In the final edition of Red Matchday Issue 25, there is a special interview with Graeme Shinnie as the skipper looks back on his time at Pittodrie:

“There are so many good memories of my time here.

“Playing so many games has been a good thing itself. Staying clear of injuries has been really good.

“There have been some great games. Some of the European nights were special. The performance in Rijeka was very good. I will also remember the goal against Limassol here. If I had to pick a favourite it would be that one. I enjoyed my first goal against Kilmarnock, but the Limassol goal was special with the fans singing my name after it. I probably won’t score a goal like that again!”

We speak to his midfield partner Lewis Ferguson:

“Personally, it has been a good season. I have played a lot of games and scored some important goals. As a team, we reached the final of the League Cup and the semi-final of the Scottish Cup and I have played in Europe. At this age, it has been very good.

“Overall, the season has been a bit up and down, too inconsistent. We’ve won some big games but also had some disappointment along the way. In that way, it has not been a successful season. A successful season is winning trophies, but all the same, I have learned a lot.

Another there is a Q&A with Mark Reynolds:

What will you miss most about the club?

“You see the Alfredo Di Stefano quote banded about: ‘Aberdeen have what money can’t buy; a soul, a team spirit built in a family tradition.’ but it is so true. I think why that resonates with so many people is because they can relate to it.

“Everyone is in it together. Everyone knows everyone. It is a really close club. Everyone gets a buzz when we win and everyone feels it when there a defeat.

“It is such a family club. I used to have my boys in all the time because they loved going there. When they had a day off from school one of their favourite places to go was my work to see all the staff. Everyone would make time for them and everyone would speak away to them.

“It was always a good changing room as well with good people round about it.”

 

RedMatchday magazine has been named the best in the Ladbrokes Premiership for season 2018/19.

The publication has now been named the best in the division for the 18th year in succession.

Programme Monthly, who sponsor the awards said:

Overall, the 11 clubs that issue provide a range of colourful issues with a decent amount of reading in most. Yet, there is a clear split – like the League itself – with a top six and bottom six. However, there can be only one winner and not for the first time the award heads north.

WINNER Aberdeen Once again the Aberdeen issue has a completeness and authority that others fail to match. The design and context dovetail perfectly and all with minimal advertising. The ultimate compliment for the King of Scottish Programmes – and it’s harder to praise each year – is that only the combination of an Old Firm plus say, a Hearts programme, would challenge this quality. Congratulations are due to everyone who contributes to the best issue in Scotland. Echoing the theme of several club the covers are now ‘retro’ and it’s to the benefit of the 2018/19 issue that Aberdeen have had a much more varied series of covers previously than many other clubs. Inside the programme is simply packed, with current day profiles and interviews giving way to interesting and diverse coverage of the visitors in both current and historic terms. As has long been the case, the Aberdeen historical coverage is encyclopaedic in its density. Aberdeen fans may have seen some of it before but it is written in a style that allows the visiting or casual reader to delve into a slice of Aberdeen football and even social history. Indeed, it’s a content rivalled only – by Clyde and Cowdenbeath several leagues below. The issue closes with youth coverage and statistics, which complete a wonderful programme and one which is definitively more library than ‘dentist’s waiting room’.

The winners from the other three leagues in Scotland were Dunfermline Athletic, Dumbarton and Clyde.

Red Matchday is produced by CurtisSport and designed by Bluechilli, with Karl Wheeler being in charge of the design work.

Thank you to artist Dolly Digital for his brilliant retro cover artwork.

Thank you to all our contributors who have written for the programme during the 2018/19 season – Rachel Corsie, Kevin Stirling, Bill Thomas, Andrew Morrison, Chris Crighton, Stuart Duff, Sean Graham from the AFC Former Players Association, Mark Gordon, Ally Begg, Chris Gavin and Derek Giles from the AFC Heritage Trust, Andrew Shinnie, George Rutherford, and from AFC Dave Macdermid & Matt Findlay.

Thank you to all our photographers: Derek Ironside and Ross Johnston from Newsline Media, all the team at SNS Group, Scott Baxter and Stephen Dobson.

Thanks to all of our sellers who get your copy into your hands, whatever the weather.

And, most importantly, on behalf of the Red Matchday team, THANK YOU again to all of you who continue to make this programme a part of your matchday ritual and buy the publication.

As always we are interested in hearing from our readers as the programme is put together for you. If you have any thoughts on how we can improve the magazine for 2019/20 please email redtv@afc.co.uk with your suggestions. Have a great summer everyone and we will see again next season.

Cover Story

Friday night’s retro cover by Dolly Digital is inspired by a programme from the 1984/85 season.

The programme of the year awards started in 1973/74. Aberdeen first won it in 1980/81 and then would be runners up for the next three seasons before winning the title back in ‘84/85. The club celebrated the victory with this brilliant cover for the game against Dumbarton on Saturday 20th April 1985.

On the field Aberdeen were relentless in their pursuit of the Scottish Premier League in 1985 as they were heading towards retaining the Premier for the first time in their history.

By the time struggling Dumbarton came north on 20th April, the title was all but done and dusted. A 4-2 win over Dundee Utd was followed by a routine victory at Ibrox before the visit of the Boghead side. Dumbarton along with Morton were consigned to relegation and the Dons continued their march towards the title with an emphatic 4-0 win. This was the Dons 33rd league game of the season and they were to clinch the title with three games to spare.

Alex McLeish opened the scoring with a rare fierce drive from outside of the box; his first goal of the season. Aberdeen skipper Willie Miller tried all afternoon to emulate his defensive partner as Aberdeen dominated the game throughout. Ian Angus scored a second and after Kay put through his own goal, Billy Stark completed the scoring in 65 minutes.

Manager Alex Ferguson was naturally happy with the outcome; “The priority at this stage was to get both points and more or less keep us out of sight of our nearest challengers. To play with some style was also pleasing in what has been a tough season. It was good to see the goals shared around although I will need to have words with our front players. With Celtic up here next week it would be good to win the title on our own patch for a change.”

The Dons would draw 1-1 with Celtic thanks to Willie Miller’s famous equaliser and the title race was conceded. The following week at Tynecastle Frank McDougall scored a superb first half trick in a 3-0 win and Aberdeen finished the season with a 2-1 victory at Cappielow. Sadly there would be no Scottish Cup final to look forward to as on the Wednesday before the Dumbarton game the Dons lost a controversial semi-final replay to Dundee United.

For the record the club would also win the programme award in 1989/90 and 1991/92. They would then claim the programme monthly trophy ten years later and it has remained in the Pittodrie boardroom for the past 18 years.

ABERDEEN; Leighton, McKimmie, McQueen, Stark, McLeish, Miller, Black, Simpson, Hewitt, Bell, Angus.

DUMBARTON; Arthur, Kay, Sinclair, T Coyle, McCahill, Montgomerie, Ashwood, Robertson, McIver, Crawley, J Coyle
Attendance; 12,656

Red Matchday Issue 25 |

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