Michael Devlin is the player featured this week:

Michael has played a huge part in keeping morale high over the last few months, despite being sidelined, particularly galling for him given it meant missing out on the League Cup final having been a big figure in helping the side get there as he made a really consistent start to his Aberdeen career.

“The first half of the season had been going well for me. There are always things you feel you could do better, but after missing last season it was a big thing to be available for every game apart from the St Johnstone game when I was suspended.

“You don’t want anything to break that momentum that you have in your play so it was disappointing to come out of the team at that particular time. Things had been good, we had won four games in a row, we had won a semi-final and had a national cup final to look forward to and I was in the Scotland squad. You work hard as a player to get to positions like that, so you want to play in the big games. It does not get much bigger than a cup final at Hampden.

“Sadly, I just took a step and slightly rolled my ankle when I was away training with Scotland and I felt something wrong with my foot. I knew something was not quite right. Fortunately our head physio Adam Stokes was working with Scotland that week so he was on hand straight away. The scan came back the same day so I knew I would not be playing for Scotland that week.

“Genuinely, I did not think I would be out as long as it was. I kept saying to people I will be back in two weeks! The specialist did say there was a chance I could make the cup final, so there was optimism at the start with the injury. Unfortunately, it did not go that way.

“It would have been very selfish of me to be walking about the place looking disappointed with a pet lip. You have to put the squad first and anyone who was going to suck the positivity out of the team is not needed around the place. I feel in the changing room it is important to keep everyone positive, so I try and think about that.

“The manager was great with me. He spoke to me loads of times and told me to stay positive and keep working hard. He said, “We want you back, we need you back”. It’s nice to feel valued like that.

“Equally, it would also have been selfish for me to be feeling down around the flat when Scott was there. I had to stay positive around him and make sure he stayed focussed on the games. I did not want to drain the energy out of him.

The Q&A is with Tomas Cerny

Who do you room with?

“It is not always the same person but a lot of time, I have been with Joe this season. That has worked out quite well. Joe and I have a very good relationship. He is very easy to get on with and I hope I am the same.

“Goalkeepers always try and help each other and support each other in training. I am doing my best to try and push Joe, but at the same time encourage him so he can perform to the level he has been performing.

“I have played many games, I know being a goalkeeper is not easy! The last thing I would want to do is make it more difficult for anyone. Also from my experience, you appreciate when the other goalkeeper is supportive when you are playing. I find it completely natural to be supportive. Plus you are part of a team. The whole point of being in a team is to win games, so you try and help everyone who is out there to get the results that we need.

“It’s a new role for me being a No 2, but I’m trying to prepare for every game as if I was playing, then step in if I am needed.

“It’s brilliant working with Joe. I still learn from him because he is a different type of goalkeeper. We have a really good atmosphere between me and Joe and Gordon Marshall, the goalkeeping coach, and a couple of the young guys. It’s very enjoyable.

“I think when you work alongside different goalkeepers and goalkeeping coaches, you always try to learn new things and improve parts of your game. Sometimes you see bits of the game that another goalkeeper does better than you, so I like to think I have improved a couple of things at Aberdeen, for me personally and for others, which is positive.”

The Cover Story

This week’s retro cover by Dolly Digital is inspired from the 1982/83 season.

‘The Don’ was the only programme in Scotland that engaged with regular contributions from journalists north and south of the border. Each issue included a full page colour image of a member of the Dons’ first team squad with accompanying interview. It cost 40p. The 32 page issue also saw some ‘specials’ that season, with additional pages for the visits of Bayern Munich and Waterschei in the European Cup Winners Cup. These would cost 50p.

The programme was produced by Sports Projects, based in Birmingham, just like Curtis Sport and Blue Chilli who produce and design the current AFC programme. It was their third season with the club, after Chris Anderson and Alex Ferguson took the idea from a fact finding trip to the United States of America.

It is a trip Sir Alex has spoken about in a number of the interviews we have done with him over the years: “I had just lost my job at St Mirren. Aberdeen had made an approach the previous week. I drove up and met Mr Donald in his office opposite the theatre, we then had a spot of lunch and met Chris Anderson and had a look around Pittodrie. Chris was going to America the next day. I landed up going down to London to get a visa and then flew out on the Saturday morning and met him in Washington”.

As well as learning many new coaching methods after travelling through the States, they came back from the US with the very firm idea that the club should have its own modern, full colour ‘magazine’. 

Also, columns from the manager and captain Graeme Shinnie, Stuart Duff gives us an insight into the U14s trip to Manchester United this week, and articles from contributors from Ally Begg and Chris Crighton. There is a tribute to former player Des Herron who sadly passed away this week plus all the usual history features.

Red Matchday Issue 19 |

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Red Matchday Magazine is available to buy in and around the ground from the programme sellers for £3.00.

You can pick up a copy from the AFC Club Shop and if you can’t make the match you can pick a copy by clicking on the link above.