with Russell Anderson

ART & SCIENCE

Academics might well tell you that statistics are a science here history is an art. That in itself is a nice summary of the game of football and its conflicting elements, part art, part science. Both halves of the story matter, both inform our Saturday afternoons. And both join forces today for the statistics tell us that Russell Anderson has made history, entering the top ten of Aberdeen appearance makers, no small feat in these days where few players stick around at a club for long and where even the smallest clubs practice a for of squad rotation that reduces the opportunities to get your games in. More impressive still, given some luck on the injury front, Russell might yet end this season at number six on the all-time list and not too far shy of 400 games for the Dons. That is some record and some company to be keeping.

“When you look at the list, there are one or two things which stick out. Willie’s total of 797 games played is incredible. Drew Jarvie’s goal scoring record is also very impressive, 131 goals with a goal ratio of almost 34%. My goal ratio is not quite as impressive! But I would like to point out that my 5.23% is better that Willie Miller, Alex McLeish and Stewart McKimmie! It is an interesting list to look at. The obvious names are up there, along with one or two that maybe surprise people. I am just very proud to be on the list.

“I can’t say I can remember every single game! There are games I remember and incidents in games I remember but a lot of them fade into a bit of a blur to be honest because when you are playing, you are just going from game to game through a busy season”.

Russell made his Aberdeen on the 4^th January 1997. The Dons were at home to Dunfermline and for the record the team that day was: Stillie, Anderson, Tzvetanov, Rowson, Irvine, Inglis, Miller, Dodds, Booth, Kiriakov, Young.

“I do remember my first game against Dunfermline. I had been in the squad a couple of times before that and I had made it onto the bench a few times as well. I think I’d been in and around the squad for nine or ten games so that Saturday when I came in, I was not expecting to play but Stewart McKimmie, who was the right-back, picked up a knee injury. They gave it until the Saturday lunchtime but he failed a late fitness test so I was not told I was playing until about quarter to two. Let’s just say I was a bit shocked! That sudden realisation that I would be playing was a big surprise. As I say I had been in the squad and realised I was doing ok, but the team had been doing well and I certainly did not expect to play that day. To be told I playing an hour and fifteen minutes before kick-off was a big surprise. Roy Aitken was the manager, he told me. I can’t remember if he took me aside or what happened. It was all a bit of a blur! We ended up losing the game 2-0 after losing two goals in the second half. I played at right-back which was the position I played a lot of my games at first. It was a sweet and sour moment – I was delighted to have made my debut, but losing the game left you feeling a bit sick to be honest.

“All these games later, I still get just as annoyed as I ever did when we lose a game, when I have a bad training session, when I am in a bad team at training and lose. It still annoys me every bit as much. Likewise I still enjoy winning as much as ever, I still enjoy being on a winning team at training. There is nothing better in terms of a job than going out and training with your teammates, having a good session and then going to a game on a Saturday in a good frame of mind and coming away with a good result”.

As Russell concedes, the goals haven’t been quite as plentiful as he’d have liked over the years, but, like all of us, he still remembers the first…

“That was a special moment. It came against Hibs at Pittodrie on 26^th February 2000 and, like my debut, I was not expecting it at all! We were 2-0 up and playing well, but Jim Leighton had just been stretchered off. A couple of minutes before half-time I found myself in the box. I am not quite sure why I was there, but anyway I managed to convert a pass from Andy Dow.

“That first goal would be up there as a favourite memory, not just the fact I scored but the fact we won the game and played so well. There are other favourite memories but to be honest, every time you win a game it is special. Obviously some mean more at the time than others but winning any game is great, especially at this stage of my career as I know I won’t be around forever and there might not be too many seasons left.It might not be that long I have left and then all you have got is memories.

“I understand my body more these days. When I was younger, you were just expected to train and that is the way it should be. The older you get, you do realise that although it is important to train so you are ready and fit to play on Saturday, Saturday is the most important thing. There is no point training all week and then come the match you are shattered and not able to give a good performance out on the pitch. I think it is all about getting the right balance of how much to train, when to train, so you are in as good as possible condition when the games come round. Craig and Archie were very good and the current manager understands that sometimes it is better to let the older players back off at times. Saying that, we have got a lot of young players in the team and we have got great energy and great pace so it is only maybe me and Barry that need a rest! The manager is clued in enough to know when he has to adjust the training individually or as a group, and that is a sign of a good manager.

