Tekel Towers » Happy 80th Birthday to The Greatest

Tek · 21/4/2017 9:40 am

James Yuill McLean.

lifesanocean · 21/4/2017 10:01 am

Legend. Happy birthday.

SlatefordArab · 21/4/2017 10:32 am

What a guy.

Mass Debates · 21/4/2017 11:34 am

The man was, is and will always be the greatest. Thank you Jim

21/4/2017 12:03 pm

So many great memories to thank him for - sometimes you just need to sit down and wonder at what he achieved with the resources he had

TheShed · 21/4/2017 12:15 pm

A genius and a legend, Happy Birthday Jim.

Billy_Hainey · 21/4/2017 12:28 pm

Happy birthday Wee Jim. The last time I saw him in person was in the Caird Hall in 2011 at graduation day. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Law by the University of Dundee. I believe his full title is James Yuill McLean L.L.D. (Doctor of Legal Letters).

21/4/2017 12:52 pm

Happy birthday. A real legend

PatReilly · 21/4/2017 2:32 pm

Hope he is comfortable on his 'eightieth. Happy Birthday Jim, one of a kind.

(I thought this was going to be about Leedsy, who was coincidentally 80 yesterday).

annanarab · 21/4/2017 10:24 pm

Canadian Arab wrote:
Brilliant article about him in the Guardian yesterday. Well worth a read.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/apr/19/the-forgotten-story-of-dundee-united-glory-years-under-jim-mclean

Agree, brilliant article and happy birthday Jim, I am so grateful for all the fabulous memories you inserted into my life.

If any of todays players and the management team are looking for ideas on improving, the Guardian piece gives away McLean's secrets. Width - Milne was a winger who got back and Bannon was a wide midfielder who got forward. United's focus was to attack the oppositions penalty box as often as possible and play with pace and get in the opposition players faces. The fact that the current team does none of these things explains why we are in this division and unlikely to get out.

Leedsy2 · 21/4/2017 10:26 pm

PatReilly wrote:
Hope he is comfortable on his 'eightieth. Happy Birthday Jim, one of a kind.

(I thought this was going to be about Leedsy, who was coincidentally 80 yesterday).

LOL, Pat, but I don't come anywhere near being "the greatest." But that accolade certainly goes to Wee Jim. I didn't realise, though, that he is younger than me by just one day. When I think of how he is today I am humbled and grateful that my health problems pale into insignificance compared with his.

Leedsy2 · 21/4/2017 11:04 pm

" Presented with the trophy live on Grandstand and enjoying every second of it despite himself, McLean advised his mother to close her eyes, before pursing his lips to take his first-ever sip of champagne."

Fascinating article but my memory of this is that it was not on Grandstand but a televised Hogmanay show.

Tek · 21/4/2017 11:10 pm

There seems to be some disparity over whether Wee Jim's birthday is actually today.

According to Wikipedia (i know,i know) he was born on the 21st April 1937 (80 years ago today).

But someone on Twitter saying they have been informed by his Wife Doris that his birthday isn't till AUGUST 2ND!!

Arab Archive surprisingly doesn't give his date of birth.

P.s. belated birthday wishes Leedsy.

Must be this sites only Octogenarian i reckon.✊

Leedsy2 · 21/4/2017 11:54 pm

Tek wrote:
There seems to be some disparity over whether Wee Jim's birthday is actually today.

According to Wikipedia (i know,i know) he was born on the 21st April 1937 (80 years ago today).

But someone on Twitter saying they have been informed by his Wife Doris that his birthday isn't till AUGUST 2ND!!

Arab Archive surprisingly doesn't give his date of birth.

P.s. belated birthday wishes Leedsy.

Must be this sites only Octogenarian i reckon.✊

Cheers, TEK. As for Jim I was surprised to see his birthday is so soon after mine. I always thought there were a few months difference, so August sounds about right to me.

TheShed · 22/4/2017 8:16 am

I believe the August date the accurate one.

However any opportunity should be taken to remember how great this man is.

22/4/2017 8:20 am

Leedsy2 wrote:
PatReilly wrote:
Hope he is comfortable on his 'eightieth. Happy Birthday Jim, one of a kind.

(I thought this was going to be about Leedsy, who was coincidentally 80 yesterday).
LOL, Pat, but I don't come anywhere near being "the greatest." But that accolade certainly goes to Wee Jim. I didn't realise, though, that he is younger than me by just one day. When I think of how he is today I am humbled and grateful that my health problems pale into insignificance compared with his.

Congratulations Leedsy and as my alter-ego would presumably say cent' anni

Leedsy2 · 22/4/2017 9:41 am

scarpia wrote:
Congratulations Leedsy and as my alter-ego would presumably say cent' anni

Cheers, but pardon?? I don't speak Old Italian......

22/4/2017 9:56 am

Leedsy2 wrote:
scarpia wrote:
Congratulations Leedsy and as my alter-ego would presumably say cent' anni
Cheers, but pardon?? I don't speak Old Italian......

trans (may you live for) 100 years

I should add, at least

Leedsy2 · 22/4/2017 11:20 pm

Bully, tyrant, hard taskmaster, dictator, call him what you will, but he kept the city of Dundee firmly on the map. The council would do well to consider erecting a statue to him in the city centre. After all, there are some raised to cartoon characters such as Oor Wullie and Desperate Dan among others including a legendary dragon. Jim is a greater legend than any of those and should be honoured by all citizens, not just by United supporters.

Leedsy2 · 22/4/2017 11:24 pm

scarpia wrote:
trans (may you live for) 100 years

I should add, at least

Funny you should say that. My daughter handed me a card with 80 quid in tenners, and said "For God's sake, don't live to a hundred!"

Arabnophobia · 23/4/2017 12:08 am

Leedsy2 wrote:
Bully, tyrant, hard taskmaster, dictator, call him what you will, but he kept the city of Dundee firmly on the map. The council would do well to consider erecting a statue to him in the city centre. After all, there are some raised to cartoon characters such as Oor Wullie and Desperate Dan among others including a legendary dragon. Jim is a greater legend than any of those and should be honoured by all citizens, not just by United supporters.

Great post Leedsy and couldn't agree more.

Leedsy2 · 23/4/2017 10:12 am

I'd love to see one of him in typical pose, stamping his foot and shaking his fist. But the inevitabity of erecting any depiction of him in a public place would be attacks by blue-nosed vandals. Let no-one doubt that! So perhaps a better idea would be to erect it in, say, the ramp leading to the ET Stand.