James Yuille McLean (2 August 1937 – 26 December 2020) was a Scottish football player, manager and director. He managed Dundee United between 1971 and 1993, becoming the longest-serving and most successful manager in the club's history, winning three major honours. He was also part-time assistant manager to Jock Stein with the Scotland national team.
He led Dundee United to their only Scottish Football League title in 1982–83, following Scottish League Cup wins in 1979 and 1980. Under McLean, the club also lost in a further eight domestic cup finals. In European football, McLean's Dundee United reached the European Cup semi-finals in 1984 and the UEFA Cup final in 1987. He became a Dundee United director in 1984 and served as chairman between 1988 and 2000, when he resigned after punching a reporter. His involvement with the club finally ended in 2002 when he sold his majority shareholding.
His playing career included spells with Hamilton Academical, Clyde, Dundee and Kilmarnock as an inside forward. He was a member of a prominent footballing family; his brothers Tommy and Willie were also successful as players and managers.
McLean's achievements saw him win the first ever SFWA Manager of the Year award in 1987. He was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
Early life
James Yuille McLean was born into a working-class family in Larkhall, Lanarkshire, on 2 August 1937, the second of three sons of Tom and Annie McLean, and grew up in the nearby village of Ashgill. His maternal grandfather William Yuille had been a professional footballer, playing for Rangers before the First World War. Tom McLean, a baker, had been a promising junior footballer before joining the Plymouth Brethren when he married. The three brothers, Willie, Jim and Tommy, who all went on to become professional football players and managers, had a strict religious upbringing. After leaving school McLean served an apprenticeship as a joiner,
In 1956, he started his senior career with Hamilton Academical. He made more than 125 league appearances for Hamilton before leaving in 1960 to join Clyde. After playing in over 100 league games for Clyde, McLean was transferred to Dundee for £10,000 in 1965. In the short term, he used his knowledge of the Scottish scene to buy experienced players who would allow him to re-shape both the squad and the style of play in line with his approach to coaching. As the Scottish leagues were restructured after this season, this position qualified United for the new Premier Division. Ultimately the post went to Jock Stein.
As McLean's youth policy began to bear fruit as a batch of talented young players began to emerge, including Maurice Malpas, Paul Sturrock and David Narey.
In 1982–83, it appeared that United had missed another chance of winning the league championship after they lost to Celtic in the first of two meetings in April. His family were happily settled in the Broughty Ferry area of Dundee, and in June 1984 he turned down an offer to manage English club Newcastle United.
Following his team's League success in 1983, Dundee United made their debut in the European Cup.
For the rest of his managerial career McLean continued to secure United's high standing in domestic football, finishing no lower than fifth between 1976–77 and 1992–93. The last of those cup final defeats was in the "family final" of 1991 against Motherwell, who were managed by his brother Tommy.
Later years
The Dundee United board made McLean a director in 1984; four years later he became chairman and managing director, while still remaining the manager. He retained those joint responsibilities until stepping down as manager in July 1993, after a reign of almost 22 years. He remained as chairman after resigning as manager, stepping down from this role in October 2000 following an attack on BBC Scotland reporter John Barnes. McLean returned briefly in January 2002 as a director but departed a month later. Still a majority shareholder, McLean sold his 42% stake to Eddie Thompson in October 2002, severing his Tannadice ties permanently after more than 30 years.
After football
McLean was recognised for his achievements in football by being inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
McLean contributed a regular column to the Daily Record newspaper, giving his views on football.
McLean was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree by the University of Dundee in 2011, in recognition of his managerial achievements. He was inducted into the Dundee United Hall of Fame in 2015, with the club describing him as "unquestionably, the most successful manager in the club's history, and unlikely to ever be surpassed". As of August 2018, a group of United supporters were organising a fundraising scheme in order to build a statue of McLean outside Tannadice.
In February 2020, the Dundee Repertory Theatre produced a play about McLean's life called Smile. McLean was unable to attend a performance himself due to ill health, but it received the support of his wife Doris and their family.
Death
Following a long battle with dementia, McLean died in December 2020 aged 83. Dundee United stated that: "An integral part of our history and rise to the forefront of European football, Jim was simply a titan of Dundee United folklore, cherished by the United family the world over." McLean's family, in a statement published by United, added: "Jim was a much-loved husband, father, brother, uncle and father-in-law, and we will all sadly miss him. His remarkable six-decade career made him a true legend not only at Dundee United, but across the world of football."
Honours
Player
Clyde
- Scottish Division Two : 1961–62
- Glasgow Charity Cup : 1960–61 (shared)
Dundee
- Forfarshire Cup : 1965–66, 1966–67
Manager
Dundee United
- Scottish Premier Division : 1982–83
- Scottish League Cup : 1979–80, 1980–81
- UEFA Cup : runner-up 1986–87
- Forfarshire Cup: 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88
Individual
- SFWA Manager of the Year: 1987
- Scottish Football Hall of Fame: 2005
- Dundee United Hall of Fame: 2015
- SFA Special Merit Award: 1985
- Honorary Doctor of Law from University of Dundee: 2011
- Scottish Personality / Manager of the Year: 1980–81, 1986–87
See also
- List of longest managerial reigns in association football