It’s been a challenging week as we had an unexpected family emergency on Wednesday that turned the week upside down.
I was due to commentate on Celtic vs LASK and cover Motherwell vs Freiburg for World Football Index but those commitments had to be forgone as I needed to be at home.
I am thankful for the well wishes of readers, friends and contacts who reached out to me. Thankfully, all is now well and I’m now back at things. Anyway, enough about me, here is the latest column.
Dundee Delight Fans With Derby Victory
Dundee emerged victorious in the Dundee derby at Tannadice on Saturday, defeating Dundee United 2-0 to underline what has been an encouraging start to the Scottish Premiership season.
I have waxed lyrical about the impact of Steven Pressley at the club in previous columns, but I am going to do it again today.
He has built an incredibly well-balanced Dundee team that looks capable of taking the game to anyone in the Scottish Premiership on their day.
There is still a long way to go and it is only three games into the campaign, but the early evidence suggests Dundee have the ingredients to push for a top-six finish.
They were deserved winners at Tannadice, with Drey Wright opening the scoring shortly before half-time before Owen Bevan doubled their advantage in the second half. It was a composed and disciplined performance from Pressley’s side, who were defensively sound and showed greater quality when the important moments arrived.
That victory means Dundee have taken six points from their opening three league matches, having already beaten Aberdeen and narrowly lost to Celtic. They have also now won three of their last four visits to Tannadice.
Of course, injuries and suspensions will inevitably arrive as the season progresses and the depth of the squad will be tested. That may ultimately determine whether they can sustain a top-six challenge.
But why shouldn’t they aim high?
Pressley knows his surroundings, understands the expectations and, at present, has the Dundee supporters firmly in the palm of his hand. There is a real sense that something is being built at Dens Park.
Pressure Rising For Jim Goodwin?
Jim Goodwin has done a solid job over the piece at Dundee United.
He led them back into the Premiership by winning the Scottish Championship and has comfortably kept them in the division during each of his two top-flight seasons.
However, there had been a growing sense among sections of the United support towards the end of last season that the style of football was becoming difficult to watch.
When results are strong, supporters are generally happy to accept functional football. When results begin to disappear, however, questions naturally follow about whether somebody else could get more from the same group of players.
United’s opening-day 1-1 draw with Rangers offered plenty of reason for optimism. Since then, though, the picture has changed dramatically.
They were beaten 4-0 by Hearts before Celtic inflicted another 4-0 defeat in the League Cup. Dundee then completed a miserable run with Saturday’s 2-0 derby victory. That means United have conceded ten goals across their last three matches without scoring.
Goodwin is not under immediate pressure, nor should he be.
He has earned credit for what he has achieved at Tannadice.
But football is an unforgiving business and momentum can change quickly. United now need results, and soon, because if this run continues, the questions that existed last season will become considerably louder.
Community rally around Morton
Morton suffered another defeat at the weekend, this time losing 2-1 to Arbroath at Cappielow.
The visitors looked set to leave with a point before Arbroath captain Tam O’Brien struck in the 93rd minute to secure victory for the Smokies.
On-field disappointment, though, has almost felt secondary to the off-field issues dominating Morton’s season.
Ian Murray recently warned that the club could face the unthinkable prospect of forfeiting fixtures because of the lack of players available to him. Morton subsequently made clear that they have no intention of forfeiting any scheduled match, but the fact the conversation has even reached that point tells you how serious the situation has become.
The club’s financial problems have been well documented.
Dalrada, whose additional sponsorship commitment for the coming season amounts to £195,000, has fallen behind with payments. The club has confirmed that only £7,000 was received in July and nothing had been received in August at the time of its latest update.
Meanwhile, a proposed investment from Estrella Football Group collapsed after concerns were raised over the terms of the deal, including the level of control and veto powers that would have been granted to the investors. Estrella had been proposing an investment worth £600,000 over three years.
The scale of the challenge is significant, but so too has been the response from the community.
Morton launched a Fighting Fund alongside Morton Club Together, asking supporters to contribute whatever they could to help the club navigate the immediate financial pressure.
That support has been remarkable.
Within hours of the appeal launching, thousands had already been raised, and the total has since climbed beyond £30,000 according to reports. It is a magnificent response and a reminder of the unique relationship that exists between a football club and its community.
I made the mistake early in my football writing career of overstating the strength of my connection to Morton, something I deeply regret now because it was unfair to the club’s genuine supporters.
At the time, I had been advised not to reveal my true footballing allegiance, which is Celtic, out of concern that doing so might hinder my development as a young football writer.
In hindsight, I wish I had handled that differently, because the perception I created was unfair to those who genuinely support Morton and have done so throughout their lives.
That being said, both my mum and dad took me to Cappielow on several occasions during my youth when Jim McInally was manager. Players such as Chris Millar and Jim McAlister were establishing themselves in the team with Peter Weatherson as the talisman, supported by the likes of Ryan Harding, Stewart Greacen and Jamie Stevenson.
I genuinely do have a lot of warmth towards Morton as a result and have taken my niece and nephew to Cappielow to watch games from the main stand over the years as they’ve grown.
I’ve also got to know many of the people who work at the club over the years too and they deserve immense credit for how they’ve stood up to be counted for the club when it’s mattered most.
General manager Mark Kelly is the perfect example of this. He has been working tirelessly behind the scenes, doing whatever is required to support the club through this difficult period. That commitment matters. Kelly is a lifelong Morton supporter who has been with the club since 2020, initially as a volunteer before progressing into commercial and now general management roles.
Having people like Kelly working inside the club gives me genuine hope for Morton’s future. When a club is community owned, you need people involved who understand that they are custodians of something that belongs to the supporters. At a time of significant uncertainty, having someone with a deep personal connection to Morton prepared to put in the hours and do whatever is necessary is hugely valuable.
And that is why, beyond the football and beyond the current results, it is difficult to see a club with such deep roots in its community facing such uncertainty.
Morton needs help, and the response from Inverclyde has shown that the people of the area are not prepared to simply stand by and watch their club struggle.
If you are able to support the Morton Fighting Fund, the link to do so is available below.
Callum McFadden 