Formation (1893)

“Secret rumours of amalgamation, professional leagues, &c, are floating in the Dundee air at present. We will see what will come of it”. Scottish Referee, Fri 31 Mar 1893.

In March 1893 Mr W. Black of East End and Mr A. Williamson of Our Boys agreed to put the prospect of amalgamation to their respective club committees. The matter hung in the air, leading to much speculation in the interim, but as soon as an amalgamation sub-committee met in May 1893 to thrash out terms, matters gained momentum. Agreement was reached that the new club would be representative of East End and Our Boys with six committee members coming from each.  The name of the new club was considered next with proposals including “Juteopolis” and “Dundonians” before the committee chose the eventual name Dundee Football and Athletic Club. The merging clubs would be immortalised by being embodied in the new club’s colours of blue and white stripes.

The election of committee members resulted in the following:

Committee: James McIntosh (East End), W. Saunders (Our Boys), A. Spalding (East End), T. McKee (Our Boys), C. Mollison (East End). W.T. Kennedy & W.K. Murray were added to the committee sometime later.

The Scottish League ratified the new Dundee club’s admittance to the League at a meeting on 12th June 1893. Meanwhile in Dundee the new team was taking shape. The squad was made up almost entirely of former East End and Our Boys players, much to the disappointment of the publication Scottish Referee:

“These men were, no doubt, good enough in their own way, but playing well against Northern League clubs a is a very different thing from the work that will have to be faced next season. The committee should not hesitate from a financial point of view” 

The Harp goalkeeper Francis Barrett, was approached by Dundee and, it was rumoured, a club from the North of England. Of course, Barrett ended up staying at Harp until later in the year when he did eventually sign for Dundee. Another ‘done deal’ that never materialised was the approach for Arbroath’s Drummond to occupy the right back position. The forward situation was also uncertain with Sandy Gilligan weighting up his options. The former East Craigie man, who scored Dundee’s first competitive goal, almost chose Harp over the fledgling club. St Johnstone’s Buttar, formerly of Our Boys, was also considering his future. He was said to be none too keen on the prospect of professionalism.

While the merger was generally a smooth and popular one, as the terms of the marriage were being drafted there were rumours of discontent among the fans of both sides. These emotions spilled out at a club meeting in June 1893 and the Scottish Referee reported that “there were considerable coteries in each club which are strenuously opposed to any change” and, curiously, “Of course, Our Boys by the proposed change lost most, but both clubs lose something, and through it both should gain largely, but only if harmony prevail”.

Harmony prevailed enough for one last match between the old foes – a benefit for a widow of one of the oldest members with connections to both clubs on 26th June 1893.

Dundee’s next task was to secure a ground with the club expected to pitch up at Carolina Port. However, while Dundee offered £100 rent for eight months, A.W.R Birrell of Strathmore offered £150. The previous occupants, East End, only paid £80. This raised a few eyebrows and the Courier commented

‘Mr Birrell is to run the Strathmore as a professional team, but the question is asked- will he see the end of the season seeing as it took the East End to get both ends to meet with half the rent.’

Dundee thus took on the ground of Our Boys, West Craigie Park, but they would end up at the ‘Port before the season’s end as the Courier’s question on Strathmore’s viability was answered in Jan 1894 with the merger of Strathmore and Johnstone Wanderers.

Meanwhile, Dundee set to work, building a spacious grandstand adjacent to Baxter Park Terrace and issuing membership cards for fans in anticipation of the city’s first ever league match on 12th August 1893.