Dons legend Eoin Jess had some of his best moment in the League Cup.

It was in this competition that he burst onto the scene in 1989 when the youngster was thrown into the side for the final against Rangers. He helped the Dons lift the Skol League Cup trophy that day. He scored the winning goal in the Skol Cup Semi final against Celtic in 1992. Then there was the Coca-Cola League Cup win in 1995. Although Aberdeen defended the then First Division Dundee 2-0 in the final, it was the semi-final victory over Rangers that gave the Red Army greatest pleasure and there is one particular moment involving Jess that lives long in the memory for Dons fans who followed the team during that turbulent era.

For those who were there it was a night that will remember. Not least for the weather which was horrendous and little fun for anyone travelling to the game. Only a small but noisy section of the Red Army had managed to reach Glasgow. Not many Rangers supporters had bothered to turn up, assuming their progress to the final to be a mere formality.

The match was also being broadcast live on Sky, principally so they could watch over one of their own – Paul Gascoigne. After a goalless first half Aberdeen dominated the second and scored twice through Billy Dodds. However the highlight of the evening came from the irrepressible Eoin Jess. He had been running the show from the middle of the park all night. With the assistance of Paul Bernard and Brian Grant they had completely overwhelmed and out-classed the Rangers midfield that included the aforementioned Gazza.

The unforgettable moment came when Jess took the ball for a run into the corner and then started doing keepie uppies beside the flag before coolly passing the ball back to a teammate. The incident was greeted with disgust by the Ibrox faithful and displeasure by the Rangers tam. What made it even better was the fact the act was committed in front of the Rangers support. Oleg Solenko scored a late consolation in the dying minutes but the result was never in question.

After the game in the Sky Studio a down beat Richard Keys put the Aberdeen goals down to dreadful defending by Rangers, and then proceeded to tell us they could not manage any post match interviews due to the weather and hurriedly scrambled the programme off air.

The match still ranks as of the finest Aberdeen performances at the national stadium. It was vintage Jess at his best showing everyone the qualities we all know he had.
Jess, for it is he of whom we speak, first come to the attention of Aberdeen fans ahead of the 1989 League Cup Final. Any concerns they had about such a young lad playing in a final were quickly evaporated as the 18 year old performed with class and maturity to give Rangers’ vastly experienced international defenders a stern examination in the Dons 2-1 triumph.

Alex Smith recently spoke about the decision to play Jess in an interview in RedMatchday:

“After losing the two previous League Cup finals, there was certainly a determination going into that game. I had a massive decision to make. Eoin Jess had come in and done well for the first team. We wanted to play a 4-3-3 and we wanted to play with Charlie Nicholas, Paul Mason and Jess. The rest of the team selection was fairly straight forward: Snelders, McKimmie, McLeish, Miller, Robertson, Connor, Bett, Grant and the front three.

“Saturday morning, we trained at the park beside the hotel. I pulled Eoin over about 11 o’clock and asked if his mum and dad were coming to the game. He said they were. “They expecting you to be on the bench? Well, you’re not. You are starting!” He was in shock. I wanted to make sure he had time to tell his parents as this was before the days of mobile phones. He ran up the park and came back again. He said, “Are you kidding me on?!”

“No, you are playing!”

“I had not the slightest doubt about that lad. He was superb despite only being 18 years old. I had done the same with Paul Lambert when I played him in the Scottish Cup Final in 1987. Paul played ahead of Tony Fitzpatrick who was the club captain. Paul had no fear. Eoin had no fear. In the Scottish Cup final win, Graham Watson had no fear when he came off the bench and even took a penalty in the shootout”.

Over the next couple of years, Eoin’s prodigious ability would help to cement his place in the side.

Early highlights included a hat-trick in a 3-2 victory at Dundee United, quickly surpassed by an unforgettable four goal display at Dunfermline. His electrifying turns, pace, composed finishing and intricate link-up play with Hans Gillhaus became an enthralling feature as a seemingly insurmountable twelve point league deficit was overhauled during that ultimately ill-fated 1991 title run in.

The Dons were soon back at Ibrox, recording what was to be a rare win there – Eoin again performing with supreme confidence and scoring in a comfortable 2-0 victory. Despite the team’s continuing hangover from the previous season’s disappointment, Eoin maintained his sparkling form and was duly rewarded with the 1991 SPFA Young Player of the Year Award.

Another spectacular goal in a 4-0 win at Tynecastle, running clear from the halfway line before lobbing Henry Smith, gave the Dons fans a little something to cheer during the disappointing early months of 1992. Hopes for the 1992/93 season were high with Willie Miller beginning his first full season in charge. Eoin continued to shine in an attacking squad that now included Duncan Shearer, Mixu Paatelainen and Scott Booth.

International recognition came with a debut against Italy in November 1992, followed by his first full match against Malta in February 1993. At this point the Dons were mounting a serious challenge for all domestic honours, but the highs and lows which would seemingly go on to characterise Eoin’s career were soon to bring further anguish in the shape of an injury against Clydebank that apparently ended his season.

He made a miraculous return in May as a substitute in the final league match at Tannadice, setting up the fourth goal for Andy Gibson in a resounding 4-1 win which rather dampened Jim McLean’s retirement party. But alas, his return came too late to have a telling effect on the 1993 Scottish Cup Final with Aberdeen finishing the campaign as runners- up to Rangers in all competitions. As 1993 ended, Eoin was awarded the SPFA Young Player of the Year Award for a second time.

The following couple of seasons, however, saw an inconsistent Dons side struggling to cope with the exit of a number of senior players. Confidence and results began to slide and relegation was narrowly avoided in May 1995 via a play-off with Dunfermline. By the time Roy Aitken’s revitalised squad lined up to start the 1995/96 campaign, Eoin had re-invented himself as a midfield playmaker behind the front pairing of Billy Dodds and Duncan Shearer.

That summer’s headlines revolved around Rangers’ signing of Paul Gascoigne. Still being touted as world class, he was completely overshadowed as Eoin inspired Aberdeen to that famous League Cup semi-final win at Hampden. We have fondly recalled the “keepie-uppie” display that night is, but three weeks later Eoin was back in Glasgow to further outshine his more illustrious opponent. Whilst Gascoigne spoke with head and elbows, Eoin let his feet do the talking with a sensational opening goal in a 1-1 draw.

Having immaculately controlled a goal kick in a crowded centre circle, he instinctively surged past a flat-footed Rangers midfield before unleashing a vicious drive from 25 yards that exploded past Billy Thomson into the top right corner of the net in front of a jubilant travelling support. From the moment that ball left his foot, there was no doubt where it was ending up. Half the Red Army landed up on the Ibrox track that day during the bounce that followed.

Early in 1996, Eoin was presented with the opportunity he so desired to test himself in the English Premiership. We hoped that one day he might return, and that day came sooner than expected as he came back to The Dons for the start of the 1997/98 season. Sadly, his second spell was blighted by the continuing misfortunes of a club struggling against the modern economic landscape of the game.

There were still high points along the way, such as scoring the first ever SPL goal at Dens Park in August 1998 and hitting the only goal at Tannadice in the 2000 Scottish Cup as we somehow made it to both cup finals and finished bottom of the table in a bizarre year.

Eoin did receive the credit he deserved for his performances during the 1998/99 season, where his fourteen goals kept us clear of relegation trouble. In particular, a couple of great strikes at home to Dundee to earn us a point. An even better solo effort came against Hearts in a vital 2-0 win where he picked up the ball on the halfway line, jinked past a couple of defenders and then fired a left foot shot high into the net from the edge of the Beach End penalty area when it looked like he had been forced too wide. It was during this renaissance that Eoin received his eighteenth and final Scotland cap – another classic example of mixed fortunes as we let slip a two goal lead in Prague to lose 3-2.

Come the end of 2000 and it was all over. It is hard to recall the exact circumstances of Eoin’s final departure, but it hardly seemed noticeable at the time. On reflection, there must have disappointment from both sides, player and fans, and a general sense of sadness and disillusionment given the continuing decline in the team’s fortunes.
So it was that he would leave Pittodrie to join Bradford, initially on loan and then permanently. In 2002, he moved to Nottingham Forest and then to Northampton Town in 2005. He later moved back to Forest as a Youth Coach. In April 2009 Eoin suffered a stroke but thankfully has recovered.

Eoin Jess was a perfect gentleman off the pitch and a memorably class act on it. For those of us who watched him at his peak, we realised we were witnessing someone special in an Aberdeen shirt who does not come along very often.