Dundee

[MCC]

I recently heard some kids referring to a 'nil' score as a 'Dundee'. They seemed surprised that I had never heard of this, but couldn't tell me where it came from. As I come from Dundee, I'm kind of interested! Can anyone help?

[skylight]

Hi MCC, Maybe this has something to do with it - 'A world record football result was made here on the 27th October, 1885 when the local football team played Bon Accord (from Aberdeen) in a Scottish Cup-tie. Bon Accord arrived with only nine players and had to appeal for two volunteers from the crowd. Perhaps the two volunteers were Arbroath supporters for at the end of the game Arbroath had won by 36 goals to nil with one player, Jock Petrie, scoring thirteen goals! ' cheers skylight

[Quizmonster]

I'm sure Skylight's response above is the right one, but I have to mention the Scottish comedian - was it Chick Murray, Billy Connolly? - who claimed to believe that "Third Lanark Nil" was a Scottish team's name! That was because in the olden days, when all football scores were read out on the radio at 5 pm on a Saturday, that very phrase appeared so frequently.

[tara20]

Billy Connolly claimed it was "Partick Thistle Nil", a Glasgow team always in the shadow of the Big Two, and often made fun of for their poor results.

[MCC]

Thanks very much for my three responses. As a bit of a student of Scottish football, I was aware of the Arbroath-Bon Accord saga, but I think the Dundee connection is pretty tenuous. I also think the comedian references are both right - Chick Murray was around at the same time as the ill-fated Third Lanark (so were The Big Yin and I, but we were only boys then!) The 'Dundee' thing, though, remains a mystery .....

[Owen Money]

Dundee Athletic = Pathetic.