Backpacking In Scotland: Visiting Side By Side Football Stadiums in Dundee

For years I have known that the two closest top division football stadiums in the UK are those of Dundee FC and Dundee United FC. However, until 2022 I had never even been to Dundee. So if I finally made it to Dundee, my main focus was to simply go to both stadiums and see just how close they really are. Let’s look at the maps and Google Earth images first.

It shows online that the stadiums are 0.1 miles apart and are on either side of the same street, Tannadice Street. The clubs are rival clubs in the same city but of course, here the rivalry hasn’t risen to the level that Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic have. As of 2023, Dundee United have won the local derby 81 times, Dundee FC have won it 49 times, and there have been 44 draws between the street rivals. On Google Street view, when you put the orange icon on the road, you can see both stadiums in one shot.

What’s even more cool is that there is a third stadium in the photo – on the bottom right. This is remarkably the The GA Arena, which is home to Dundee United Women’s team, so here in essence it could be the three closest stadiums in the UK however that would be cheating as two of them are actually…the same club. Dundee United FC running two of them, so I’m sticking with the fact that these are the two closest UK stadiums to have hosted a top division match in their country. These other contenders just miss the cut…and just for good measure, I visited them all too – watching a match in 5 out of the below 6!

1.Bangor Amateurs FC and Bangor FC, Northern Ireland

These clubs are separated by a FENCE and are the closest two separate clubs and stadiums in the UK but they have never played each other in top division of Northern Ireland. You can read about it here – UK’s closest two football stadiums.

2.Nottingham Forest FC and Notts County FC, England

These two clubs can probably lay claim to the closest two football stadiums in the top division of England to have played each other, and they did that as recently as 1992, ending in a 1-1 draw at The City Ground.

3.Everton FC and Liverpool FC

These iconic stadiums are separated by a park. Stanley Park and admittedly, having watched AFC Bournemouth play live away at both, they are not really that close. But they are the two clubs with the most proximity in comparison to trophies won in the UK football world. A decent claim to fame but move over, and we’re back to Dundee…

For years the Dundee geek fact has been known but it wasn’t until September 2022 that I finally made it here and when I did, it was a very odd and random trip. I was in Newcastle with some friends watching AFC Bournemouth play and the plan was to also visit Hadrian’s Wall, Sunderland, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Loch Ness and Dundee. The only reason for Dundee was to see these two stadiums and the day we were here was the day of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II! We visited both stadiums, then an asshole wanker due in prison gave my rented car a fake parking ticket and we watched the Queen’s Funeral. The stadiums were easy to drive to. I parked at Dundee United FC first…in fact I had an orange car that day…

Dundee United FC

Before I visited Dundee United FC in 2022, I already had two links to the clubs. Firstly, my Northern Irish top flight team of choice, Glentoran FC played Dundee United in the European Cup Winners Cup in 1988. Secondly, I recounted a random night out on the rip in Tasmania while staying at the Brunswick Hotel, the day I fainted on getting a medical for my New Zealand Working Holiday Visa way back in 2010. I had been drinking with Richard Codd that night, a staunch Dundee United FC fan who I’d later meet up with in Brisbane as we both backpacked Australia at the same time!

Dundee United FC – Established 1909
Stadium – Tannadice Park, Dundee, Scotland
Colours – Tangerine and Black
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/dundeeunitedfc
Twitter – https://twitter.com/dundeeunitedfc
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/dundeeunitedfc/
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dundee_United_F.C.
Website – https://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/
Current League – Scottish Premier League
Glory Days Loyal – UEFA Cup Runners Up 1987, European Cup semi finals 1984 (cheated out of the final due to match fixing), 100% record v. Barcelona (4 wins out of 4), Scottish League 1984, Scottish Cup 1993, 2010.
Famous Former Players – Maurice Malpas, Duncan Ferguson, Warren Feeney, Michael O’Neill, Richard Gough, Eamonn Bannon, Kevin Gallagher.

Dundee FC – Dens Park

I had no links down the years to the other club – Dundee FC but I had remembered that Argentina legend Claudio Caniggia once played for them, here at Dens Park. It is important to note that Dundee FC are the oldest club here by some distance – dating back to 1893!

Dundee FC – Established 1893
Stadium – Dens Park, Dundee, Scotland
Colours – Dark Blue and White
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/dundeefcofficial/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/dundeefc/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/dundeefcofficial/
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dundee_F.C.
Website – https://dundeefc.co.uk/
Current League – Scottish Premier League
Glory Days Loyal – European Cup semi finals 1963, Scottish Cup 1910, Scottish League 1962.
Famous Former Players – Alan Gilzean, Niall McGinn, Claudia Caniggia.

Unfortunately as I was there the day of the Queen’s Funeral, neither of the clubs were open and there were no matches on. The dream was just to see them, bad timing I guess but that’s life. I still got to see both stadiums.

Here are a hat-trick of videos I made at Dundee United FC and Dundee FC: