Backroom Staff

Peter Houston - Assistant Manager

Born in Baillieston near Glasgow in July 1958, Peter started his footballing career with Airdrieonians which he joined in 1976. He then moved on to Falkirk FC where he played for four years before being transferred to Dumbarton by Alec Totten who had brought him to Falkirk in the first instance and since had taken over at Dumbarton. He spent 18 months at Dumbarton between 1986 and 1988 before re-joining Falkirk where he spent the rest of his playing days. At Falkirk, Manager Jim Jeffries asked him to look after the youth team. At the same time Peter was also instrumental in setting up Falkirk Youth Academy together with John Blackley and United’s current kitman Ian McIntyre who trained the goalkeepers at the time. He subsequently worked as SFA Development Officer at Falkirk. When Jim Jeffries asked him to move to Hearts with him, he became the Reserve and Youth team coach. Once Craig Levein took over as Manager in 2000, he was offered the position of Assistant Manager. All in all, Peter stayed eight-and-a-half years at the Edinburgh club before moving down to Leicester City in 2004 together with Craig in the same position. Since having been released by the English side, Peter focused again on his SFA work tutoring both A and B Licences until the opportunity at Tannadice arose.

Tony Docherty - First Team Coach

Tony Docherty Tony was born in East Kilbride in 1971 and at the age of thirteen he signed as an S-Form. When he left school at the age of sixteen, he signed with Dunfermline. Coincidentally, on the books there at the same time was the then United boss, Ian McCall. Whilst with Dunfermline, Tony also studied at Jordanhill College of Education in Glasgow. He left Dunfermline to play with Cambridge United and later returned to Scotland where he had spells with Stirling Albion, East Stirling and Albion Rovers. It was while he was with the Coatbridge club that he joined the SFA in the Technical Department as a Development Officer for the Glasgow area. He was employed in that capacity for three years before he moved to Falkirk to take up the job of Community Coach. He then began to coach the youths there, eventually coaching the first team when Alex Totten was the Manager. He retained the position of Assistant Coach with Falkirk after Ian McCall took over at Brockville a couple of years later and, when Ian moved to take charge of the team at Tannadice, Tony came as part of the management team and was involved in coaching at all levels, with primary responsibility looking after the youth squad. With the appointment of Gordon Chisholm as Manager, Tony moved up to the position of First Team Coach, a position he held under the management of Craig Brewster and continues to hold under Craig Levein.

Stevie Campbell - Youth Coach

Stevie Campbell Born in Dundee, Stevie started his footballing career as left midfielder at Dundee FC where he played for eight years from 1985 to 1993, a period including winning the First Division Championship in 1992 as well as a few relegation battles. He also played in the Under-19s World Cup Finals in Chile and gained three Under-21s caps in games versus Norway, France and Yugoslavia. He then contracted a knee injury leaving him sidelined for about one year in which he underwent four operations. Having overcome the career-threatening injury, he moved to Northern Ireland where he played for two years with Coleraine FC before joining in 1996 the newly formed Livingston side, whom he helped to win both the Third and Second Division. He subsequently played for Brechin City for three years whilst studying Sports Coaching at college and coaching part-time at Dens. As he took over as Player/Manager at Carnoustie Junior Club, a recurrence of his cruciate ligament injury put paid to his playing career. At that time, a full time Under-19s coaching post at Dundee FC became available and Stevie worked there for five years under Ivano Bonetti and Jim Duffy, a spell which came to its end with relegation in 2005. He subsequently was asked to join Inverness CT and, after six months with the Highland club, returned to Dundee, to join United as part of Craig Brewster’s Management team as Under-19s coach. He continues to hold the same position under Craig Levein.

Scott Thomson - Goalkeeping Coach

Born in Edinburgh, Scott started out playing football with local boys club Hutchison Vale but signed with Dundee United as a goalkeeper when 17 in 1984 under Jim McLean. Billy Thomson was the first team goalkeeper during that time. He made his first team debut on 2 May 1987 in a 2-1 victory at Tannadice v Hibernian. After seven years at the Club, Scott joined Forfar Athletic in 1991 under their then new manager Paul Hegarty before moving to Raith Rovers two years later. He was a key player in the team that the won the League Cup in 1994. In 1997, Scott moved to Hull City for another two-year spell before returning to Scotland. His stay at Airdrie was short-lived owing to the club’s financial difficulties at the time and Scott moved to Dunfermline. All in all, he stayed 6 years at Dunfermline, the first two as a player and the latter four as a goalkeeping coach. It was at the Fife club that Scott forged the special bond with Craig Brewster and where he also already worked with both Derek Stillie and John Gibson. Scott joined Dundee United in June 2006 as a full time goalkeeping coach. He contiunes to hold his position under the management of Craig Levein.

