As we head towards the end of yet another year, it’s the done thing to look back and select some of the highlights of the last twelve months and maybe some of the moments we’d rather had not taken place in the first place!

From a Dons perspective, it’s a case of being spoilt for choice but the win against today’s opponents that secured second spot in the SPFL Premiership back in April springs to mind, as does the performance in Croatia against Rijeka in this season’s Europa League which wasn’t just the best a Dons team has demonstrated in Europe for many a year but arguably that of any Scottish teams. The memory of the home support clapping the boys off at the end of a wonderful 90 minutes will live long in the memory!

Also worthy of mention was the first half display at Tynecastle in September when we totally bossed the game and had some of the home fans heading for the exit door before the half time whistle. A repeat performance in Gorgie in a fortnight’s time will do just nicely!

The one best forgotten was definitely the home clash with St. Johnstone which was thankfully a one-off. If we played the Perth side a hundred times, that scoreline would, quite simply, never be repeated.

Staying with football, while the period has shown the national team is on its way back, failing to reach the Euros next summer will only really hit us properly when the tournament gets underway in June with England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all participating. Thankfully some Dons players will be involved to maintain a semblance of interest!

Away from football, Great Britain lifting the Davis Cup was phenomenal and quite simply a once-in-a-lifetime experience that confirmed Andy Murray as perhaps our greatest ever sportsperson. Ably assisted by brother Jamie and captain Leon Smith, the Scottish influence was huge although the key point in the tournament came in the match against the United States in Glasgow’s Emirates Arena back in March. I was lucky enough to be present when James Ward defeated the giant American number one John Isner 15-13 in the final set after a five set marathon! That was the moment when we started to believe that we could actually win the competition itself! 

Scotland’s showing in the Rugby World Cup was also a breath of fresh air and certainly rekindled my interest in the sport. Here’s to a good 6 nations!