To help ‘celebrate our past’ we decided to approach former United players to ask if they would support our aims and objectives. We were delighted that four legendary United players joined us as Honorary Members – Finn Dossing, Willie Pettigrew, Billy McKinlay and Craig Brewster, four highly influential players for the club and three of the four have scored hat tricks against Dundee. We are also delighted that the family of former Dundee United director, Derek Robertson have agreed to become the Foundation’s Honorary Member. Tommy McKay, amputee footballer and well-known United supporter also delighted us by accepting our invitation to become an Honorary Member. In 2021 we invited five League-winning Legends to become Honorary Members. We were delighted that Paul Hegarty, John Holt, Maurice Malpas, Hamish McAlpine and John Reilly accepted our invitations.
Celebrate our past, ensure our future
Honorary Members
Willie Pettigrew
“ I was delighted to accept the offer of Honorary Membership of the Foundation being a former United player with fond memories of the supporters there. United need all the support they can get financially and that is why the Foundation has been set up. It’s worked at other clubs, Motherwell, St Mirren, Hearts and I hope the United fans can buy into it”
Dundee United signed Willie for £100,000 from Motherwell at the start of the 1979-80 season which was at the time, a club record fee. Willie had been capped five times for Scotland.
Willie quickly became a prolific scorer and played in every round of the Scottish League Cup in season 1979/80. United progressed to the League Cup final in December 1979 and after a goalless draw with Aberdeen at Hampden Park the replay was held at Dens Park on 12 December 1979. Willie proceeded to write himself into the history books by scoring twice in the cup final in a 3 – 0 victory to give Dundee United their first major honour.
The following month, Willie scored four goals against Dundee in a 5-1 Scottish Cup tie at Tannadice, and he continued his fine form to finish his first season as the club’s top scorer with 22 goals. An injury kept Willie out of the opening six weeks of the 1980-81 campaign, but he quickly recovered and was back in the team as United once again made it to the League Cup final this time against city rivals, Dundee. As in the previous year, the cup final was held at Dens Park and also as in the previous year, United won the cup with a 3 – 0 victory.
On leaving United, Willie played for Hearts, Morton and Hamilton Accies before retiring in 1986.
Willie made a great contribution to Dundee United making 91 appearances and scoring 36 goals. He is one of only three players to have scored two goals for Dundee United in major cup finals and he was formally recognised as a Dundee United legend and was inducted into the Dundee United Hall of Fame in 2014.
Watch Willie Pettigrew in action
Finn Døssing
“It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of the great Finn Dossing. Finn was our first Honorary Member and has been a great supporter of the Foundation since our launch in 2017. He was a true gentleman and anything we have asked for he has willingly obliged with a smile on his face.” (DUSF Steering Group – June 2022)
Finn Døssing Jensen signed for Dundee United from his home town club Viborg FF, Denmark in December 1964. In his first season with United he made 19 appearances scoring an astonishing 21 goals.
During season 1965/66 Finn was our top goal scorer with 27 goals including one of the most celebrated hat-tricks in United’s history – 3 goals against Dundee at Dens Park on 11 September 1965, forever remembered as the Dens Park Massacre of ’65. For the record, he also scored hat-tricks against Hibs (away) in January 1965, against Motherwell (away) in November 1965 and again against Motherwell (home) in March 1966.
Finn Døssing also holds the record for the fastest goal scored by a Dundee United player in 14 seconds against Hamilton Accies in October 1965.
Finn was joined at Tannadice by fellow Scandinavians Mogens Berg (Denmark), Lennart Wing (Sweden), Örjan Persson (Sweden) and Finn Seemann (Norway). Dundee United finished fifth in the league, their highest ever finish in the club’s history and qualified for Europe for the first time. Finn missed the legendary victories over FC Barcelona and the away tie against Juventus. He played in the home game against the Italian giants and of course scored the winning goal.
Finn returned to Denmark at the end of 1967 where he eventually opened a tailor’s business in Viborg. He was one of the first inductees into the Dundee United Hall of Fame.
Sadly, Finn passed away in June 2022. He will always be remembered as a true United Legend.
Watch Finn Døssing in action
Billy McKinlay
“Its becoming more and more common for supporters to take an interest in getting involved with the club, United fans were terrific with me and have been terrific over the years and always stick with their team through thick and thin. If fans can affect and influence the club in any way they can by investing it can only be good”
Billy McKinlay joined Dundee United on an S form signing in 1984 from Hamilton Thistle. He made his Premier league debut in season 1986/87 against Hibs when he was just 17 years old. Billy went on to become a regular over the next ten seasons making 284 appearances and scoring 31 goals.
