Seven away wins

Aberdeen on Saturday will be trying to achieve a club record of eight away wins in a row.

The 2-0 victory over St Johnstone was the seventh straight away win, equalling a club record set in both 1936 and during season 1970/71.

Stretching back to the victory over Rangers at the start of December at Ibrox, the Dons have defeated St Mirren and Livingston before the winter break and then had wins at Hamilton, Stenhousemuir in the cup and at Easter Road and McDiarmid Park in the SPFL Premiership.

The seven wins in 1936 came over two seasons.

In 1935-36 Aberdeen beat Queens Park, Rangers and Hearts in April, in their final three away games. The following campaign they opened up with wins on the road against Hibernian, St Mirren, Partick Thistle and Arbroath. The run finally came to an end in September when Paddy Travers side drew with Dundee at Dens Park.

The run in 1970 also started with a win at Ibrox in October.

The following week the Dons beat St Mirren at Love Street 3-1. That goal conceded was significant because as well as embarking on a record equalling number of away wins, the Dons would also go on an incredible run without conceding a goal in the league.

On the 16th January 1971 after a run of 12 consecutive wins without the loss of any goals, five of which games were away from home (Ayr United, Motherwell, Celtic, Airdrie, St Johnstone), Eddie Turnbull found Easter Road was not a happy hunting ground. A 64th minute cross by Pat Stanton sneaked in at the far post and broke Bobby Clark’s proud unbeaten record. It was achieved by going 1,155 minutes without conceding a goal in the league, which was only surpassed in 2009 by Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar.

Four minutes later, Hibs captain Baker headed in the second and the Dons looked a beaten side. Davie Robb raised the visitors hopes with a goal six minutes from time and although this signalled an all out Dons onslaught Hibs just held on to gain a crucial league win.

The Dons would also lose their next away game, at Dunfermline on the 6th of February. Earlier that morning the Pittodrie Fire took place, with much of the Main Stand destroyed.

Consistency

Aberdeen’s away record under the current manager is very impressive to say the least.

Every full season since Derek McInnes has been in charge (2013/14), Aberdeen have reached double figures for the number of away league wins secured during a campaign.

No other Aberdeen manager has achieved that.

Of the 15 times that Aberdeen have recorded 10 away wins or more, five have come under the current regime. And with eight wins already this season in the league, the current side are on course to make it six out of six.

Even in 1979/80 when the Dons won an unlikely league title, they only reached nine wins. And of Alex Ferguson’s other seasons in charge, eight in total, he reached double figures on four occasions.

In two of those seasons Aberdeen won the Championship, in 1983/84 when the league was secured at Tynecastle and in 1984/85 when 14 away wins contributed to a record points tally.

The other two times, the Dons lost out very narrowly in 1981/82 when they finished two points behind Celtic and in 1982/83 when they were one point behind winners Dundee United despite finishing third.

The Aberdeen team of the mid 1930s was arguably our greatest side never to have won a trophy. In 1935/36, Paddy Travers’ team had 11 away wins but still finished third. They had only three defeats in total, the fewest of any team that season.

When Aberdeen first won the league championship in 1954/55, Dave Halliday’s wide won 10 away games, including the one against Clyde at Shawfield on April 9th. when they clinched top spot.

We have mentioned the 1970/71 season above. Aberdeen ran Celtic very close to the title but sadly the Pittodrie fire would disrupt their season. Eddie Turnbull’s side won 13 games on the road, including a win a Parkhead but ultimately it was not enough.

More recently, Willie Miller managed 14 away wins in 1992/93 when Aberdeen finished seven points behind Rangers.

Two seasons before that, under Alex Smith and Jocky Scott, when Aberdeen lost the league on the final day of the season at Ibrox, they again reached ten but sadly not 11.

In 2004/05 Jimmy Calderwood reached 10 away wins when Aberdeen finished fourth and qualified for Europe.

Comparisons

Of course it is difficult to compare the away records of different Dons teams from different generations as things have changed over time.

For example, up until 1975/76 you would just play each side away from home once in the league, compared to the two times when the Premier Division was introduced within the three-tier set up. And now with the league split, you can land up playing a side away from home three times. Also the number of fixtures has changed. For example in the 1954/55 league there were only 30 league matches which is in contrast to say 1992/93 when there were 44.

Arguably the biggest change though is how Aberdeen teams have travelled to games.

Travel

For generations of Aberdeen players, getting to away games has been achieved by planes, trains and automobiles.

On some occasions it was quite an adventure. It is easy to forget, the M90 was only completed in the late 80s and this meant hours spent on the old coastal road going through towns and villages at a snail’s pace. Also travelling in the winter months would be quite challenging with the weather leading to blocked roads.

Going back to some of the earliest away games involving the Dons, train was the main and some cases the only mode of transport.

