Dundee Tour
North Stand
ing either the main stand or the South Enclosure remains a mystery and it would seem that Dundee
are far more interested in building a team on the pitch rather than finishing off the ground. The Tayside Azzuri, under the stewardship of flamboyant Ivano Bonetti, have made a real impression on the
Scottish Premier League so far this season and the arrival of Claudio Caniggia - reportedly on
£12,000 a week - was a major coup for a club that for too long have been regarded as unfashionable. To add to the Bonetti brothers and Argentina's Italia 90 star at Dens, the Dee have De Marchi,
Caballero, Sara and Billio to name a few, as well as new keeper Roccati. The building blocks of
success have been laid, if not on the terraces, then on the pitch. And which is most important?
Junior football is well represented in Dundee, with a large number of clubs that are members of the
NCR Tayside League coming from the city. While many of these clubs are fairly badly supported,
they are still worthy of a mention. Dundee North End play at North End Park, which is a brisk five
minute walk up the hill from Dens Park. The Dokens' ground is fairly simple; a social club at one
end with shallow grass banking lining the other three sides. The club's name is spelt out in white
paint on the bank furthest from the social club.
Lochee Harp play a bit further out of town and they are one of the teams in the league that actually
provide a semblance of shelter for their supporters from the elements. Although it is only a semblance! The ground, like North End Park, is relatively featureless, and large crowds here are rare.
Lochee United play at Thomson Park on Napier Drive and this venue has a steep grass bank down
one side that sweeps round at the top end of the ground, giving a good elevated view of the game.
At the other end can be found a small stand with the club buildings behind it.
Dundee Violet's Glenesk Park is sometimes used for Dundee U21 matches and is in some state of
disrepair. The dugouts from Dens Park were installed at Violet's park when the greyhound track was
installed. There is a small covered terrace while ash-lined terraces surround the pitch.
East Craigie play at Craigie Park in Dundee's East End and they have Elmwood FC as tenants.
Craigie Park might well be the worst ground anywhere in Britain. One side is a cemetery that has no
boundary wall between it and the terraces while the actual perimeter fence around the pitch has
collapsed in numerous places. A ramshackle construction in one corner of the ground doubles as
the club's changing rooms. Elmwood once played at Midmills Park in the North of the city but were
evicted by the Marrs at the time that they were investing in Dundee St Josephs before moving onto
Dundee FC. Joeys took