When Dundee became Deefiant and why Sean Higgins scored with a steak in his boot

It has been 15 years since the Dark Blues were deducted 25 points yet battled to safety in amazing fashion. George Cran. Several heroes emerged during Dundee’s Deefiant season.

Fans, players, coaches, officials, board members, office personnel, ground workers, and anyone else left behind as a result of administrative layoffs.

They all banded together in the most astonishing way to avoid the harshest of punishments. All are heroes who helped save Dundee Football Club.

Not only was the club shaken by its second administration in less than a decade, but the league also stripped them of 25 points – more than they had on November 1, 2010 – and gave them only a 50% chance of survival.

It couldn’t get much worse for a football club. The worst of times, however, drew out the best in individuals. What was virtually the final season of Dundee’s existence as a club turned out to be the greatest escape act in its long, long history.

There were numerous heroes that season. Only one, however, finished with a winning goal and a £1.49 steak in his boot. This is his narrative of that extraordinary campaign.

Scoring against Dundee – and winning a contract

Sean Higgins had spent his whole career with Ross County, but he got restless in 2009 when his contract with Dingwall expired.

The Staggies were striving to avoid relegation from the First Division (now known as the Championship), while Jocky Scott’s Dee were looking for promotion to the top tier, as only one team was promoted back then.

That promotion fantasy, however, would perish at the hands of Higgins. “I was becoming a Bosman in the summer and was free to talk to clubs,” Higgins tells Courier Sport.

“And Jocky Scott had spoken with me. I played against Dundee at County near the end of the season, and I scored late, thereby ending Dundee’s late title push.

“However, it was time for a change at the end of the season. I got other offers, but Dundee was the one that jumped out to Jocky.

“I love Jocky and still communicate with him. “Amazing person, fantastic boss, and excellent coach. I could not say a harsh word about him.”

‘Found out on Sky Sports’

His time with Jocky, as well as Scott’s third stint as manager at Dens Park, would come to an end sooner than either side had hoped.

Despite being at the top of the league and having won the Challenge Cup, Dundee fired their manager.

“We were at the top of our league. “I remember the cup final; we were 2-0 down at halftime but came back to win 3-2,” Higgins recounted. “But the reports afterward were that the board had decided that Jocky would go down 2-0.

“But obviously, we turned things around and kept him on the job. We were still flying in the league, and they only wanted their own man in. “When they fired Jocky, I found out on Sky Sports News.

I could not believe it. “Chissy (Gordon Chisholm) came in, and things didn’t go well. He appeared in the press and addressed the team briefly.

So it wasn’t great, and we finished 12 points behind Inverness in the end. “Then obviously the summer came and there were rumours of financial problems.”

‘Gary nearly crashed the car’

Those rumours would come true, with debts of around £2 million and a £420,000 demand from HMRC forcing the club into administration.

Chisholm and assistant Billy Dodds were fired, along with nine first-team players, leaving only 11 senior players on the roster. Youth coach Barry Smith, a club icon with over 400 appearances, would take over team management.

That was in the middle of October. A few weeks later, the governing body stepped in to exacerbate the suffering by penalising Dundee with 25 points.

On October 31, the Dark Blues ranked fourth in the rankings. After 24 hours, they were 20 points down at the bottom with no games played.

“We knew there would be a deduction, there were numbers flying about constantly,” Higgins told me. “I believe 25 was mentioned, and we all chuckled, as if it would ever happen.

“I was driving down the road with Gary Irvine when it came on the radio and we found out.

Gary almost crashed the car! “It was a shock, and looking back, after two administrations, they wanted to punish Dundee so severely that they were almost relegated.” “I think if Dundee were relegated, I don’t think there would be a Dundee anymore.”

Resilience and Deefiance

The surviving players banded together in the wake of the deduction. Partick Thistle was the opening match. Dens Park saw the largest crowd of the season to show their support.

And were rewarded with a late Jamie Adams goal to spark the most amazing of comebacks. “It was sad to see boys go then seeing the kit woman being upset, it’s just not a nice thing for anybody,” Higgins tells me.

“Big Rab (Douglas) was a driver in keeping the squad together, saying it’s beyond our control and we just have to do what we can on the pitch.

“The boys didn’t care about money; all we wanted to do was win whatever game was in front of us.” “Big Rab and Barry Smith were exceptional.

