It took United only four minutes to ease some of that tension with a superb opening goal from Ralph Milne, a great chip from outside the area - a goal fit to win this or any other championship - but this was only the start.
United were to go further ahead but not before a heart-stopping moment when David Narey went charging into the box and he was upended by McGeachie - a penalty no doubt. Eamonn Bannon took the kick, Kelly parried the shot, but Bannon was on hand to smash home the rebound. United were in dreamland now but Dundee were not just going to roll over; they still had a heart-stopping moment or two in store for their neighbours.
Ian Ferguson was to score for Dundee to make it a nervous time for the United players but Jim McLean's men held on and clinched their first ever championship in their 79-year history and how the United fans loved this!
The players carried Jim McLean shoulder high as sheer emotion took over. United had done it, they had gone the distance and came out on top. A new record of scoring 90 goals as United's attacking play was rewarded. 56 points, one ahead of both Celtic and Aberdeen in an incredible championship race that United deserved to win. Tayside was going to party from Saturday right through till their beautiful Sunday!
Throughout the '80s United had many memorable nights in Europe, playing teams such as Manchester United (2-2 at Old Trafford, losing 3-2 at Tannadice), getting to the quarter finals stages twice in both 81/82 and 82/83 and beating the likes of PSV Edinhoven, Werder Bremen, AS Monaco, Borussia Monchengladbach.
But with winning the Premier League came a place in the European Cup. In a superb run they beat Hamrun Spartans, Standard Liege, Rapid Vienna en route to a semi-final appearance against Italian giants AS Roma, winning the first leg 2-0 but going down 3-0 in the second leg, a heartbreaking end to a truly superb run from the Tannadice men. As that European adventure ended, three years later another European adventure would begin.
The other half of the New Firm, Aberdeen, would become a major thorn in the side of not just the Old Firm but United and also some of the very best teams from around Europe. Hard lessons had been learnt from previous European ventures and heartbreaks in cup finals in previous years. But Scottish and European football were about to witness a major force – a team from the north called Aberdeen and a manager called Alex Ferguson!
Not since 1954/55 had Aberdeen been able to win the Scottish Championship but the team in 1979/80 were about to write their names in the history books of this great club. Players who were nearly men would now become winners and the fear of playing the Glasgow giants would be no more.
Alex Ferguson could not understand why players would celebrate a draw with Glasgow's big two like a victory. Things would have to change and quickly if the Dons were to be successful and if the club was to challenge the Glasgow clubs and United for major honours in the Scottish game.
