The staggering Dundee United and Barcelona truth from 1987 as Tannadice legend spells out modern era financial boom
Eamonn Bannon glanced over the programme from Dundee United 's famous triumph over Barcelona recently - and his eyes almost popped out at what he was reading.
His old chairman pleading poverty over the cost of a Euro quarter-final against the La Liga giants at the Nou Camp.
If ever words emphasised the seismic changes in European football in the past four decades not least the eye watering TV megabucks now swirling round the elite level then it was those penned by George Fox ahead of United's 1987 UEFA Cup clash with the Catalan giants.
A last eight tie where Jim McLean 's Terrors dumped Barca home AND away on their incredible run to the final no less.
Those kind of results might seem like fantasyland for United supporters nowadays.
But the chance to enter a millionaires' playground is very real even if United are only in the third tier Europa Conference League.
And that, says Bannon, is why nobody will be turning their nose up at a trip to face the Luxembourg minnows Una Strassen on Thursday.
If Jim Goodwin 's side can finish the job on the minnows, United will stand two qualifying rounds away from a lucrative place in the league phase - worth an estimated £5million.
Bannon said: 'This is massive for as club like Dundee United. It's great to see them back in Europe. European football now is a great money-spinner for clubs.
'Someone recently showed me the match day programme from when we played Barcelona in 1987. A two-legged tie that remains one of the highlights of Dundee United's entire existence.
'But I was amazed by what I read. In it was an article written by the chairman George Fox, who was an accountant.
'And all he talked about was how much the game was costing the club! It's incredible.
'It's probably one of the highlights of Dundee United's entire history yet all his focus was on how it was costing the club money for this and costing the club money for that.
'That was reality back in those days, These trips didn't come at a financial loss - but not far off it. There was a little bit of TV money but nothing like you see now.
'Look at Hearts, they got something like £6 million last season from the Conference League without getting to the knockout stage.
'Relatively speaking, it's huge money compared to what it used to be. So it's well worth it.
'That's got to be the target for United. That's where the money is. Hibs are trying to do similar things.
'Just try and qualify and then you're guaranteed six games in the Conference League. It brings an awful lot of money into the coffers.'
Meanwhile, Bannon reckons the Tannadice club's first ever starting XI without a Scot is a sad reflection on the country's youth system.
Jim Goodwin sent out a side with no home grown players in Thursday's 1-0 Europa Conference League qualifying win against Luxembourg side Una Strassen.
It's the first time in United's history they've not had even one Scot in the line-up for a competitive game.
And Bannon said: 'Those days are long gone. I don't think we'll be seeing that again.
'You can go back to the Lisbon Lions team that were all born within 60 miles of Glasgow.
'But teams have moved on, football has moved on.
'I don't find it sad. I don't mind the fact there's foreign players coming into this country.
'But what is sad is that we're clearly not producing our own players.
'I remember four or five years ago watching Arsenal against Chelsea in the Premier League and of the 22 starting players there wasn't a single Englishman.
'It's unfortunate but it's just an indication of where football is going.
'Basically because we're not producing our own talent unfortunately they are having to bring in players from all over the world.
'It's an open market now and I think clubs see value in players from certain countries abroad.
'Money usually drives this. These players will come here because Scotland is paying more money than where they were.'
Bannon became accustomed to reaching the latter stages of European competitions with United under McLean in the 80s.
He was part of the Terrors side that stormed to the semi final of the European Cup in 1984 - only to throw away a 2-0 first leg lead over Roma in a bad-tempered and controversy-laced 3-0 defeat in Italy.
Roma director Riccardo Viola later admitted his club gave French referee Michel Vautrot £50,000 ahead of the second leg in which the Italians progressed to the final where they lost on penalties to Liverpool.
But more than 40 years on Bannon doesn't share McLean or his team mates' sense of grievance, not entirely anyway.
He said: 'It was the heat more than anything that caught us out.
'We actually played in the afternoon for some bizarre reason. It was absolutely roasting, It felt like 40 degrees although it was probably 30.
'They were a good side. I don't remember the referee doing anything crazy. I think they were just looking for an insurance policy if things didn't work out.
'I was getting fouled a lot and not getting a lot of joy. But apart from that, I don't really remember anything glaring.
'We should have actually beat them more than 2-0 at Tannadice. That was our big mistake. We were all over them.
'If we'd made it three or four, then maybe it'd be different. Ifs, buts and maybes.
'They were up to every trick in the book ahead of the second leg. They had scooters going round our hotel at three in the morning.
'They did all that crazy stuff. They accused us of being on drugs because we were so good at Tannadice! That was the headlines all over the paper.
'They weren't very sporting-like, let's put it that way.'
Incredible memories. But that's all they are. However, should United progress past Una Strassen on Thursday they could face a rematch with Rapid Vienna - the Austrians they dumped on away goals in the quarter final of that European Cup run in '84.
Both sides can only dream of their previous Euro status these days.
But Bannon, now running a Guest House in Edinburgh, insists that doesn't mean United fans can't dream of packing their suitcases for another memorable Euro journey.
He said: 'I was talking to a Dundee United supporter a couple of nights ago. He was talking about going over to Vienna if they make it, just for old times' sake. Places like Vienna are nice places to visit. Beautiful architecture, a nice city.
'The days of reaching semi finals and finals are gone, unfortunately. But there's so much value to European competition for clubs like United and it would be great to see them go on a wee run.'
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