Road trip! (by train)

Availing myself Scotrail's Club 50 offer (£12 return anywhere in Scotland - and I chose Dundee??!? ), I took the lads to see their first Dundee derby game. Actually, my first time too!

After a quick squint inside the V & A and some lunch, Tom wanted to set about the shops of Dundee in his perenial quest for joggers. He was successful, and I also managed to stick some money on the Grand National before we strode up through the Hilltown, past Cooke's bar with it's tangerine clad hordes spilling out onto the streets, spilling their beer. The boys watched on, their education of life outside the capital growing with each passing minute. Further up the road, pubs with the dark blue of Dundee were similarly busy. 

A quick wander past Dens Park (probably the biggest dump in the SPL at the moment) before taking our seats in the George Fox stand ahead of proceedings at Tannadice.

Pretty much a full house; both sets of supporters were in good voice; armed also with smoke bombs in the colours of their favourites.

United definately had the better of the first half; leading after Dundee's keeper flapped at a cross and leaving an open goal for Clarke to nod into the empty net. 

The second half continued in the same vein and it came as no surprise when Mulgrew swung over a free kick which ended up in the top corner; again the Lawlor in the Dundee goal didn't come out of it looking good.

Settling in to a discussion about 'how many Utd will score' soon disappeared as first Mullen and then boo boys favourite Charlie Adam scored a couple of goals in quick succession to ramp up the atmosphere somewhat. 

Chances came and went; Utd really ought to have buried their neighbours but equally the Dee had their chances too - hitting the bar late on as yet more goalkeeping inepitude continued.

But 2-2 it finished; Alex delighted with his first big derby game experience. 

We managed to catch the National; we scored a 4th and a 5th place; so the initial outlay of a fiver yielded a profit of £1.20.... Oh well; it's a profit.

The Tailend chippy beckoned; before a bizarre combo of football fans and comicon attendees on the train home lead to some interesting overheard conversations!

Once home (after 9) we then set about watching the game again (on iplayer) to get a proper look at proceedings. 

So ground #19 on the boys' tour of Scottish football league grounds. A decent day out. Tom's talking about adopting Dundee Utd as his team to follow. until I pointed out that he'd need to travel every week, apart from 4 weeks a year when they played either Hibs or Hearts.