Anyone who has read my reports on other websites know I write from the heart on the subject of my beloved FC Dundee. As a supporter for over 37 years I have reached the heights of ecstasy in my time with this great Club, but I have also suffered despair more often than I felt I have deserved. For the first article I was invited to write on Boab’s site I have chosen to give a brief, emotional account of the past few seasons, culminating in the present one. These views are entirely my own and all the blame lies with me if you don’t agree with them.

WHEN WILL OUR DAY COME

It is far too long since we supporters savoured the heady atmosphere of success. The League Cup under Tommy Gemmell’s leadership seems centuries away, almost like a tale from pre-history. The winning of the First Division Championship not so long ago was a great day over the water in Kirkcaldy and the sight of the huge Dundee support that day singing their heads off reminded me of happier days in years gone by. That was an emotional experience.

The building of that team by John McCormack was a great act of salvation for fans who over the years became cynical and paranoid about their team. Like Moses in the days of Israel we keep looking for the promised land and asking “when will our day come?” Phase I of the resurrection was down to Cowboy. And for his signing of Rab Douglas we should always be grateful to the man.

Then arrived Jocky Scott to pilot the team to the top league and make sure we stayed there? With nothing flash and nothing too entertaining he worked on a budget that would have sent most private companies down the tube yet he came up with the goods – survival. For two seasons there were many boring days for the faithful with the odd windfall such as the Ibrox triumph and the Grady wondergoal that will live with all who saw it for the rest of their lives. But Jocky had taken us as far as he could and deserves our respect for keeping us up when a crash back to the lower league then could have led to bankruptcy for our club. He and Cowboy were the foundations on which we build today.

The SPL tried everything in their power to keep us out of the Premier League but the Marrs came up trumps and built a new stadium with help from the fans. Young and old, ex players and present players, (sad to think of in his present crisis, Morten Wieghorst was one of the first), overseas exiles and those at home who sacrificed so much to pour their money into buying a brick to save their beloved team from extinction.

Possibly the most poignant thing on view at Dens today, these bricks with the names of the donors carved on them, are symbols of the pride and love of a team that being a fan generates. This is the Wailing Wall for all Dundee supporters, and will be there for as long as these new stands exist, a living testimony of how deep the love of Dundee F.C. penetrates. We are in with the bricks and always will be. And every brick tells a different story. Some named in memory of deceased fans, some paid for by those who could least afford them. Such devotion deserves a happy ending.

“When will our day come?”

Phase 3 in the building of the present team came in the form of a group of Italians, spearheaded by the Bonetti brothers, and immediately they arrived condemnation from all quarters met them head on. The gutterpress called them rookies, their signings mercenaries, some hardened fans were incensed at the demise of Jocky and tempers were raised on all sides. Those who were perhaps more far sighted saw the foreign arrivals as Saviours. I did. My first sighting of this new look Dundee team in a friendly on a wet Kirkcaldy evening had me staring in awe at the incisive passing, the movement off the ball, the quick attacking bursts and the evident skill on view. That couldn’t be Dundee I was watching, surely not. Pinch me and wake me up.

And so began the Bonetti revolution, Phase III of the Dundee F.C. resurrection. Had our time really come at last? We all asked ourselves this question. And in a tide of euphoria and ecstasy we began with two victories over Motherwell and Dunfermline, scoring 5 times with the loss of no goals. We were flying, our feet were definitely off the ground and in the dreams of what could be we began to believe in a top 3 place, forgetting that Ivano himself had said 6th position was a sensible target in his first season in charge. Hibs brought us down to Earth with a bang and we had our first bloodied nose of the season to wipe. Then followed defeat by St Mirren and some cynics among the Dundee support began to pine for Jocky again.

Then came two draws with Hearts and Rangers, both games we could have won. Ivano conceded a daft penalty to give Hearts their draw and uncharacteristically Rab Douglas let a McCann floater beat him at his right hand post to give Rangers a share of the spoils.

