DUNDEE United celebrate their centenary tomorrow, but for Craig Levein it must feel as though the current season has lasted for a hundred years. Not many managers are asked to bear the weight of contributing an address at the funeral of a chairman, and it is with Eddie Thompson in mind that Levein prepares to seal United's return to Europe tomorrow.
Dundee United are not conscious of spoiling Rangers' party, they are simply concerned with making sure their own celebrations do not fall flat. Thompson's son Stephen, who succeeded his late father as chairman in November and who also carries the sc
ars of recent months, yesterday attended the unveiling of a bronze plaque in Dundee's city centre which marks the spot where members of the local Irish community formed Dundee Hibs on 24 May, 1909. A name change to Dundee United occurred in 1923.
Thompson said that he regretted to an extent such a big game falling on the day of the club's 100th birthday, since it deflected attention from "a great milestone" in United's history. But Levein yesterday relished the chance to make up for last week's comprehensive 3-0 defeat by Hearts, and in doing so ensure a fourth place finish, on such a significant day. It would, he felt, be a fitting way to round off a trying season, one which saw Levein's mettle tested away from the pitch.
Six months ago he stood in front of the packed pews at St Mary's Scottish Episcopal Church in Broughty Ferry and delivered an emotional tribute to Eddie Thompson. One of the late chairman's greatest disappointments during his time at the helm of the Tannadice club came when United's much anticipated return to European football in 2005 ended at the preliminary round stage of the Uefa Cup, after devastating loss of two goals to Finnish part-timers My-Pa 47 in the final 20 minutes of the tie. United must win tomorrow to secure a chance to qualify for the Europa League next season, the new name for a competition which saw the club distinguish themselves in the Eighties. Like Rangers, United do have the safety net of knowing that even if they slip up, a result elsewhere could offer salvation. For United, this would involve Aberdeen failing to record a victory against Hibernian at Pittodrie.
"It's been a difficult season at times, because we have just not had to concentrate on football," reflected Levein. "One of Eddie's biggest dreams was to get the club back into Europe on a regular basis. So you can add that to the list of reasons why we have plenty to play for on Sunday."
It is a cause of frustration for those involved with United that the context of this weekend's game is invariably presented in terms of what it means to Rangers. The countdown has been dominated by the efforts of Ibrox fans to gain tickets for a match which is just as crucial for the home side.
"There's the financial element," explained Levein, when setting out the reasons why United cannot be regarded as mere bystanders. "There is the extra money for a league place, and the money associated with getting into Europe. There's the excitement of being involved in European competition and the experience that brings to the players. It's also our centenary to the day as well. We also have a bit of making up to do for our performance last week – we felt we let ourselves down.
"Another reason why we don't want to lose is the horrible experience last year of somebody celebrating on our own ground," he added. "We don't want that to happen again. The list of motivating factors is pretty extensive."
Indeed, should Rangers claim a first title since 2005 tomorrow it will be the fourth time in 20 years that a team have secured a championship at Tannadice. Regrettably for United, the celebrations have never involved them, with Celtic the most recent side to have staged a party on the Tannadice turf.
Levein knows from his playing career how unsettling it can be when everything rests on one last performance.
"It's not a case of getting a point – Rangers need to win," he said. "When there is pressure on one team and not the other then sometimes the pressure can have an adverse effect. But it's different when the pressure is on both teams. It's an over-used phrase really, but this is a cup final. It's a one off game. The pressure is on Rangers stopping the champions getting four in a row, and for us it is getting into Europe for the first time in a while. It's not like one team has the pressure heaped on them, and the other is relaxed and able to play their own game."
The man with perhaps most to win and lose is United goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska, who signed a pre-contact deal with Celtic in January. In his last game for United he can be seen to be also making his first appearance for Celtic, who are just as desperate to see him keep a clean-sheet.
"When he signed a pre-contract with Celtic he was almost apologising to me for leaving," said Levein. "I told him that if he kept his concentration, and providing he was playing well, I would play him in every match until the end of the season. If you look at the statistics he has played every single match. People questioned his integrity at one point, but some of his best games have been against Celtic. After the recent game at Parkhead, when we lost 2-1, Gordon Strachan said to me: 'Is that boy daft? What's he pulling off saves like that for, he's going to put himself out of the Champions League'."
The full article contains 980 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
