The Teams

'A football match is to take place in the Baxter Park to-day between the Dundee club and Alexandra Athletic Club of Glasgow. We understand that the latter are to introduce the "Association game"'. Dundee Courier & Argus Sat 1st Jan 1876. 

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The 'Dundee Club' in question was the club that would become St Clements. The founding fathers of the Dundee association football scene built up a friendship with Queen's Park and invited the Glasgow club's second eleven to Baxter Park in Feb 1876. Reputedly the Dundee side gave away a lot of free kicks for handling the ball - the players' recent rugby experience was evidently hard to shake off. 

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It is entirely possible that St Clements forward, J. Stiven, was recently a member of a rugby club called Dundee. 

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The game between St Clements and Queens Park clearly grabbed the attention of the Dundee public:

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'Before leaving the ground three hearty cheers were given for each club by the large crowd of spectators, who witnessed the match with great interest and who, no doubt, enjoyed it better than one according to the Rugby rules, owing to the absence of all that is objectional in football.' Dundee Courier & Argus 14th Feb 1876

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The increasing popularity of the association game meant that rugby players left their clubs to join or form association clubs. Additionally, rugby teams would experiment with the new rules and play matches against established association sides. 

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As the years rolled by, more and more sides were created as the game gripped the city. Some clubs earned bigger reputations than others, some lasted longer. Prior to there being a clear dividing line between the senior and junior associations these clubs and their second, or even third, elevens frequently played out a multitude of derby games on any public recreation space that was available. 

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The sub pages will explore some of the better known sides and featured below are just a sample of the plethora of teams to have existed in the city.