Dundee United fans happy as sandboys, despite defeat - Steve Cardownie

Last Sunday I happened to meet a friend of mine, who goes by the nickname, Barra. Over a couple of drinks, he told me that the previous day he was making his way to a hospitality lunch at Ainslie Park Stadium when he met a group of ‘Arabs’ looking for an oasis - or in other words, a pub.

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin looks dejected during a Viaplay Cup group stage match against Spartans at Ainslie Park. (Photo: Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

At this point I should mention that the term Arabs is used to describe Dundee United supporters, so named after their club’s nickname which was bestowed on the team after a 3-0 victory on a Tannadice pitch covered in sand, causing some newspaper reports to write that they had taken to the sand “like Arabs.”

Barra was happy to direct them to a local hostelry not that far from the ground, namely The Anchor Inn on West Granton Road.

He said that the guys were pleasant as they made their way down Pilton Drive to the pub.

After a superb lunch and the pleasant sight of SPFL new boys Spartans claiming their first scalp, beating Dundee United 1-0 in the Viaplay Cup, Barra made his way to a watering hole uptown, where he did indeed bump into a couple of the supporters he met previously.

They told him that the highlight of their day had been the visit to The Anchor Inn, where they had a great time.

Given that their team were unceremoniously cuffed, they thanked Barra profusely for at least providing them with a little crumb of comfort.

The moral of this story is that not all football supporters are out for a scrap and they can enjoy the company of rival fans.