It is my belief that Ivano took the Hibs / St Mirren defeats as a sign he must shore up his defence and suddenly the cavalier approach, the attack, attack, attack tactics went out of the window to be replaced in most games by a 5 man midfield with one lone striker up front, first Caballero or Sara, then the great blonde God Caniggia. The St Johnstone 0-0 draw was a nightmare, and on the day Saints were poor opposition for such a talented side as we are, yet we left Cabby up front alone for most of a game that was there for the winning.

But our heads were held high and our chests out with pride again after a superb performance in the Derby, only to be saddened with the news next morning that Fabian’s injury was much worse than we thought. Once again, hopes dashed, dreams put on hold as we learned our beloved wee striker was out for 6 months. This was a blow we didn’t deserve, though many saw it coming as Scotland’s answer to the skills and lightning pace of this wee Argentinian was to nail him to the ground. And he got little support from our Referees and SPL foul play committee. Fabian was given a 6 months ban, the player who kicked him got one game. Scottish justice, Senor Caballero. Get well soon. Please.

Then came a respectable 1-0 defeat from Celtic though many were left wondering the difference Cabby might have made had he been available for this game. A 0-0 draw with Kilmarnock had us thinking along the same lines.

Then, heaven sent news. Dundee had signed Caniggia and Carranza, two Argentinian internationals. Surely now we would get back to the attacking exploits of early season and the Dundee Derby. Sure enough we play an attacking formation against Aberdeen and win 2-0, playing with 10 men for most of the second half, yet running out worthy winners.

But the bubble wasn’t long in bursting. Motherwell beat us with two goals in the first 5 minutes and although Claudio scores with a chip in the magnificent class his other service for his colleagues go a begging and we lose a game we should have won. The following week, we defend against a poor Dunfermline side who show no more than fight and commitment, and we do it with only Caniggia playing a lone striker role with no visible support to be seen at any time in the game. The only players who get on the end of his superb passes are our Right back and one Midfield player, both Scots. Until Carranza comes on (too late as in the Motherwell game) we get few players into the box and the emperor Claudio looked more than disgusted by this fact on several occasions.

The dream that looked like bearing such abundant fruit after the Aberdeen game has dispersed once again and we are left wondering where we go from here.

“When will our day come?”

Ivano, I don’t expect you or any of your management team read the comments on the websites. But whether you do or not, as one of many Dundee supporters let me say this. You gave us excitement we thought we would never see again. The type of player you brought to Dens have given us a taste for what could be and we don’t wan’t it to slip away, broken by the physical approach of most Scots teams. I would rather we’d lost 6-5 to Motherwell, 8-7 to Dunfermline by seeing 2, even 3 strikers attacking their defences. Have faith in your early judgement, the great attacking play we saw against United, and in our first 2 matches, and against Aberdeen recently. We’d walk a million miles to see this kind of football.

I for one have great belief in you, Ivano. You are the Messiah we have been waiting for at Dens for a long, long time. Keep the faith, attack, attack, attack, give us excitement we have never had for many a year. “And though on occasion defeat we must know, we will rise up again and defeat every foe.” These words unite the spirit of the league winning team of the 60’s and the present side. I believe the abilities of the likes of Claudio, Sara, Artero, Carranzes, will score more than any opposition I have seen in the Premier to date, providing we attack them. Let them explode in the last two thirds of the season and give we Dundee fans a spectacle of dazzling, attacking football we have never seen for generations.

The dreams we held are still within reach. Stretch out your hand and grasp it Ivano. In a short space of time you and the Marrs have become Dundee legends. It might take more than one season. But take us to our destiny up there among the stars. SURELY WITH ALL THIS TALENT AT OUR FINGERTIPS - OUR TIME HAS COME. After so many years in the wilderness, LEAD US TO THE PROMISED LAND.

Dave Webster.