“The pace in the side makes a huge difference. There is nothing better than knowing you have got real pace in the team. Likewise the opposition will worry about a team who has pace. Pace alone will not get you victories, you need to have a little bit of guile and creativity to go with it but it will be a huge factor in how we play this season.

“I would not like to say now that this will definitely be my last season, you never know. I was surprised I played as many games last season as I did. Having been where I have been with injuries over the years previous to that, hopefully I am through all that now. I never had any major problems last season. It would be nice to think I could play as long as I can without the fear of injuries and then finish when I think it is time to finish.

Aberdeen would certainly love Russell to keep on rolling back the years because it is no coincidence that since he returned to Pittodrie, our defensive record has come on in leaps and bounds. Last season, the Dons enjoyed the second best defensive record in the division, and that despite of Andrew Considine being sidelined for the second half of the campaign. The skipper must take a great deal of credit for playing a captain’s innings in steadying the ship and nursing the likes of Clark Robertson and Joe Shaughnessy through games.

“There were some positives last season but a lot of them are forgotten about because we maybe did not finish the season the way we would have liked. From a defensive point of view, there is a lot to be said for having a settled back four, feeling fit in yourself and knowing each other, knowing the other guys know what they are doing. That helps the team. It is definitely a team effort and we have seen that this season already. The players in front of the back four work incredibly hard to restrict the opposition but when you know you are part of a back four – five including the keeper – and everyone knows what each other is thinking, it certainly helps. It is a good feeling going into games, feeling positive about the players that you have playing around you.

“In my first game I played alongside Brian Irvine and John Inglis.It was not until Alex Miller came that Derek Whyte was bought and I played alongside him in central defence. Brian was a big help to me when I first came into the side. He is a really genuine guy and I still see him about the club from time to time as he is a matchday ambassador. Playing for Aberdeen meant everything to Brian. You can label some players as not really caring about the club, it is a job to them, they come in, they train, they go home and then play on a Saturday. Brian was certainly not one of those players. He was without doubt in the other camp. Pulling on a red jersey meant everything to him and you could see that in the way he played.

“I have come to realise that there is a lot to be said for good players playing with you and we have that at the club now. Although you still have to organise things, you can have confidence that they will perform and you can just concentrate on your own game to be honest. I have found that you can talk to whoever is playing alongside you, roundabout you, in front of you, beside you, but it really helps when you have confidence in them. You know where they should be and you do not have to think too much about what they are doing and that is a massive bonus because otherwise, it does detract from your own game.

“Over the years I don’t think the game has changed that much to be honest, I really don’t, the basics of a football match remain the same. I maybe see it now from a different perspective because I have played a lot of games but that does not mean you are not still learning. As a footballer you are learning all the time. The one thing that has changed is the number of youngsters in the squads and the number who are getting their chance to play at first team level in the Scottish Premiership because of the financial restrictions. It makes me feel very old these days!

“The club itself has also not changed much. Even though there has been a very high turnover of players during the years, AFC has remained the same. The fact it has not changed probably is a huge compliment to the club. I know Craig Brown said it is a true footballing club and I think he is right when he says that. Even though people come and go, there is always this feeling that you will get looked after. I do think that players have left here and gone somewhere else and then realise the grass is not always greener. Although the club has its limitations because of finances, they do as much as they possibly can to make the players feel at home, especially the ones who have come from another country. They really do help them settle in.

“Aberdeen FC is a massive part of the North East community. Maybe we took it for granted that being a one city club, people would always come and support the team. Maybe we took it for granted whilst the club was successful. Maybe we did not engage with the community as much as we should have done. It is good the club have realised that they need to do those things because the potential to tap into is massive. When the club does well there is a feel good factor in the city.

“It is difficult nowadays as there is so much football on TV. A lot of youngsters are going to watch English Premier League games and supporting the big players and the teams they play for. Because of the amount of football on TV, there is competition from other teams that was maybe not there before. That does not mean that we should just give up and not try and get the club out there, everywhere in Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire. It can only help in the long run if we get more supporters out of it or we get some young players out of it who will go on and play for the first team. We are in a great position being a one club city and it is important we fully take advantage of that”.

ABERDEEN APPEARANCES RECORD: