This is an interview carried out by Robert Laird, Editor of “Boab’s little piece of Scotland” Website with Grahame Couttie of the Highland Dark Blues.
RL:-Grahame, what’s your age?
RL:-How long have you been a Dundee fan?
RL:-You are a Member of the Highland Dark Blues, how long have you lived outside of Dundee?
RL:-Who’s idea was it to form the Highland Dark Blues and how big is their catchment area? Then John Huband did the same thing a little later and it snowballed from there. The catchment area stretches from Elgin in the East to perhaps Ft William in the South West, and all points North. The nucleus of supporters are in the Inverness area, but this year we are ‘taking the word of the Dee’ out to some of our more distant members by holding some meetings in their areas.
RL:-Do you travel to the games by car or do you share cars?
RL:-Are you married?
RL:-Have you brainwashed your kids to being Dee’s also?
RL:-Does your wife bother the fact you follow Dundee everywhere?
RL:-You must spend a fortune watching Dundee has there ever been a time where you’ve thought is it worth it anymore?
RL:-What’s been your most memorable experience following Dundee apart from winning the Predictions Competition on this site?
RL:-What’s been your most forgettable experience?
RL:-What’s been your most humorous experience whilst following the Dee?
RL:-Who’s been your favorite player to wear the Dark Blue in all your time as a Dundee fan?
RL:-If you were the Dundee Manager who would you sign?
RL:-Who’s your current favorite Dundee player?
RL:-Were you surprised when Jim Duffy was appointed as Ivano’s replacement?
RL:-Are you happy at the direction the team, seem to be going?
RL:-How do you get most of your information about the club, is it from the News, the Official Website or the many unofficial Websites?
RL:-How many points did you think you’d get before the season started last season?
RL:-Do you think your Predictions this season will let you hold onto your title as equal Top Pundit?
I hope this open informal interview has helped give Dundee fans some insight into what an exciled Dee goes through in supporting our team.
Thanks again to Grahame Couttie of the Highland Dark Blues and congratulations on winning the Predictions from Season 2001-2002.
GC:-I am 47 years old – but act like I’m 27.
GC:-Since I was about 9 or 10. I remember my Dad taking me to the Provie Road end with his mates, and sitting on a barrier. It was a mid-week game against Hibs which finished 0-0
GC:-I have been in Inverness since 1979.
GC:-Danny Cameron of Forres, a founder member of the Aberdeen Branch I believe, read some of my posts on the Official Website and got in touch with a view to establishing a supporters club. We didn’t get much of a response.
GC:-We share cars. There are up to 10 travelling members for the games against Utd and the like, with around 5 or 6 for most other games depending on work and shift patterns etc.
Do you have kids?
GC:- I am married with a daughter, nearly 18
GC:-Unfortunately, my wife thinks I am a sad, sad person, but my daughter was with me at Tannadice to witness THAT goal from James Grady! She still doesn’t know what all the fuss was about!
GC:-Yes. But only really when there’s work to be done around the house. The difficulty is when I try to fit in away games as well, like the Aberdeen and Hearts matches followed by Rangers at Dens. But I’m working on my Brownie points.
GC:-Not really. It was sad to see 1500 or so, rattling around Dens when we were in the 1st Division, and I didn’t get to as many games back then. But once a Dee always a Dee.
GC:-It must be that 4-2 win over Cologne! It’s one of those occasions never to be forgotten. I can even remember George Davis commentating on the highlights on BBC when I got home, I stayed in Invergowrie then. Then there was the post mortem in the next day’s ‘Tele’ which I read going home in the bus from work, right down to the ‘fireworks’ cartoon!
GC:-Travelling all of 10 miles to Dingwall to be put out of the Cup by Ross County! Dire or what?
GC:-The Highland Dark Blues’ trip to the Motherwell game and then onto the DSA Player’s Dinner last May. Six of us travelled in kilts and top to the match and it was a hoot from start to finish. Good company, good ‘craic’ – and the whisky wasn’t bad either!
GC:-Difficult one. Choose any from John Duncan, Jim Steele, Jocky Scott, Tommy Coyne,James Grady and Claudio Caniggia. (imagine mentioning those two in the same sentence!)
GC:-Thierry Henri. But as we can’t afford him. I’ll settle for Henrik Larson!
GC:-Caballero has the flair, Georgi the ‘dancing feet’ but Lee Wilkie stands, literally, head and shoulders above them just now. If Scotland are looking for a new Colin Hendry they should look no further than Lee Wilkie. (written before the Iceland game!)
GC:-Yes, because Peter Marr had gone on record as saying he would never go back to having a Scottish manager. But the board’s choices have always taken the Dee to a higher level, and that’s good enough for me.
GC:-So far, so good. JD seems to have an eye for a player, Hutchison and Brady for example, and he has been quick to promote the youngsters who were on the fringe, and they haven’t let him down. Team spirit seems to be mentioned frequently in the press, and this can be the equivalent to an extra man, in some matches. Most importantly, they are starting to look like a team not 11 individuals. And JD has only been here three months!
GC:-The Official Website mainly, with links into the other sites, and the link to the Courier and Tele. Difficult to get them this far North!
GC:-Points? Never gave it a thought really. I knew my heart was ruling my head with some of my predictions, and DFC might cost me points!
GC:-Doesn’t look too good at present, but at least Utd are at the right end!