Dundee 9 East Craigie 0
There may have been a title party going on just down the road, but there was something particularly joyful about the celebrations at North End Park.
While Celtic fans had to pay up to £42 for entrance to Tannadice — plus the expense of balls and tangerines to throw on to the pitch in protest — North End fans had the opportunity to dole out £35 for soup, steak pie and five drink tokens.
More than 250 of them did so, while hundreds of others just turned up for the match. All were rewarded by a commanding display that made the Dokens the Midlands League champions for a second consecutive year.
It was a more sobering afternoon for the East Craigie contingent. They slipped away politely to let the North End players, staff, committee and fans indulge in the sort of post-match scenes that are the staples of success, whether it is the Premiership or the Midlands League that is won.
The pop of corks, the spray of alcohol and the singing of songs underscored a strong but insistent message: Dundee North End are going places. No one quite knows where that will be. The turbulence in the pyramid, and the possibilities that offers, may benefit a club that has no lack of ambition.
It was also a day when football history and significant players were invoked. The names of Albert Kidd, the Dundee player who helped win a title for Celtic, and Gordon Smith, the member of the Famous Five at Easter Road who won a title for the Dee, cropped up in conversation, as did North End’s link to the Tay Bridge.
Dundee North End savour their success after winning the Midlands League for second consecutive season
It’s a special day for the whole team, including manager Kevin McNaughton, back row far right
Chairman Gary Irons and wife Caroline enjoy a lovely day at the club that plays such an important part in their lives
Some of this came from Gary Irons, the chairman of North End, who set out a simple strategy for the club.
‘We want to be the third best team in Dundee,’ he said. ‘That’s the ambition. It is a big ask. But that’s what we want. We need to get lights etc to get a SFA licence so we hope things open up and we get to play in another division. We are a thriving club. We are getting better and better.’
He paused to consider the past of the club. ‘There is a lot of history here. The goats used to come down from the hills to keep the grass down,’ he said of a club formed in 1895. More recent arrivals include a fence that came from the Tay Road Bridge and a stand that was transported up the road from Tannadice.
We are sitting in a smart bar that has just been built as part of the continuous improvements that the club have made in recent years.
‘I have been here 15 years,’ said Irons, whose joinery company is a major sponsor of the club. ‘I started coming in just to help out and then I sort of took over.
‘I stayed in the house across the road. I always thought it was a sleeping giant and I wanted to rebuild it. It has taken all this time.’
Irons and his wife, Caroline, spend much of their so-called leisure time at the club. ‘She said it is the only way she can see me,’ he added, ‘and she is now running hospitality and booking bands and such like.’
They do have time for the occasional holiday. They are just back from Sydney where they were visiting their son. ‘My uncle is Albert Kidd and we met up with him over there,’ he said. There was supposed to be a title celebration for Hearts just down the road at Dens Park in 1986, only for Kidd to score twice – while Celtic scored five in Paisley – and the championship went to Parkhead instead of Gorgie.
The Dundee North End players join together as their title dream is realised in front of the home faithful
Supporters have the best possible view of a memorable day for the home side
‘Wherever he goes in the world, he is reminded by Celtic fans about that day and the celebration he gave them,’ said Irons.
The chairman then departed to attend a myriad of tasks and the treasurer, Brice Harper, opened the club shop. ‘I came in 10 years ago when we were in debt but we have turned it all round. We have taken on the social club and it is all going well now,’ he said.
His drive has not been diverted by the matter of a heart attack. ‘I had one three weeks ago,’ he said. ‘But I am back here and ready to celebrate another title.’
A couple of hours later, the ref’s whistle brings an end to a comfortable victory for North End. A victory ensured the club of the title and it was never in doubt. The side played with vigour, skill and strategy to overwhelm East Craigie.
A proud Dennis Toshney stood at the side of the dugout. ‘That’s my nephew,’ he said, pointing to co-manager Lewis Toshney. ‘He was with Celtic, you know.’ Toshney was also at Kilmarnock, Dundee, Ross County, Cowdenbeath, Raith Rovers… the list goes on.
But mention of Celtic has a significance. ‘We are fans of Celtic as a family,’ said the uncle. ‘So this has been a good day for me. A title won just down the road and a title won here. I’m so pleased for him. It’s his birthday, too.’
Lewis, now 33, takes time away from the celebrations to explain his link with Kevin McNaughton as co-manager. ‘We met when doing our B licence together and we have stuck together,’ he said. ‘We are both local boys and have the same idea about how football is played. We want to do it the right way, with some style. It’s been brilliant and it’s down to the players.’
McNaughton played for Aberdeen, Cardiff City, Bolton Wanderers and Wigan, among others. He also represented Scotland four times. He returned to the area to live and has taken over a club that is just up the road from where he went to primary school.
The champagne flows as the Dundee North End team celebrate another title triumph
Management team Lewis Toshney, above left, and Kevin McNaughton love what they are seeing on Saturday
A bird’s eye view of North End Park which was the focus of such happy scenes on Saturday
‘There is something special winning it here,’ he said. ‘We won the title at Forfar last year so it’s good to do it at home.’
Surrounded by scenes of joy, he was focused on what the club had done and could do. ‘We have a lot of good players here,’ added McNaughton. ‘We try to play in the right way. We all just want to keep improving and see where that can take us.’
North End now qualify for the Scottish Cup for the second year. Last season they were narrowly beaten by Airdrie, and McNaughton savours another tilt at the trophy.
‘I love being back in football,’ he said. ‘It gives you a buzz and I missed it when I was out of it for a while.’
There is a quieter presence behind one of the dugouts. Before the celebrations erupt, Jim Stott, 77, reflects on North End with a relatively neutral eye. ‘I am really a Hibs supporter,’ he said. ‘I live nearby, though, and I want to see North End do well.’
‘I played out there in the 1950s,’ he said, pointing to the park. ‘They used to have the North End Fives here. That was a big tournament — hundreds of local teams. I like seeing a Dundee team winning a title.’
Stott was at Muirton on that famous day on April 28, 1962, when Dundee defeated St Johnstone 3-0 to win the title.
As a Hibs fan, he rejoiced for Gordon Smith, the Dundee player who had previously been at Easter Road and was one of the Famous Five. ‘He played for North End for a season during the Second World War,’ said Stott.
On a day of title celebrations in basically the same postcode, one reflected that Dundee North End may have future success in that sphere. However, Smith won league titles with Hibs, Hearts and Dundee. The replication of that feat would dwarf the odds given on Shergar ridden by Elvis Presley winning next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.