A hard-working and stylish midfielder Billy was capped for the Scotland Under-16 team, the Scotland youth team, Scotland Under-21s, Scotland ‘B’ and at full international level. He appeared 29 times and scored 4 goals for Scotland and played at Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup.
Billy left Dundee United in September 1995 to sign for Blackburn Rovers but before he went he left a parting gift of a hat-trick against Dundee at Dens Park in a 3 – 2 victory for United.
He was very much a fan’s favourite in the late 1980s early 1990s and he was inducted into the Dundee United Hall of Fame in 2014.
Watch Billy McKinlay in action
The Robertson Family
“Derek was always a passionate advocate of supporters being involved in the running of their football clubs. I am sure he would have been fully behind the aims and objectives of the Foundation and on behalf of Lyn, Caryn and our grandchildren Lauryn, Ethan and Owen Derek, we are delighted for the Robertson family to be an Honorary Member. It is a great tribute to Derek’s love of Dundee United and his work on behalf of the fans of the Club” (Sheila Robertson)
Derek was a lad from Dundee who attended Harris Academy. After a long and successful career with the Royal Bank of Scotland his retiral meant he could devote even more time to Dundee United Football Club.
Derek joined the Board in 2002 and in his 13 years at Tannadice, earned the respect of everyone at the club from Directors, players, employees and of course all United fans. He was a Founder Member of ArabTrust and was the driving force in opening up share ownership to fans. When appointed to the Board he brought great integrity and financial acumen to his position as Director.
However, it was his ability to communicate and resonate with the supporters that most United fans will remember him for. He became a vital link between the boardroom and the fans in the stands. Derek passed away in 2016 at the young age of 64.
The DUSF are immensely proud that Derek’s wife Sheila and their daughters Lyn and Caryn have agreed to accept our invitation of Honorary Membership, it means a lot to all of us at the Foundation.
Tommy McKay
As the DUSF is a fan run organisation we felt we should have a fan as our next Honorary Member so we are delighted that Tommy McKay has accepted our invitation.
Tommy, from Monifieth lost his leg at the age of nine to bone cancer, and he exploded on the scene last November when a video of his fantastic lobbed goal during a half time challenge at a game versus Dunfermline went viral. His spectacular chip over the keeper even won the SPFL goal of the month.
Since then Tommy has helped raised the profile of amputee football in Scotland has been instrumental along with the United Community Team in setting up the first Dundee United amputee team.
Tommy’s great year was capped when he was picked for Scotland’s first international fixture against Holland in October. His ‘can do’ attitude is a great inspiration to us all, and he has been a great ambassador and role model for all Arabs and the club. We are proud to have Tommy as our latest Honorary Member.
Tommy said “I don’t know what to say, I’m speechless. I’ve never had such an honour in my life. I think the work that the Foundation people are doing is essential to the future of our club, and I’d encourage all United fans to get in touch with them to find out more. I’d love to take up the invitation even though to be amongst such esteemed company is something I don’t deserve.”
Craig Brewster
As well as being a club legend, Craig Brewster is an enthusiastic supporter of the Dundee United Supporters Foundation.
We are delighted to announce that United Hall of Famer, Craig Brewster has kindly accepted our invitation to become an Honorary Member of the Dundee United Supporters’ Foundation.
Craig, born in Maryfield in Dundee, grew up as a Dundee United supporter, and signed for the club as a schoolboy. He was released by then manager Jim McLean in 1984, and played at junior level with Dundee Stobswell before signing for Forfar Athletic in 1985. He went on to play for Raith Rovers and won the first division title with them in 1991. In 1993 he returned to Tannadice under Ivan Golac for a fee of £250,000 and finished the season as the club’s top scorer.
Craig achieved cult hero status amongst Arabs by scoring the goal against Rangers in 1994 that won the Scottish Cup for the first time in the history of Dundee United FC after six previous final heart breaks.
Craig made a total of 117 appearances for the club scoring 47 times.
Craig said “I was delighted when asked to become an Honorary Member of the Foundation. I met up with the Steering Group at the recent 1994 cup win anniversary dinner and was really impressed how the DUSF had progressed in only two years. United have always had a very loyal fan base and it’s great that fans can get the opportunity to play an important part in the future of their club through Foundation membership.”