Main Feature: Dom Ball

“Do the best you can, work hard and enjoy it. That is the way I approach everything in life. And there’s also a duty to perform because these fans are paying good money to come and watch us play and some of my performances last season were not good enough.

“The sort of character I am, I always want to prove people wrong and I believe in myself. I have that inner confidence. I knew it was only a matter of time before I started to show what I could really do. I know last season it came in the post-split fixtures but that was why I got the support when I came back this season. The fans really have helped me push on this year, regardless of what position I play. The support has been brilliant.

“That’s what makes our home form so frustrating. It is strange, especially when you consider our current run away from home. As a group of players, there has to be a bit more onus on us. The staff prepare us to do the right things and we have not executed what we have been asked to do.”

Q&A: Andrew Considine

1 Favourite game?

I have always said it was beating Motherwell in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, leading up to us winning the cup that year. The game meant a lot to me because I had just returned after breaking my leg. After we went down to ten men early on, I came off the bench and we were really up against it that night, that was a good Motherwell team. But I manged to score and Jonny Hayes netted on the counter late on. It still stands out. More recently, I have had a few games that are certainly up there. The hat-trick game at Dens was great and scoring the winner against Celtic on the last day of the season last year. Both those games come pretty close, but the significance of that Motherwell game, after having been out of football for nine months, anything could have happened. It was a very emotional night for me.

2 Favourite goal?

I could say my European one at Rijeka, when we went on to beat them 3-0. That was a very memorable night. But I would probably go for my goal against Celtic to secure second place. The game had a lot of significance, so much riding on it. We went in at half-time thinking Hibs were still leading comfortably but found out they were not, so we knew that going out in the second half, we had to win and I was lucky enough to be on the end of Kenny’s pass. I just put my foot through it. Normally people would tell you from the position I was in to go across the keeper, but I gave him the eyes and slotted it home! Or something like that!

AFC Former Players Interview: Ian Angus (by Sean Graham)

Players go through their careers not experiencing the kind of things you achieved as part of that Aberdeen squad in 1983, so what was it like being around the team during the Cup Winners’ Cup run?

The cup run was a fantastic experience, taking it to another level from what had been previously achieved and it was wonderful to be part of it. They were experiences that will stay with you forever. I will never forget the atmosphere at the Bayern Munich game which was incredible. When we went down 2-1, the superb support from the fans helped lift the team to eventual victory. It was a very anxious time having to come from behind twice before eventually winning but the crowd really helped us that night. I played in the semi-final second leg against Waterschei. It was rather disappointing losing the game, but having won the first leg 5-1, we were just delighted to be in the final.

Columnist: Derek Rae

International football commentator, Aberdeen born Dons fan Derek Rae, tells us there is a football away day we‘ve been missing out on. It all has to do with our German “twin.”

Even though I returned to the USA to live in 2017, my commentary travels still take me regularly to Germany. The games I cover for the Bundesliga world feed are all in the top flight of German football, but I like nothing better than finding time to go to other matches, in other divisions. I have spent many happy days and nights in all manner of German stadia. Recently, I ticked a Second Division club off my list, one that I had wanted to visit for a long time: SSV Jahn Regensburg, from Aberdeen’s twin city in Germany.

The Jahn part stems from Friedrich Jahn, a deep German thinker on sporting matters in the 19th century. Situated in eastern Bavaria, on the Danube, Regensburg is a charming city with a glorious old town. In fact, given how beautiful it is, I’m surprised more tourists don’t discover it. It has incidentally been twinned with Aberdeen since 1955. I recall, as a rather obsessed student of German at Hazlehead Academy, being beguiled by the annual Regensburg week in Aberdeen.

A group from Regensburg would travel to the Granite City offering Bavarian beer and food and displaying traditional clothing. It was always an enjoyable evening at the Duthie Park, getting a chance to talk German with actual Germans! It seems to me though that down the years, not enough has been made of this connection between the cities. So how about a new football connection?

Columnist: Rachel Corsie

The final piece of the week saw some exciting media and commercial projects come to fruition in what is another new and welcomed component of our World Cup preparations. The stature of the tournament this summer continues to open new doors for many of the team individually and collectively, and it has been a real insight into the game’s growing professionalism, and another step towards greater equality and exposure for the Women’s game.

Most excitingly, I was part of the launch of the new World Cup Scotland home and away kits. Scotland will be one of only three teams to have its own bespoke adidas jersey for their Women’s team at the competition: well-deserved recognition for our success, and a really special and exciting prospect for everyone.

The pink might not be everyone’s colour but to see and hear that entourage of Scotland fans in France, in whatever tasteful Scotland jersey, will hopefully bring fear to our opponents and will serve as an enviable asset.

History Section

Memory match is from 1985, The complete history of Aberdeen FC is now at 1996-2005 – Part 1, The Bon Accord Journal is from 1952 and there is also the AFC Heritage Trust feature – Tales of the Unexpected:

On 27th May 1949 the Dons created a bit of Orkney history by becoming the first “A” Division Club to travel north for a match against the Orcadians. There was a first for the Aberdeen party too as they travelled by plane, arriving in time for a sight-seeing tour before the game in Kirkwall.

  

Semi-final preview

As this is the last programme before the Scottish Cup semi-final next weekend at Hampden, there is a full preview which includes an interview with Greg Stewart.

Cover Story

Wednesday’s retro cover by Dolly Digital is inspired by the programmes from the 1996/97 season.

Now I admit this is a decade we don’t dwell on too much in this publication and with good reason. It was a weird period on and off the park. You think of the 1950s, the ’60s, ’70s and in particular the ’80s and there are plenty of iconic designs to reflect each era. The ‘90s was different. Designers probably struggled to improve on the 1980s so just gave up trying and went for bright colours, bold geometric patterns, and snazzy typography. As seen in our programme covers below. On the park, Aberdeen made a welcome return to European football after winning the League Cup in 1995. Back then, a UEFA Cup place was guaranteed for the League Cup victors. While the end of the 1995/96 season brought little joy for the Dons, there was no little optimism at Pittodrie when Everton rolled into town to honour the long serving Brian Grant at his testimonial. Aberdeen had new £400,000 signing Ilian Kirikov making his home debut…

Plus; Derek McInnes, Graeme Shinnie, Ally Begg, Chris Crighton and Ian Burns is the AFC Heritage Trust player featured.

Red Matchday Issue 23 |

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