Graeme Liveston - Head of Youth Development

Graeme Liveston Graeme Liveston is originally from Aberdeen but moved to Renfrewshire and then to Motherwell in his early teens. He has been involved in scouting and coaching young players for almost thirty years and started by coaching and managing schools' football teams. He was approached by Leeds United at the end of the seventies to do some scouting for the Yorkshire club as they had no one able to cover the area where Graeme worked. He accepted of course, but was shortly thereafter recruited by Celtic where he became the assistant to Bobby Lennox in coaching youngsters at Celtic Park. The post there lasted three years and when changes were made, Graeme found himself out of a job. Within days of leaving Celtic, he was contacted by Kenny Cameron who at the time was heavily involved in the youth development programme at Tannadice. A meeting with Jim McLean followed and in 1983 Graeme joined the set-up at Tannadice and has been here continuously ever since. In 1988 Graeme also took on the position of Manager of the Scottish Schools' Under-16 side. He was in charge of over forty internationals against teams representing National Football Associations and in his final year with the national set-up, 1997, he was also Technical Director of the Scottish Schools’ FA. By that time the job at Dundee United was demanding more attention and he left the Scotland job to concentrate on youth development at Tannadice. He is now in charge of the nine centres Dundee United operates for their young players ranging from Under-12s to Under-17s. Graeme is ably assisted by a large contingent of coaches including former Dundee United players such as Garry Bollan and Kevin McDonald.

Jeff Clarke - Physiotherapist

Jeff Clarke Jeff Clarke was born in Hemsworth, a village just outside Barnsley in Yorkshire and began his football career at Manchester City when he was a eighteen years old. He played in a central defensive position and after learning his trade at Maine Road, made thirteen appearances for Manchester City in season 1974-75 before moving to Sunderland. At Sunderland, Jeff became a first team regular and during his seven years at Roker Park he turned out 181 times in league matches and netted six goals. In 1982 he moved to Newcastle United where he spent five years and made 124 league appearances and scored four times. Jeff’s final club was a Turkish side, Ankara Gucu, and he was with them for only a short time before returning to the UK for a brief spell at Darlington. He then became involved in community football and coaching the reserves and youth team at Newcastle. At the same time, he was attending Salford University and after four years he attained his degree in physiotherapy. He came out of coaching after a few years to concentrate on the physiotherapy side and returned to Sunderland before moving to fill the same position with Leeds United in 2001. After two years with the Yorkshire side he was made redundant but was soon heading north where he joined Dundee United in November 2003. He has since been working under various managers at the Club and contiunes to hold his position under the management of Craig Levein.

Ian McIntyre - Kit Co-Ordinator

Ian McIntyre Ian was born in Falkirk in 1952. He played most of his football at amateur junior levels before having to give up his playing career due to a very serious leg break. He subsequently took up coaching at the local boys' club teams at Denny FC in Stirlingshire and had good success in promoting youths to the professional level. In July 1993, John (Sloop) Blackley approached Ian and asked him if he would help out with the coaching at Falkirk FC alongside himself and Peter Houston. Ian had no hesitation in accepting as he was a Falkirk fan. In his time at Falkirk, Ian was promoted to Youth Development Manager under Alex Totten. He worked under a total of seven different managers in the 10 years he was with the club including Jim Jeffries, John Lambie, Alex Totten, Ian McCall, John Hughes and Owen Coyle and the man who asked him to start the youth policy at Falkirk - ex Arab Eamonn Bannon. He was successful in bringing through many players that went on to play in Falkirk’s first team such as Steven Rennie, Darren Hill, Ricky Waddell, plus the two players prominent in Dundee United’s first team at present, namely Mark Kerr and Lee Miller who were sold to Dundee United and Bristol City respectively. John Hughes took over at Falkirk and he wanted his own men around him, hence Ian was not offered a new contract at the beginning of season 2004-2005. But within a fortnight, Ian McCall rang him and asked if he would take up a job of Kit Manager at Dundee United. Ian accepted the position on a part time basis. He has since been working under various managers at the Club and is enjoying every minute of it.