On 24 May 1909 the Irish community of Dundee got a team of its own. Dundee United turns 118 years old on 24 May 2027 and wears one of the most recognisable shirts in Britain: tangerine.

Dundee Hibernian

The club began as Dundee Hibernian, after the demise of another Irish team in the city, Dundee Harp. It was inspired by Hibernian of Edinburgh, and the new team took over Clepington Park, which later became Tannadice Park.

The first match was played on 18 August 1909, a 1-1 draw with Hibernian. The following year the team was voted into the Scottish League.

Why it became United

In October 1923 the club was in danger of closing. It was saved by a group of Dundee businessmen, who wanted to reach a wider public and not only the Irish Catholic community.

They considered the name "Dundee City", but neighbours Dundee objected. So Dundee United was chosen, and the green shirts left along with the old name.

From green to black and white

The first colours were a green shirt with white shorts, a tribute to the Irish roots. After 1923 the team switched to a white shirt and black shorts.

From 1958 a simple badge with the initials DUFC appeared. After promotion in 1960 the team mostly wore all-white kits.

That promotion was achieved by Jerry Kerr, who took over in 1959 and brought in players from Scandinavia. The Irish roots were not forgotten, though: for the centenary in the 2009/10 season, the special badge on the shirt had a touch of green.

The tangerine that came from Dallas

In the summer of 1967 United went to the United States and played in a new league as the Dallas Tornado. The orange shirt with blue trim was liked so much by Barbara Kerr, wife of manager Jerry Kerr, that she suggested wearing it in Scotland too.

On 4 August 1969 the team appeared for the first time in tangerine, with black trim and a new circular badge with the lion rampant, in a friendly against Everton. Since then the colour has given the team the nickname The Tangerines, while its fans are known as the "Arabs".

The Jim McLean era

Jim McLean was manager from 1971 to 1993 and built the club's golden age. He won two League Cups, in 1979 and 1980, and on 14 May 1983 United won the league title 2-1 at Dens Park, Dundee's home ground, with goals from Ralph Milne and Eamonn Bannon.

In 1984 it reached the European Cup semi-finals, where it was knocked out by Roma. In 1987 it beat Barcelona home and away, reached the UEFA Cup final and, despite losing to Gothenburg, received a FIFA Fair Play award for the behaviour of its fans.

On the pitch Paul Hegarty, David Narey, Maurice Malpas, Paul Sturrock and Davie Dodds shone. Later came two Scottish Cups, in 1994 with a Craig Brewster goal against Rangers, and in 2010.

Celebrate with us

From the Irish of 1909 to the wins over Barcelona, Dundee United counts 118 years full of character. And all of it with a colour that travelled from Texas to Scotland.

Happy birthday, Dundee United! May tangerine shine at Tannadice for many more years.

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Dundee United v St Mirren at Tannadice Park, 2008 – Heightwatcher, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 3.0.