DUNDEE TOP OF BOOZING LEAGUE - LEIGHTON

Jim Leighton has claimed that Dundee were a team of boozers when he joined in 1992.

It is the latest accusation to be published in an already controversial serialisation of his autobiography in a Sunday newspaper.

Leighton, who has already been highly critical of Sir Alex Ferguson and Craig Brown, claims that former Dundee boss Simon Stainrod made his life hell at Dens Park.

He wrote in the Sunday Mail: "When I ended my Manchester United hell with a transfer to Dundee in 1992 I thought my darkest days in football had gone. I was wrong.

"Instead of finding an ambitious club prepared to make good their assurances that more big-name signings would follow, I found nothing but broken promises and a dressing room of drinkers. "If there had been a World Cup for boozers I can think of a few who would have been medal winners."

Leighton also branded Stainrod as "cocky and arrogant", "obnoxious as a boss" and said he was hurt when the former Sheffield United player claimed the goalkeeper could not handle the new backpass rule.

Leighton revealed he had also turned down a chance to sign for top German club Werder Bremen to join Dundee.

Stainrod rejected the claims and countered that Leighton had a "victimisation complex" He added: "Dundee could not have survived in the Premier League with a team of boozers. It simply can't be done and the criticism is a slur on the reputation of many fine players.

"We had camaraderie at Dens, not alcoholism."

Stainrod also defended his decision to drop Leighton after letting in six against Partick Thistle. He said: "It was the worst display I had ever seen and I couldn't sleep that night for thinking about it. That decision was one of the best I ever made in management."