Dundee North End (Scotland)

Dundee North End FC is a Scottish non-league Junior football club from the Tayside city of Dundee, who were formed in 1895, becoming Dundee Junior League champions in their debut season.

The same league competition was won in 1905-06, 1908-09, 1914-15, 1956-57 and 1959-60 before the club progressed to the Tayside League while picking up a collection of regional cup wins.

Future Hibernian and Scotland legend Gordon Smith began his career at North End before moving on in 1942. Dundee United keeper Hamish McAlpine learnt his trade between the sticks at the club before moving to Tannadice until 1966.

‘The Dokens’ became Division One winners of the Tayside League in 1978-79 before picking up the Premier Division title in 1997-98, before finishing runners-up the following two seasons, and then becoming a founder member of the SJFA East Region Super League in 2002-03.

In 2003-04, the Dokens were relegated to the Tayside Premier Division, winning its title twelve months later. The side went back down a level at the end of the 2005-06 campaign to the newly formed First Division. North End went down a further level in 2008-09 to the North Division.

The side ended as runners-up in 2010-11 and 2011-12 before winning the title in 2013-14 to win promotion to the Premier League after restructuring of the East Region SJFA had taken place. However, their spell at the higher level lasted just one season.

The North Division was won once again in 2017-18 following the appointment of manager Ross Lunan, before the title was retained in 2018-19 with North End being promoted to the East Superleague North. Yet another league reorganisation, prompted by many clubs joining the SFA East of Scotland League, saw the Dokens placed in the Midlands League for the 2021-22 season.

Former Cardiff City defender, Kevin McNaughton, alongside Lewis Toshney, were appointed as joint-managers in October 2022, taking the side to the league title in 2023-24. However, they were without a license and ineligible to take on the final placed Highland League champions in a playoff, the winners of which would play in the Highland League the following season.

The title was retained in the 2024-25 season, with the Dokens still ineligible to progress up the Scottish Football League pyramid.

Dundee North End FC will play in the SJFA Midlands League in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Sunday 19th January 2020

It was a cold Sunday lunchtime with North End, the last of three Dundee non-league grounds on my tick list. My aide, Prorege from the Non-League Matters forum, had been most helpful with tips throughout the weekend, and he suggested keeping this venue until after midday.

His rationale was that the social club would be open for business to allow me access inside, as there weren’t too many photo opportunities without entry. All had gone to plan as I headed back up the hill after collecting my rail replacement tickets for later in the day from the station.

The 22 bus from Cardshall dropped me at the Dundee Contract Services stop on Strathmartine Road, from where I wandered along Clepington Road, Smith Street and Fairfield Road, from where I took some limited shots of North End Park.

The social club was impressive, and not unlike many others of its ilk that I’d visited over the years. I explained what I was doing and bought a pint of Tennants while the lady behind the bar dealt with customers arriving for bingo and the raffle.

I felt quite young around the faces, all looking and wondering who the stranger was. A couple were coming in and out of the fire exit at the back of the main room, so I seized my opportunity to go outside and look at the ground.

It was another decent ground in a football-rich city. A significant terraced cover stood in the centre down the left touchline. A grass bank enclosed the end behind the far goal. The rest of the ground was open flat standing, with the clubhouse behind the goal offering views from upstairs.

Everything seemed well-maintained and cared for. I returned indoors to finish my pint. I walked back round and found the main gates on Fairmuir Street wide open with access to the ground. Ten minutes later, and there'd have been no need to go inside for a pint! 

That said, I'm glad that I had. It's always good to spend cash at smaller clubs. I walked back to the Travelodge on Strathmore Avenue to collect my bag and then head for some lubrication in Frews Bar before the Dundee United v Motherwell Scottish Cup tie.