Aberdeen as a club travelled by first class train for most of their away matches from the 1930’s through to the late 1950’s. Players and officials were dressed in their club suits and for games in the west an overnight stay was the norm.

Then between the 1950s and 1970s a mixture of trains, buses and on occasion even planes were used.

Aircrafts were chartered with the team flying into Preswick. Whilst this sounds quite luxurious, that particular mode of transport in those days was quite often a white-knuckle experience. Planes were in the early 50s were not as well built and much more susceptible to the changing weather conditions, so you would feel the turbulence a lot more.

In August 1954 the club announced that they would be flying part of the way to fulfil their League Cup fixture at Dumfries against Queen of the South. This was new ground for Aberdeen who had only once previously taken flight for a friendly game in the Orkney Isles. The usual practice for a trip to either Edinburgh or Glasgow was to travel by train the night before for an overnight stay in a hotel. The club explored the possibility of air travel, which would be less expensive, and the party would be able to leave and arrive home on the same day.

To remain in contention in the League Cup Group stage Aberdeen had to win at Dumfries and given that Queens had yet to win a game the signs were encouraging. Despite fielding an unchanged side, which won at Methil a week before, the Dons turned in a poor display and went down 0-3 at Palmerston Park.

It may be that the new mode of transport had an effect but the reality was that at no time did Aberdeen look comfortable and the home side fully deserved the win. Although two of the goals came late on with Aberdeen throwing caution aside, it was an off day for the Dons and one, which was instantly forgettable. To complete a miserable day for the Dons the flight home to Aberdeen Airport at Dyce was one, which was fraught with concern. The Aberdeen players had been insured for £10,000 each before the trip and minutes before their plane descended to the runway the port engine of the twin-engine plane caught fire.

Aberdeen full back Dave Caldwell takes up the story:

“We would always meet for games in the Caledonian Hotel in the city centre and as this was a top hotel quite often some of the pilots from the airport would stay there. There was one in particular that looked like American actor James Robertson Justice all togged up with the sunglasses and everything. George Hamilton was well known for being pretty scared of flying ever since a near accident in a previous flight. We of course knew this and we set up this guy to walk through the plane isle with a white stick as he made his way past poor George to the cockpit.

“The look on George’s face was something else! However as we made our way back to Aberdeen there was a real problem. As was the practice in those days the captain announced that a red light had came on the control panel and that we were not to panic! He also said that once we had landed we would evacuate quickly and in an orderly fashion. It was not until later that we discovered that one of the engines had a problem. I think George must have been the first one off and I don’t think he ever set foot in an aeroplane again!”

The idea to continue flying to games was then shelved – given the circumstances of the flight and the poor result at Dumfries, this was not surprising.

Ally MacLeod during his tenure as Aberdeen manager did organised a flight to an away game at Ayr in 1976 and there is likely to have been other flights during those years.

Nowadays Aberdeen FC have the best team coach in the county, supplied by Central Coaches.

League Away Wins Per Season

2018-19	8		1964-65	4
2017-18	11		1963-64	7
2016-17	12		1962-63	7
2015-16	10		1961-62	4
2014-15	11		1960-61	5
2013-14	10		1959-60	3
2012-13	5		1958-59	5
2011-12	3		1957-58	6
2010-11	5		1956-57	8
2009-10	4		1955-56	7
2008-09	5		1954-55	10
2007-08	4		1953-54	5
2006-07	8		1952-53	3
2005-06	5		1951-52	3
2004-05	10		1950-51	6
2003-04	4		1949-50	4
2002-03	8		1948-49	2
2001-02	4		1947-48	2
2000-01	5		1946-47	5
1999-00	3		1938-39	4
1998-99	4		1937-38	3
1997-98	3		1936-37	8
1996-97	4		1935-36	11
1995-96	5		1934-35	4
1994-95	4		1933-34	6
1993-94	6		1932-33	5
1992-93	14		1931-32	6
1991-92	8		1930-31	4
1990-91	10		1929-30	9
1989-90	5		1928-29	2
1988-89	8		1927-28	4
1987-88	10		1926-27	2
1986-87	8		1925-26	3
1985-86	5		1924-25	4
1984-85	14		1923-24	2
1983-84	11		1922-23	5
1982-83	11		1921-22	3
1981-82	11		1920-21	5
1980-81	8		1919-20	3
1979-80	9		1916-17	1
1978-79	4		1915-16	3
1977-78	8		1914-15	4
1976-77	5		1913-14	5
1975-76	3		1912-13	5
1974-75	7		1911-12	5
1973-74	6		1910-11	7
1972-73	6		1909-10	6
1971-72	8		1908-09	3
1970-71	13		1907-08	3
1969-70	8		1906-07	3
1968-69	3		1905-06	1
1967-68	5		1904-05	2
1966-67	6		1903-04	4
1965-66	7		Total	623