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Dundee United fan Tommy said ‘it was all a bit mental’ after scoring at Tannadice

by Adam Hill
November 9, 2016, 6:00 pm
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A one-legged Dundee United fan has told of the “crazy” moment he scored a wonder goal at Tannadice.

Tommy McKay beautifully lobbed the goalkeeper during the half-time entertainment at last night’s match against Dunfermline.

During the break of the Championship match, which United won 1-0, Arabs and Dunfermline fans were challenged to score a goal within just 10 seconds.

Up stepped Tommy, who after running from the halfway line, lobbed a shot from the edge of the box. It sailed over the keeper, to cheers from both sets of supporters.

https://twitter.com/DUFCLive/status/796090455431778305

The resulting video has been shared thousands of times on social media.

Tommy today told the Tele that it was something he would remember for the rest of his life.

The 32-year-old said: “It was all a bit mental. I won a competition on Twitter by McEwan Fraser Legal to the half-time challenge.

“I was one of two people who won it and we were allowed to bring a mate.

“It wasn’t until late on in the day that I thought that I should probably give them a heads-up that I only have one leg.

“I told them that I would still be able to kick the ball fine. I was more worried about falling over than scoring to be honest. It was an amazing experience — I have been doing match reports for the United website and you get to go to lots of different parts of the ground but they never let you on the actual pitch.

“It was brilliant but I didn’t think that everyone else would go so crazy — the crowd were going mental.”

Tommy previously spoke to the Tele about how his leg had been amputated at the age of nine.

While a pupil at Barnhill Primary School, he skipped lunch one day to take part in a playground kickabout.

He beat a challenge from a friend and his right leg shattered.

While he was laid up in hospital, doctors investigating the break realised the reason his femur had snapped was that it carried an aggressive form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma.

He was immediately transported to Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow to undergo chemotherapy. After three bouts and no remission, the only option was to amputate his leg.

After four more rounds of chemotherapy he was given a clean bill of health, having spent a year in hospital.

Tommy said he was one of only two out of 18 kids on the ward who survived. The Monifieth man now has two children of his own — Ramsay, four, and one-year-old Xander — with his wife of five years Caroline.

A spokesman for McEwan Fraser Legal said: “When Tommy informed us he had one leg he said he was confident in his ability to take part in the McEwan Fraser Legal #HomeAdvantage Challenge, however none of us expected the sizzling skill he showed.

“The fact that United’s substitutes stopped their warm up and cheered with the near 6,000 crowd made it all the more special. Since then it has been retweeted thousands of times.

“Tommy had a great night, as did all our competitors, once again enjoying a unique experience that McEwan Fraser Legal has put together this season for supporters.”