| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Yuille McLean | ||
| Date of birth | 2 August 1937 | ||
| Place of birth | Larkhall, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 26 December 2020 (aged 83) | ||
| Position(s) | Inside forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Larkhall Thistle | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1956–1960 | Hamilton Academical | 129 | (57) |
| 1960–1965 | Clyde | 102 | (32) |
| 1965–1968 | Dundee | 90 | (28) |
| 1968–1970 | Kilmarnock | 56 | (7) |
| Total | 377 | (124) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1971–1993 | Dundee United | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
James Yuille McLean (2 August 1937 – 26 December 2020) was a Scottish football player, manager and director.[1] He managed Dundee United between 1971 and 1993, becoming the longest-serving and most successful manager in the club's history, winning three major honours. He was also part-time assistant manager to Jock Stein with the Scotland national team.
He led Dundee United to their only Scottish Football League title in 1982–83, following Scottish League Cup wins in 1979 and 1980. Under McLean, the club also lost in a further eight domestic cup finals. In European football, McLean's Dundee United reached the European Cup semi-finals in 1984 and the UEFA Cup final in 1987. He became a Dundee United director in 1984 and served as chairman between 1988 and 2000, when he resigned after punching a reporter. His involvement with the club finally ended in 2002 when he sold his majority shareholding.
His playing career included spells with Hamilton Academical, Clyde, Dundee and Kilmarnock as an inside forward. He was a member of a prominent footballing family; his brothers Tommy and Willie were also successful as players and managers.
McLean's achievements saw him win the first ever SFWA Manager of the Year award in 1987. He was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2005.