A number of players who were out of contract left the club following the end of the 2006–07 season. Lee Mair signed a pre-contract deal with Aberdeen and Derek Stillie moved to England to pursue a law career. David McCracken and Collin Samuel were both released. Also leaving the club were a number of younger players who had failed to earn extensions to their contracts. These were Gregg Burnett, Barry Callaghan and Ross Gardiner. All had played at least once for the first team.
The first game of the season was home to Aberdeen in the SPL, and ended in a 1–0 victory.[1] As the season progressed, United maintained their high league table position, ending 2007 in 4th place.
This is a list of the significant events to occur at the club during the 2007–08 season, presented in chronological order. This list does not include transfers, which are listed in the transfers section below, or match results, which are in the results section.
26 July: Played a pre-season friendly against Barcelona, losing 1–0 to a last-minute Thierry Henry goal. Minutes earlier, Barry Robson had seen a legitimate header wrongly disallowed.[2]
4 August: United win the opening league match of the season for the first time in eight years. It was only their second opening day win since the 1992–93 season.
12 May: RefereeMike McCurry publicly admits that he got two decisions wrong in the match against Rangers, wrongly denying United both a penalty and goal.[16]
20 May: The club submit an official complaint to the SFA following Mike McCurry's handling of the match at Ibrox against Rangers[17]
20 May: A second friendly is arranged against Barcelona with the 'rematch' scheduled for 26 July.[18]
26 May: The club announce the possibility of taking legal action against George Peat after the SFA president branded manager Craig Levein's earlier comments "criminal".[19]
Match results
Dundee United played a total of 46 competitive matches during the 2007–08 season,[20] as well as four first team pre-season friendlies. The team finished fifth in the Scottish Premier League.
In the cup competitions, United were runners up in the final of the CIS Insurance Cup, losing on penalties to Rangers. United lost to St Mirren in the Scottish Cup fifth round, after a replay.
During the 2007–08 season, United used 30 different players on the pitch. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.[21]
During the 2007–08 season, nine United players were sent off and 15 received at least one caution. In total, the team received nine red cards and 56 yellow cards.[21]
Five players left United during the season, with a number of young players spending time on loan with lower league clubs. Two player also agreed moves at the end of the season.
The jerseys were sponsored for a second[47] (and final) season by Anglian Home Improvements (who again sponsored Motherwell). The sponsor logo is displayed as a simple font across the chest, with white logo for the home top and black logo on the change strip.[48] The shorts were again sponsored by Ole International after the Spanish property firm extended the deal for a second year.[49] The shorts logo is displayed on the right hand side, above the club badge.[49] The expiry of both deals at the end of the season means the club will have at least one new sponsorship for 2008–09, as the option of a third year of shirt sponsorship[47] was passed for a new one-year deal with JD Sports' Carbrini Sportswear label for 2008–09.[50][51]
The club has no third strip, with the last third strip used in the 2002–03 season.
