Jim Goodwin urges Dundee United to give fans long-awaited ‘day out at Hampden’

Jim Goodwin has challenged Dundee United to earn their supporters a first day out at Hampden for more than eight years by defeating Motherwell in Friday’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Fir Park.

Covid restrictions meant no fans were in attendance for the Tannadice side’s last semi-final appearance as they lost 2-0 to Hibernian in the last four of the Scottish Cup in May 2021.

Prior to that, their last involvement in such a match was in April 2016 when they lost a Scottish Cup semi to Hibs following a penalty shootout.

“There’s an opportunity there for us to get to a semi-final, to get a day out at Hampden for our supporters, something that’s not happened for a considerable period of time,” United manager Goodwin said on Wednesday.

“The last time the club was there was during Covid and obviously there were no fans in attendance so you’ve got to go back more than eight years for the last they’ve had the opportunity to experience that.

“That’s a huge incentive for us and obviously a lot of our players who are new to the Scottish game will have never played at Hampden so there’s a lot of different incentives there for everyone.”

Goodwin is hoping United, whose eight-game unbeaten run was ended at home to Rangers on Sunday, can rise to the occasion in front of their 2,000 travelling supporters at Fir Park on Friday.

“We’re prepared for a really tough game because Motherwell were on a very good run of form prior to the Aberdeen game on Sunday, when I thought they were very unfortunate not to take something,” he said.

“It should hopefully be an entertaining game between two decent teams going at it.

“I love Friday night football and I think a lot of players do. We experienced a lot of it in the Championship last season and it’s always great, football under the lights and hopefully a good atmosphere generated by both sets of supporters.”