It's never dull at Dundee - Gary Cocker

Today we’re joined by Gary Cocker, to give us the ultimate guide to Dundee FC.

How would you assess your club's 22/23 season so far?

It’s been a curate’s egg – good in parts. 

A respectable showing in the League Cup and the encouraging influx and development of exciting youth prospects like Josh Mulligan and Lyall Cameron has rubbed against the hard reality of attempting to escape the Championship at the first time of asking. 

It’s anybody’s league this season – nobody looks set to run away with the title - but hopefully the recent marked improvement in form will see us stay in the mix at the top over the course of the World Cup.

Main Man: Favourite current player and why 

Zach Robinson. It’s always easy to pick your top goal scorer, but the young striker on loan from AFC Wimbledon is the most electrifying man in sports entertainment right now, and is the first forward in dark blue since Greg Stewart to seemingly glue the ball to his foot as he squeezes, octopus-like, through the tightest of spaces to unleash rockets at opposition keepers. 

I’ll be gutted when he’s inevitably recalled to show the English lower leagues what he’s worth.

What is your earliest memory supporting your club?

Remarkably, a happy one – winning what was then the First Division title at Stark’s Park courtesy of a 1-1 draw, setting entirely realistic expectations about what a lifetime supporting Dundee would entail. 

Explain the nickname

Our nicknames – well, the ones we have for ourselves – are sadly self-explanatory. My favourite (printable) opposition nickname is when we’re called “Coagies” by St Johnstone fans, apparently in reference to the cogs used in jute mills. Every day is a school day.

Almost Famous – What is your club best known for?

That depends on who you ask! 

Dundee’s run to the European Cup semi finals in the 1960s is the stuff of legend, putting the likes of Sporting Lisbon and FC Cologne to the sword. In the modern era, we’re perhaps best known for the influx of foreign players at the turn of the century, including Claudio Caniggia and Temuri Ketsbaia; a 23-game unbeaten run to overcome a 25-point penalty and avoid relegation; and, if I’m being honest, probably being one of the most surreal teams in the country. 

Greatest Gaffer: Your favourite/most loved boss watching your team

It has to be Jocky Scott. The moustachioed marvel made over 400 appearances for Dundee, managed the club three times, won two trophies as manager and inspired one particular mad piece of fan fiction. 

It’s also often forgotten that he managed a higher league finish than the Bonetti brothers ever did and is rightfully revered by Dundee fans young and old.

Can you tell us one interesting fact about your club which other fans may not know?

Legend has it that our Scottish Cup hoodoo was brought about by a “curse” placed on the club after the trophy was displayed in a local undertakers’ window following our Cup victory in 1910. I prefer to believe that version of events. We also boast a 100% record against Real Madrid.

Who would make your ultimate all-time 5-a-side team?

1. Rab Douglas – with hands like bin lids and a stare that could cut diamonds, what's the point of the opposition trying to score?

2. Glen Kamara – as the song goes, he never gives the ball away, and between his passing and Rab’s reign of terror in the sticks, you won’t need any defenders in there.

3. Paul McGowan – always running, always raging. Guaranteed to be the player shouting WE’VE GONE QUIET twenty minutes into your slot as tonight’s dinner risks making an unwanted appearance and keeping everybody on their toes.

4. Gary Harkins – Those tricks, those flicks, his Cantona-esque air of insouciance. Just don’t expect him to track back.

5. Claudio Caniggia – The ultimate 5-a-side ringer. 

What is your all-time favourite match?

Some might expect me to mention Craig Wighton relegating our dear neighbours at Dens in 2016, but I’m above such pettiness and would opt for the final match of the 2013/14 season against Dumbarton. 

With Accies hammering Greenock Morton, we needed to secure all three points to win the title. A second half consolation for the Sons left us with a nervy final twenty minutes or so, but Kyle Letheren’s last gasp save ensured that me and thousands of my fellow Dees could scramble onto the pitch as the whistle blew to celebrate a return to the top tier. 

What makes your club special to YOU?

Dundee is a box office club and a sleeping giant of Scottish football and the rich tapestry of Scottish football would be all the duller without us. 

Scottish football in general is surreal, but we are the kings of surrealism. Who else in Scottish football would respond to a 25-point deduction by going on a 23 game unbeaten run with a threadbare squad? Who else would have an ongoing running battle with foxes digging up the pitch? Where else would a strike partnership of Claudio Caniggia and Willie Falconer make sense? What other club devoid of major silverware for decades and with a chequered history since the turn of the millennium would continue to inspire a large, passionate and admittedly mildly deluded fanbase? 

Being part of that support is a special thing for me, and I can’t wait to take my son along to make him part of it too.

You can follow Dundee's progress every week in our SPFL Lower League Round Up - watch the latest edition now!