Local derbies are part of what makes football so special—having bragging rights over your biggest and most fierce rivals is one of the best feelings in the world.
Arguably, no two clubs in world football understand that better than Dundee and Dundee United—a pair of rivals whose grounds, Dens Park and Tannadice Park, respectively, are just 0.2 miles apart, making them the two closest football stadiums in the United Kingdom.
That said, rivals can and often have shared a home ground. Take Italian giants AC and Inter Milan, for example. So, why do Dundee and Dundee United have separate stadiums?
Dundee vs Dundee United: A fierce rivalry
For these two clubs, sharing a stadium makes complete sense from a purely business perspective – the running costs and financial risk of owning a ground would halve for each. Some may argue that not sharing a venue when two clubs are located so close together is a wasted opportunity.
However, the rivalry between the two sides is not just historic but also incredibly fierce, and their respective fanbases would likely be enraged if a joint stadium venture ever occurred.
The ‘Dundee Derby' is widely regarded as one of the most exciting fixtures in Scottish football. The atmosphere created by the two sets of extremely passionate supporters is a huge reason for that, and disrupting that could potentially have hugely detrimental effects in the long term.
Euro 2008
The two closest football grounds in the UK: Dundee United’s Tannadice and Dundee’s Dens Park. Both only 0.2 miles apart from each other. pic.twitter.com/s5nu4mugi2
— Football Away Days (@AwayDays_) January 10, 2019
But, that doesn't mean it has never been discussed, in fact, building a brand-new, 30,000-seater stadium in Dundee – one that both teams would share – was put forward as part of Scotland's bid to host Euro 2008.
Ultimately, the bid was unsuccessful, but the plan was approved, and it is the closest we have ever come to Dundee and Dundee United sharing a ground.
At the time, both clubs released a statement that said: “The boards of Dundee FC and Dundee United FC believe that sharing a stadium would not present any major problems to either club.”
Although both were keen to rubbish reports that the move would eventually lead to a merger of the two clubs.
A new home for Dundee
However, any possibility of a shared stadium between the two sides looks to be slim at best nowadays with Dundee advancing with plans to move away from their current home at Dens Park to a brand-new facility at Camperdown.
The project is expected to be heard at the City Council in November, with the club eager to complete the relocation by the end of 2025, although that date will likely be pushed back into the start of 2026.
It would be an excellent move for Dundee and would go some way to permanently ending the conversation of the Dees one day sharing a ground with Dundee United.