It’s a bit crap if you’re a Dundee fan at the moment. Rooted to the bottom of the Premiership and staring relegation in the face. Dens Park is all doom and gloom at the moment. But if there is any crumb of comfort from this shit show of a season, it’s that it has been a lot worse.
Back in the 2010-11 season, Dundee were plunged into administration and hit with a 25-point deduction while in the First Division. However they upset the odds and with a tight-knit squad stayed up. It was the stuff of dreams – in fact it was Dee-fiant.
They secured their First Division status a couple of games early at Ross County when they won 0-1 thanks to 17-year-old Leighton McIntosh. The season was such a success that they finished in sixth place, but without the deduction they would have been one point behind champions Dunfermline Athletic.
If Dundee are going to have any chance of staying up this season, and to be honest it’s looking very unlikely, they will need to channel the determination, grittiness and mentality of the starting XI who took to the field on April 23, 2011.
Here is the team who started that day back in 2011 in Dingwall.
Robert Douglas
Big Rab played a pivotal role in the Dee-fiant season. His heroics between the sticks allowed the more creative players further up the park to get the vital goals. After leaving Dundee in 2013 he moved to Forfar Athletic.
Rab had a number of stints at Angus side Arbroath where he retired. He also went through financial problems in his years after leaving Dens Park. The 46-year-old is currently the goalkeeping coach at League One side Arbroath.
Gary Irvine
The right-back turned out in the majority of the games in the memorable season. He was part of the solid defensive unit that conceded the second least amount of goals in the league. Irvine, vice-captain, left Dens Park in 2016 to join Championship side St Mirren. He was actually the last player of the Dee-fiant team to depart.
After two years at St Mirren, he left to join League One side Forfar Athletic in February this year.
Matthew Lockwood
After leaving Dens Park in 2014, Matthew had a short spell at Sutton United where he retired the same year. Since hanging up his boots has moved to Edinburgh and has a football academy named after him.
He now commentates on games for BBC London.
Craig McKeown
McKeown played an integral part at the centre of defence with Rhys Weston during the survival season. He made 69 appearances for Dee before leaving the club to join Highland League big spenders Formartine United.
He joined the Pitmedden side in 2012 then left for Brora Rangers where he won the Highland League. McKeown is now back at North Lodge Park.
Kyle Benedictus
The young centre-half was just making his way in the game during the Dee-fiant season. After making 97 appearances for the Dark Blues he left for Raith Rovers in 2015 where he remains.
During his seven years at Dens Park he also had loan spells at Montrose and Alloa Athletic.
Rhys Weston
After three years at Walsall, the experienced Welsh defender, who also turned out for Arsenal, moved to Dens Park where he played a crucial role in the backline. He stayed on for another season before he left for Iceland to play for KR Reykavik, then onto Sabah who participate in the Malaysian league.
The travelled footballer eventually retired at AFC Wimbledon at 2014. Since hanging up his boots he has taken up commentating at TalkSport2. He is also a commercial executive at The Sports Technology Awards Group.
Nicky Riley
The former Celtic youth player signed for the Dens Park club from Hamilton Academical on the free. He was an integral part of the Dee-fiant season, playing 35 times, scoring five times.
After leaving Dundee he was left without a club until he joined Peterhead. That lasted a month, he then signed a deal until the end of the 2015/16 season. He remains at the League Two side.
Gary Harkins
Big Gary seems to become a bit of cult hero whichever club he plays for, and he has played for a fair number of them over the years. During his first of three spells at Dens Park he played a major role in keeping Dundee in the second tier of Scottish football. Although he wasn’t a prolific striker, it was his magic in front of goal which set him apart.
After leaving at the end of the season he moved to Kilmarnock then had spells at Dundee, St Mirren, Oldham Athletic, St Mirren, Dundee, Ayr United, Greenock Morton, Queen of the South and now he is at Partick Thistle in the Championship. Harkins still plays some silky football but his appearance has changed since his first spell at Dens. He now sports a lovely thick beard laden with Just for Men.
Craig Forsyth
The Carnoustie lad came through the ranks at Dundee and before making it in the first team had spells at Arbroath and Montrose. Like many who played the game that kept Dundee up, Forsyth started a vast majority of the games in the league that season. When the campaign ended he was off down south to England to play for Watford.
He had a number of loan spells at Bradford City and Derby County before signing for the rams in the summer of 2013. He is still at Pride Park attempting to get the “promised land” of the English Premier League.
Stephen O’Donnell
The acquisition of O’Donnell in the summer of 2010 was never going to go down well at Dens Park, especially after he had come through the ranks at city neighbours United. However during his first season he was solid and appeared more than 30 times for the dark blues.
He seemed to grow on the faithful over his four years at the club before he left for Clyde in 2015.
Leighton McIntosh
The man who scored the all important goal in the game against Ross County in Dingwall to stay up. The 17-year-old didn’t get many chances in the 2010-11 season but when he did, he took them, scoring some very important goals.
At the end of the 2011/12 season he was put out on loan at Montrose then Arbroath. He then penned a deal at Links Park in 2014 where he remained for a couple of years. It was then off to Peterhead then to Icelandic side Selfoss where he was full-time. He joined Arbroath again in 2018 before going to Airdrie where he currently plays. He is also a personal trainer.
Barry Smith
You didn’t think I’d forgotten about the man who steered the ship, did you? Barry Smith, a genuine Dundee legend, took over in 2010 from Gordon Chisholm after the club entered administration. After spending 11 years, as a player and manager, at Dens Park he was sacked in 2013. He left Dundee rooted to the bottom of the SPL.
Following his stint as player/manager he went to Ross County to ply his trade in the youth set-up. He then had spells at Alloa Athletic, Aldershot Town, East Fife, Raith Rovers and now he is managing at League One strugglers Brechin City after he took over from Darren Dods.
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