“The most important thing was to go out and practice, work hard, and try to obtain a result, even if we were down to 11 players, including young guys and trialists.

“For the first game, all we wanted to do was get something on the board.

“Then we could see the crowd getting behind us and that was the start of the relationship between the players and fans.”

Loophole

A flaw in the regulations was used to assist this most stretched of squads. Despite the transfer embargo, the club could still sign trialists.

However, they were only allowed to play three matches. So the search was underway.

Neil McCann returned from retirement to wear the dark blue and score a dramatic, unforgettable winner against Raith Rovers.

Craig Robertson, a junior player, fulfilled the fantasy of any Dundee supporter by answering Smith’s appeal.

He had previously donated his testimonial fee from Lochee United to the struggling Dark Blues, but he would also join as a trialist later in the season.

Despite the shrinking number of senior players and the hardship they encountered, Dundee continued to win, score points, and move slowly towards safety.

“It was a collaborative effort.

Obviously, the players received a lot of credit, and we had to perform, but there were other things going on in the background, such as fundraising,” Higgins explained.

“I think everybody has to take just as much credit as the players.

“Because the squad was so small, we had to play through the pain barrier and for longer periods of time than usual. “It was simply get the head down, pull your socks up, and deal with it.

“You had to control your body throughout the week, but we trained hard. “We knew exactly what the job had to be and then we went on that amazing unbeaten run, it was incredible.”

There’s a steak in my boot

With such a thin roster, injuries hurt even more than normal. Numbers were so scant on the ground that anyone missing left a massive void that could never be replaced.

Those who were absent couldn’t help but feel they were letting their teammates down, although having done nothing wrong. So any solution was devised to alleviate any concerns.

And Higgins employed the most odd method to treat a foot ailment. “I injured my foot the game before we played Queen of the South. “I took a shot and then kicked the bottom of the defender’s studs,” Higgins explained.

“It was painful. It could have been a tiny fracture. “But at that moment, I felt really sure. I’m in love with football. “I believed we were making it through the season.

“On Thursday, I attempted strappings and injections, but nothing worked. I was sitting on the treatment table, and everyone was smashing their heads together.

“Then Neil McCann came in and mentioned the Moroccan boy from Coventry, Mustapha Hadji, who had used a steak in his boot.” “To be honest, I assumed he was joking. “I said, ‘What, a steak?'”

“But I had tried everything else, so I gave it a shot. “We went to the local butcher and ordered a fried steak to put on. It worked really well. “I trained on Friday.

Because if it did not work, I would be unable to play on Saturday. It was quite painful. “It was also my right foot, which I used for kicking.

My left foot was for standing. “Anytime I struck the ball or attempted to control it, the pain was there. “Somehow, the steak absorbed the pressure and pain.”

“I managed to get through the Friday training session and used it on Saturday and scored!”

Final flourish

He would end the most amazing of seasons as Dundee’s leading league goalscorer. However, that would be his ultimate desire. And his final outing with the Dark Blues. The issue, however, was not with the foot.

“My knee went into the game,” he explained. “A lot of people think it’s because I played with a foot ailment, but it was actually my knee, and I had surgery. “I understood what had happened right away because my left knee had gone the season before.

My cartilage had worn away in both knees. “Thanks to the surgeons for mending it, I’m still playing in O/35s and O/40s. “Unfortunately, that was my final outing, but I finished with a good goal.

“And the celebration, obviously.”

‘Half-cut with two beers!’

Higgins pretended to eat the steak in his boot while enjoying the cheers from the Dens Park crowd.

He’d be back to celebrate when his old club, Ross County, was assured of safety with two games remaining. “Leighton (McIntosh) scored and I’ll never forget those scenes,” said the director.

“We were on the pitch, which was unusual because I had been a Ross County player for so long.

“I was still drinking at the time. “We were all drinking on the bus on our way back down the road.

I believe we were all emotionally weary. “I believe we were all half-cut after two beers! “It was sheer relief. The mission was fulfilled.

We did our bit, and the fans did theirs, therefore it was up to the administration and the board to ensure that the books were properly ordered.

Fortunately, such was the case. “Making sure Dundee survived, that was the main thing.” Despite the 25-point deduction, Dundee finished sixth in the First Division.

An astonishing feat that etched itself onto the history of the club.

It was the worst of times that brought the best of responses.

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