Following Falkirk’s and Motherwell’s less than impressive displays in Europe this week, for an example of how you go about beating top-notch European sides, we could do a lot worse than take a look at Dundee.
The Dee where once a regular participant in Europe. Between the early 60’s (when the won the old First Division) to the mid 70’s Dundee reached the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1963, losing to AC Milan (but beating Sporting Lisbon and Anderlecht along the way). In their second European semi-final they lost 2-1 to Leeds United in the 1967/68 Fairs Cup.
In 1971, Dundee took part in the UEFA Cup again. They kicked off proceedings with a comfortable 5-2 win over AC Copenhagen, before overturning a 2-1 deficit against 1. FC Cologne into a stunning 4-5 aggregate victory in the return leg at Dens Park.
In the Third Round they where paired with AC Milan, the team that denied them a European Final place back in 1963. The first leg was played in Italy and saw the Dark Blues lose 3-0 to the team that had just won the Cop Italia for only the second time in their history. In the return leg at Dens, Dundee had their work cut out. Despite goals from Gordon Wallace and John Duncan, the Dee where unable to repeat their performance against Cologne, and went out 3-2 on aggregate.
The highlights of that game have survived with the legendary Archie McPherson providing the commentary.
AC Milan would go on to lose to eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals. Goal scorers Wallace and Duncan would both carry on to have great careers elsewhere -- Duncan left for Spurs and Derby county before managing Ipsswich, while Gordon Wallace would go on to join City rivals Dundee United, sandwhiched between two spells with NASL outfit Seattle Sounders. He is currently Director of Youth Football at Dens Park.
Dundee themselves would never reach such giddy European heights again. Four successive First round exists in the UEFA Cup would follow, the last against Perugia in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup.
