2022–23 season. The club's name is derived from St John's Toun ''aka'' Saint Johnstoun – an old ...

– aided by ex-United player

Jason Scotland Jason Kelvin Scotland CM (born 18 February 1979) is a Trinidadian former professional footballer and current coach of Larkhall Thistle who last played for Scottish team Hamilton Academical. Scotland started his footballing career in his native ...

– who won 3–0 in the third round. United also exited the

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Craig Brewster Craig James Brown Brewster (born 13 December 1966) is a Scottish former professional footballer, turned coach. He made his name in a long playing career as a striker for numerous clubs in Scotland, particularly Forfar Athletic, Raith Rovers, Du ...

left the manager's position in late-October, with former Hearts and Leicester City manager Craig Levein taking up the post.

Review and events

United signed Craig Conway,

Noel Hunt Noel Hunt (born 26 December 1982) is an Irish retired professional footballer, who is the Under-23s manager at Reading. A striker, he began his career in Ireland with Shamrock Rovers, also playing for Waterford United on loan. He moved to Scot ...

and

Steven Robb Steven Robb (born 8 March 1982 in Perth, Scotland) is a Scottish retired footballer, who played as a left winger. He began his career with Dundee in 2001 before joining Dundee United and then St Mirren. After playing in Thailand for Thai P ...

in pre-season, with Derek McInnes, Jim McIntyre and

Grant Brebner Grant Ian Brebner (born 6 December 1977) is a Scottish football coach and former player who was the head coach at Australian side Melbourne Victory. Born in Edinburgh, Brebner joined Manchester United as a 16-year-old in 1994. While at Manchest ...

departing on free transfers after being released by the club. United started pre-season with a 4–1 win at Raith Rovers before a week in Denmark with matches against

Herfølge BK Herfølge is a suburb of the town of Køge, Denmark, located about 5 kilometers south of Køge, and is a part of Køge Municipality. The suburb is connected to Køge and Næstved by the Lille Syd railway line. Residential areas Holmebækhus ...

and FC Nordsjælland. Back in Scotland, United played Forfar at Station Park before the

Evening Telegraph Challenge Cup The Evening Telegraph Challenge Cup (initially known as the City of Discovery Cup) was a pre-season football played in 2005 and 2006, based in Dundee, involving the two Dundee clubs - Dundee and Dundee United. Format The 2006 format was a single ...

resulted in a disappointing 1–0 defeat to rivals

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

at Dens. The round of pre-season friendlies meant none were played at

Tannadice Tannadice Park ( gd, Pàirc Thanachais), usually referred to as Tannadice, is a football stadium in Dundee, Scotland. It is the home ground of Dundee United F.C., who have played at Tannadice since the club was founded as Dundee Hibernian in 1 ...

. United started the league campaign with a 2–1 loss to

Falkirk Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a ...

at home on the opening day of the season and then drew at

Rangers A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...

, despite being 2–0 ahead. Goals from new signings

and

Christian Kalvenes Christian Kalvenes (born 8 March 1977) is a retired Norwegian footballer who played as a defender. During his career he had three spells with SK Brann and played for Åsane and Sogndal. He also played abroad for Dundee United in Scotland and B ...

had put United ahead but Rangers fought back to draw in

Paul Le Guen Paul Joseph Marie Le Guen (, ; born 1 March 1964) is a French professional football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Ligue 2 club Le Havre. During his playing career, Le Guen played as a midfielder, and enjoyed a su ...

's first home match as Rangers manager. David Proctor finally arrived from Inverness CT to end weeks of protracted negotiations. Successive 0–0 draws against

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...

(where Lee Miller's only start was marred by an early sending-off) and

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...

were improved by an extra-time

CIS Cup The Commonwealth of Independent States Cup (russian: Кубок чемпионов Содружества, Кубок Содружества, Кубок чемпионов содружества стран СНГ и Балтии) is a defunct ann ...

win over

Airdrie United Airdrieonians Football Club is a Scottish professional football team in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, who are members of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and play in Scottish League One. They were formed in 2002 as Airdrie United ...

and a 3–1 win at newly promoted St Mirren, where captain Barry Robson's 100th United match was event-filled, with two goals and a sending-off. The transfer window brought no new faces but striker Lee Miller was surprisingly allowed to leave for

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

on a free transfer, although it later transpired he had been disciplined days earlier for breaking club regulations. David Fernández and Paul Ritchie were also freed before the deadline, with Fernandez signing for Kilmarnock and Ritchie joining Cypriot side

Omonia Nicosia Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia ( el, Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Oμόνοιας Λευκωσίας, ΑΣΟΛ; ''Athlitikos Sillogos Omonias Lefkosias'', ''ASOL''), commonly known as Omonia Nicosia, or simply Omonia (" Harmony"; also tran ...

. United started September with a 3–0 defeat at home to Hibernian but their unbeaten away run continued in

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

with a 0–0 draw against

Caley Thistle Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team currently competes in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Fo ...

