had a tendency to "go missing" in away matches. The relationship turned sour in 1982 when a contract dispute between player and club led to Golac going out on loan to AFC Bournemouth in November 1982 and Manchester City in March 1983, before his contract with Southampton was terminated. After a brief spell back in Yugoslavia with minor level club FK Belasica he returned to Southampton in March 1984, helping the Saints finish as runners-up to Liverpool in the Football League. The following season, he lost his place to Mark Dennis and after another period on loan, this time at Portsmouth, Golac retired in 1986, having played 197 games for Southampton, scoring four goals. Writing in the Southern Daily Echo in April 2003, McMenemy said:"He was a terrific professional who trained well and loved 5-a-sides particularly in the small gym at The Dell where even the best players took time to get acclimatized to the speed of the action." Of his time with Southampton, Golac said:"Beautiful football, beautiful supporters and beautiful days. From day one, from the very first kick, I could sense a connection with the crowd. They were terrific.""There was fire on the park – The Dell was always in flames and a lot of the opponents from London, Manchester and Liverpool just couldn't stand the heat." Managerial career Following the end of his playing days, Golac turned to coaching, where his laid-back, positive style led to further successes. Returning to Partizan, he became assistant to manager Momčilo Vukotić in 1989 and helped the club to Yugoslav Cup success that year. The following September, Golac had an extraordinary debut in management when Vukotić was taken ill on the eve of a Cup Winners' Cup first round tie against Celtic in Glasgow, with Partizan leading 2–1 from the first leg. An astonishing match saw Golac's team progress on away goals after a 5–4 victory for Celtic. Golac remained in charge at Partizan for the rest of the season before parting company with the club. He still had a home in Hampshire, and returned to Britain in search of work. After being unsuccessfully shortlisted for the manager's job at old adversaries Celtic, he had a brief spell in charge of Torquay United during 1992. Then, in July 1993, he was announced as the surprise choice to succeed legendary Dundee United manager Jim McLean. The Scottish sporting media quickly latched on