Lucky for me my family are all United daft so i didn't have a choice to make.

My dad was Dee; but typical of most funsters he never went to the games.

As soon as I saw those tangerine shirts there was only one team for me.

Leedsy2 wrote:

Inspired by a comment elsewhere I ask the question - what saved you from being a Dee?

In my case my family were Dees, father, uncles, several cousins, grandfather, and five great-uncles were all frequenters of Dens Park, and steadfastly refused to even visit Tannadice. Something perverse in me made me buck the family tradition, and at the age of seven, and of my own accord, I became a rabid United supporter. In later years I went against the family and refused to become a Freemason.......but that's another story.

Dundee FC was the city's big team for many years, and as a United supporter I became the target of much leg-pulling, and on occasion, a bit of bullying.  All my school pals were Dees (fkn glory hunters!) but I remained faithful to my team, and am glad that I did. Not for me all the years of jealousy and bitter hatred against Dundee United!

Now I'm an old man of seventy-nine and in ill health, I live in Leeds and can't get to my beloved Tannadice, but I am still an Arab at heart.  I want to thank Tek for persevering with this forum,  enabling me to keep in touch with the club of my choice. You're doing a great job, long may it continue.

On reflection, perhaps this post is in the wrong section of the forum? If so please excuse me, I can only plead senility.....

Can't match your start date Leedsy, but my dad took me along to Tannadice when I was about 8.  I've got a memory of being held up to stand on the railings of the new (now Jery Kerr) stand before it had opened.  I think we beat the neighbours 2-1.

Even when they won the league, my pals and me never thought of supporting them.  Bear in mind this was when people went to Tannadice one week and Dens the next. I was at all their European Cup home games, saw them beat Cologne 8-1 (they lost their keeper - before substitutes), saw them beat Inter Milan.  Watched that team with cox, Ure Gilzean et al and never considered supporting them.  Even got taken by my dad and all his mates from Timex to their Hampden final - massive crowd - made no difference.  We were United supporters.

My dad was a man of few words, so it wasn't a case of indocrination. 

I can only think that for the lucky ones all things United was our Lingua Franca. 
 

Not really an answer to the question but I was raised a Celtic fan by my auld man who never ever went to Celtic games (imagine that). Thankfully my grandad  on my mums side stepped in when eh was 9 and took me along to Tannadice and got me a season ticket wi him. Took a season to wash off the mouldy green association but thank f*** he took me, couldna imagine how eh would've turned out being one of the great unwashed.

So although I never needed to be saved from being a Dee, I arguably could've had an even worse fate.

Fae Montrose originally there were 3 main options Hun, Tim or Sheep. There was a very small band of Arabs and I started school in 83 so was drawn in by the legendary team and loved the tangerine tops so that was that!

My dad liked hearts (Christ knows why) but wasn't a real supporter of any club which allowed me to chose my own path

Started going to the games when I turned 8 and was hooked fae that first game which was the 1-0 win over the Huns with a ferguson goal which I can still vividly remember to this day.

I love Utd and wouldn't change that for the world, my son of 6 is a season ticket holder with me and I am loving getting him into something that will give him some of the best days of his life, hopefully we can share then together. Took my old man with us for the Raith game a few weeks back and it was 3 generations which filled my heart with joy!

As a 10 year old from a non-footballing family, a pal introduced me to the sneaky-in at both grounds. Although I saw Gilzean, Penman, Ure, Hammy, Charlie Cooke, etc at Dens, the view from down below ground level and across the dog track for a wee boy wasn't great - much better high up on the terracing where the George Fox is now and the atmosphere in the shed was brilliant as well. In those days fans had freedom to move about and change ends at half-time. Once I saw Doug (Smith), Denis, Donald, Gunboat (Briggs) and Co in action there was no contest - I became a Terror and later I even started paying to watch them.