. United crashed out of the CIS Cup with a 3–0 defeat away to

, with ex-United player

scoring the first goal. Further woe followed with only a draw at home to bottom-placed

Motherwell Motherwell ( sco, Mitherwall, gd, Tobar na Màthar) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lanarks ...

. Free agent Grant Smith was recruited in late September to provide goals from midfield. October started with a 4–0 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle and a 4–1 home defeat to Celtic, sending United to the bottom of the table. In-between these matches, former

defender

Lee Wilkie Lee Wilkie (born 20 April 1980) is a Scottish former footballer, who played as a central defender. Wilkie spent the majority of his career in Dundee, playing for both Dundee and Dundee United. Wilkie started his career with Dundee, making over 1 ...

signed until the end of the season. a 3–1 defeat to Aberdeen at Pittodrie led Brewster to publicly admit his players were in danger of heading for the First Division and the following 5–1 defeat to Falkirk did little to change this viewpoint. The low point of the season represented Brewster's final attempt to turn things around, illustrated by handing debut starts to no fewer than four players. United lost all four games in October, conceding 16 goals in the process. On 29 October, Brewster and assistant Malky Thomson left by "mutual agreement", with widely tipped Craig Levein appointed less than 24 hours later. Levein's first match, a televised Sunday affair at home to Rangers, was watched from the stand as he completed a touchline ban from his time at Raith; it made little difference, as United came from behind to win 2–1 and record their first home league win of the season. The following weekend, Levein matched Brewster's record of two league wins, doing so in just two matches with a 1–0 win over Kilmarnock (Noel Hunt scoring).

Mark de Vries Mark Lyndon Patrick de Vries (born 24 August 1975) is a Dutch football coach and former player. During his playing career he played in Holland, England and Scotland and has since coached in the Faroe Islands and Hungary. After Cambuur, he starte ...

– who played under Levein at Hearts and Leicester City – made public his desire to play for United. Levein's third match in charge brought a disappointing late 2–1 defeat at Dunfermline but November finished with three home wins in a row with a 1–0 win over St Mirren. Three wins from four was enough to hand Levein a ''Manager of the Month'' award in his first month (something also achieved by

Gordon Chisholm Gordon William Chisholm (born 8 April 1960 in Glasgow) is a Scottish professional football former player and manager. Chisholm played as a central defender for Sunderland, Hibernian, Dundee and Partick Thistle. After retiring as a player, Chis ...

in April 2006 during his caretaker spell). December started with a battling 2–1 defeat at Hibs but a fourth consecutive home win followed with a 3–1 victory over Inverness. In-between these games, Cowdenbeath midfielder Morgaro Gomis agreed a deal to join in the transfer window for a nominal fee. On 15 December, defenders

Ross Gardiner Ross John Gardiner (born 30 December 1986) is a Scottish footballer who plays in central defence/left back and is currently not signed. Career Gardiner was born in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, but grew up in the Aberdeen area (his father John ...

and Lee Wilkie agreed one-month loan deals with

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...

and Ross County respectively. United won 3–2 at Motherwell, despite having defender

sent off in the first half. A narrow 1–0 defeat to Hearts ended Levein's impressive home form but plaudits were gained again following a 2–2 draw away to Celtic, although for the second time this season, United threw away a two-goal lead away to the Old Firm. 2006 ended on a high with a 3–1 win over 2nd-placed Aberdeen. If 2006 ended on a high, then 2007 could not have begun any worse – a second 5–1 defeat to Falkirk, this time at Tannadice. New signing Morgaro Gomis made a late debut with Irishman

Jon Daly Jon Daly, sometimes credited as Jonathan C. Daly, Jon C. Daly or Jonathan Barney Daly, is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer best known for his sketch comedy work on the Comedy Central series ''Kroll Show''. In 2013 he starred as H ...

becoming Levein's next signing, the big target man arriving from

Hartlepool United Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. They were founded in 1908 as Hartle ...

on 5 January. The following day, Levein confirmed Grant Smith's contract would not be renewed but Sean Dillon's move from Shelbourne was eventually completed, with the Irish full back arriving on 11 January. Prior to this, a flu epidemic had seen the

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Ibrox, with Daly and Dillon both making debuts. Shortly afterwards, it was announced that

captain

Darren Dods Darren Dods (born 7 June 1975) is a Scottish football player and coach. Dods played as a central defender for Hibernian, St Johnstone, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Dundee United, Falkirk, Forfar Athletic and Brechin City. He also represente ...

had signed a pre-contract agreement to join in the summer, ending a lengthy pursuit for him that had been started by former manager Craig Brewster some months previously. The re-arranged cup match against St Mirren was full of excitement, with United throwing away a two-goal lead before David Robertson secured the win with an injury-time winner. United lost a third consecutive league match, going down 1–0 at Rugby Park, with

David McCracken David McCracken (born 16 October 1981) is a Scottish football player and coach, whose last role was as co-manager of Falkirk between 2019 and 2021. McCracken, who played as a central defender, was a Scotland under-21 internationalist, having ma ...

