• Our History

The early days

Lochee United Football Club was first established in 1892 as a juvenile outfit and the team spent many of their early years operating as such.

They spent a short period of time as an amateur side just after the Second World War, before going on to establish themselves as a club in the then-Dundee Junior Football Association, later to become the Tayside Region Junior Football Association.

Prior to 1959 the club had not enjoyed a permanent home ground and so played at a number of different venues. However, things changed that year when they moved into their present home at Thomson Park, the ground being opened by the then-Rangers captain George Young.

Having become established in the top division, the “Bluebells” began to bring silverware to Thomson Park regularly from 1960. The late seventies started what proved to be a hugely successful decade for the club, culminating in the winning of seventeen honours from 1977 to 1987.

This golden period ended in 1987 and Lochee United suffered the ignominy of relegation in 1993. Despite winning promotion back to the top division at the first attempt the club were not, until recently, in contention for any honours.

2000 – 2010

In recent years, the Bluebells fortunes have been on the up, and they have once again become one of the leading junior teams, winning the Tayside Premier League quite convincingly, and thus elevating themselves to the newly established East Region Super League.

Lochee United finished 4th in the East Region Superleague in season 2003-04, winning the Fife & Tayside cup and North End Challenge cups along the way.

In season 2004-05 success continued with the team reaching the final of the O.V.D. Scottish Junior Cup but losing 2-0 to rivals Tayport, but became East Region Superleague Champions when they won the league.

The season of 2005-06 saw Lochee United win silverwear in the form of the Fife & Tayside Cup, North & Tayside Cup, and North End Challenge Cup, then 2006-07 brought more success with the DJ Laing cup.

The 2007-08 season saw Lochee United becoming East Super League Champions for a second time while managed by ex-Dundee United and Nottingham Forest stalwart Ray McKinnon. They also won the DJ Laing Cup and the Redwood Leisure Cup to complete another fantastic season.

For winning the East Region Super League, Lochee United were awarded a place in the Scottish FA Cup and created history by becoming the first Dundee Junior League team to qualify for Scottish football’s most illustrious knock-out tournament. The team were awarded a home tie against fellow Junior outfit Bathgate Thistle, who qualified by winning the Junior Scottish Cup in the 1st Round. Winning that game comfortably by a scoreline of 3-1 Lochee United were in the hat for the 2nd Round,  with the SFA doing the draw live at Thomson Park. They were again drawn at home, this time to Highland League outfit Buckie Thistle. Disposing of Buckie Thistle with a scoreline of 3-0 Lochee United were in the hat for the 3rd round. Once they were drawn at home, this time to tougher opposition in the form of Scottish 2nd Division side Ayr United.

After five postponements due to the winter weather this game finally took place on 17th December 2008 at Thomson Park, where Lochee United forced a 1-1 draw after levelling the match with 4 minutes remaining, and faced a replay at Somerset Park, home of Ayr United. Sadly, Lochee United lost the replay 3-1, with Paul Blackwood scoring the goal of the game and captain Charlie Cargill being sent off. More than 300 fantastic travelling fans made the trip to support the team.

Finishing fourth bottom of the Super League, missing relegation by 3 points, Lochee United finished the 2008/9 season creating history along the way. They won the East Of Scotland Cup and defeated Glenrothes in the final 3-0, becoming the first Junior side from the Tayside area ever to win the trophy.

Season 2009/10 brought no silverware sucess for Lochee United, though reaching the semi-final of the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup was certainly a season highlight. Unfortunately, the boys lost to rivals Linlithgow Rose 4-2 on aggregate over a two-legged tie, but managed to finish 5th in the Super League, securing 32 points from 22 games.

2010 – 2018

in 2010  Lochee United lost manager Ray McKinnon, when he resigned to take up a new job with the SFAr. Another former Lochee United player and top professional Paul Ritchie was appointed the new manager for the 2010/11 season.

Paul guided the team to fifth position, just seven points off the top spot, in his first season as manager. In the same season goalkeeper Iain Ross and midfielder Phil Hagan left the team, and Midfielder Craig Robertson also lived his boyhood dream when he was loaned out to Dundee FC for three games during their administration period.

Season 2011/12 brought early silverware for Lochee in the way of the DJ Laing Cup. After topping the group stages and defeating Broughty Athletic in the semi-finals, Lochee faced Super League rivals Carnoustie in the final. A single goal settled the game, with Jayson Alexander the hero in the 1-0 win at North End Park. That goal ended a two year drought of trophies at Thomson Park.

Season 2013/14 brought a new era to Thomson Park with Steven Leahy as the new manager. In Leahy’s first season there was more silverware for the club in the form of the G.A Cup, beating Luncarty Juniors on penalties in the final at Tannadice Park.  At the end of the 2013/14 Season, Charlie Cargill came on as Assistant Manager.

Season 14/15 was a difficult year for the club. Key players were lost for long periods due to injury; games were often lost in the last few minutes which had a major effect on league position; and despite battling hard the team lost their Super League place and were relegated to the Premier division. The club also exited all cup competitions in the early rounds.

The manager was given the dreaded vote of confidence and was tasked with getting the club back to  where it belonged the East Region Super League at the first attempt.

Season 15/16 turned out to be a good one with manager Leahy recruiting some excellent players to add to the team. Although the finished third this gave them the play-off spot where they met Sauchie Juniors. Lochee United played them home and away, winning 5-0 in each match to successfully return to the Super League for season 16/17.  The GA Cup was also won at Tannadice Park where the boys turned in a dominating performance against Jeanfield Swifts.

Season 16/17 was days away and the club were without a manager as Steven Leahy had moved on to Dundee United. George Shields accepted the job and swung into action! First decision was to bring in Raymond Farningham (Jinky), Lee Wilkie also returned to Lochee United, and George retained the services of Roddy McLeod from the previous management team.  George made a couple of really good signings in the shape of Dougie Cameron and Paul Lunan. Back in the Super League, the team finished in a very respectable equal fourth position.

Season 17/18 saw a fantastic Scottish Junior Cup run to the semi finals before losing 2-1 to Auchinleck Talbot over two games. The team also finished in sixth position in the league.