Groundtastic GT23 | Page 50

Floodlights North Stand Dundee Tour Discovering Dundee Jamie Wire takes us around another Scottish city Discovery City, also known as the City of Dundee, lies on the Northern bank of the Firth of Tay, and within the narrow streets of Scotland's fourth biggest city lie a number of professional and semiprofessional teams and their numerous home venues. Tannadice Street is one of the rarities in world football - it has two professional club's grounds on it, situated 200 yards apart. Tannadice Park is home to Dundee United, and has undergone many changes over the past decades. A bizarrely shaped main stand was constructed in one corner of the ground, while the end nearest rivals Dundee, known as the shed, was until recently a traditional covered enclosure. Opposite the main stand and adjacent to the Shed was once a large bank of uncovered terracing that had a roof built over it back in the 1960s but it was razed to the ground in the early 90s to make way for the George Fox Stand. This new construction was bedecked in orange and black seats and was the first sign of Tannadice becoming a top class stadium. Work soon began on extending the old main stand so it ran the length of the Tannadice Street side, and this helped to raise the capacity. The Shed was eventually seated, while the former away end (it previously was nothing more than terracing with silver crush barriers lining it) was pulled down to allow the building of a new stand for home supporters. At the present time, all away fans use the main stand extention and the Shed. The current capacity of Tannadice is just over 14,000. A view of Dundee United showing the George Fox stand to the left, the East Stand straight ahead and the main stand to the right (Colin Peel) Groundtastic page 50 Issue 23