– who had earlier been told he would be leaving in the summer – absent. Shortly afterwards,

Alan Archibald Alan Archibald (born 13 December 1977) is a Scottish football coach and former player. Archibald, who played as a defender, has been associated with Partick Thistle for most of his career. Beginning his professional career with the club as a te ...

and David Proctor were also informed they were free to leave. January's final match resulted in a disappointing goalless draw at home to Dunfermline.

left to rejoin

Partick Thistle Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football, football club from Glasgow, Scotland. Despite their name, the club are based at Firhill Stadium in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908. ...

on deadline day, while

Che Bunce Che Bunce (born 29 August 1975 in Auckland) is a New Zealand footballer was a player-coach for Waikato FC in the NZFC. He is a lawyer by trade. Club career In April 2006 he signed for New Zealand Knights where he was captain for the A-League ...

– who had spent a few days at Tannadice on trial – opted to sign for

Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...

instead. United exited the Scottish Cup, losing 1–0 to Inverness. David Proctor became the second player to move with special FIFA dispensation to a third club of the season (after Javier Mascherano), moving on loan to

. On the pitch, United finally picked up a league win in 2007, completing a fourth successive victory over St Mirren this season, courtesy of Barry Robson's strike. The following week saw another clean sheet with a 0–0 draw at home to Hibs, only for a last-minute goal to give Inverness a 1–0 win up north. Off the pitch, there was plenty of excitement with a rumoured summer friendly against

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, although the excitement failed to materialise onto the pitch as United were held 1–1 at home to Motherwell. The following weekend, Craig Levein's return to Tynecastle brought much cheer with a resounding 4–0 win, including Barry Robson's first senior

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...

. United closed out March with a credible 1–1 draw at home to Celtic, although Barry Robson's second red card of the season spoiled Jon Daly's first goal for the club. April began in emphatic fashion, with a 4–2 win at Aberdeen which saw five goals in the opening seventeen minutes; Greg Cameron's first goals for United were enough to clinch victory. United entered the league split with an away match at Dunfermline and continued their winless streak that stretched back to 1997, losing 1–0. The following week, David Robertson's goal earned a 1–1 draw at home to Inverness, although it later transpired Jon Daly's knee injury was posterior cruciate ligament damage and would rule him out for several months. On the same day, United's proposed pre-season fixture with

was confirmed, before St Mirren eased their relegation worries with a 2–0 weekend win at Tannadice. The penultimate match of the season saw a third straight loss for United, going down 2–0 at Falkirk; earlier in the week,

Derek Stillie Derek Daniel Stillie (born 3 December 1973) is a Scottish retired footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for a number of clubs in Scotland and England. After retiring from football, Stillie pursued a career in English law, and contested the 20 ...

confirmed he would leave the club at the end of the season to pursue an

English law English law is the common law legal system of England and Wales, comprising mainly criminal law and civil law, each branch having its own courts and procedures. Principal elements of English law Although the common law has, historically, be ...

career. Collin Samuel was not far behind, although due to the club deciding not to offer a new contract. The Falkirk defeat also saw another début for a youngster with Johnny Russell making a late substitute appearance. The season finished with a 0–0 home draw against Motherwell. It was the final game for Derek Stillie, David McCracken, Lee Mair and Collin Samuel, who each started the match.

Match results

Dundee United played a total of 42 competitive matches during the 2006–07 season, as well as five pre-season

friendlies An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...

, making a total of nearly fifty games played. The team finished ninth in the

Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the top level league competition for professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football' ...

. In the cup competitions, United were knocked out of the

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Inverness CT. The club also exited early in the League Cup, losing 3–0 away to First Division side

in the third round.

Legend

All results are written with Dundee United's score first.

Bank of Scotland Premierleague

Scottish Cup

CIS Cup

Player details

During the 2006–07 season, United used 29 different players, with a further three named as substitutes who did not make an appearance on the pitch. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.

Goalscorers

Twelve players scored for the United first team with the team scoring 44 goals in total. The top goalscorer was Barry Robson, who finished the season with 12 goals.

Discipline

During the 2006–07 season, five United players were sent off, and twenty players received at least one yellow card. In total, the team received seven dismissals and 70 cautions.

Team statistics

League table

Transfers

In

Nine players were signed during the 2006–07 season, with a total (public) transfer cost of just under £100,000, although three transfers were undisclosed or nominal fees. The players that joined Dundee United during the 2006–07 season, along with their previous club, are listed below. Sean Dillon's fee was €20,000, which amounted to approximately £13,500 at the time of transfer

Out

No players were loaned out during the 2006–07 season, with twelve leaving the club permanently. The club received no transfer fees as all players were released. Listed below are the players that were released during the season, along with the club that they joined. Players did not necessarily join their next club immediately.

Playing kit

The strips were produced for the first time by Hummel and the jerseys were sponsored for the first time by Anglian Home Improvements (who also sponsored

in the same season). For the first time, the shorts were sponsored (by Ole International).

Awards

* Craig Levein ** Bank of Scotland Premierleague Manager of the Month: 2 :: November 2006, March 2007