Aberdeen embarking on the trip of a lifetime for many in 1956 as they toured Canada.

By virtue of their league success a year earlier the Dons were box-office material and the invitation to tour North America offered those who made the trip the opportunity to see some fantastic sights and play in some incredible stadiums.

Aberdeen travelled over by ship and during their stay they took internal flights to reach such destinations as Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto and New York. The Dons played Everton on four occasions as the best of British came to Canada.

While the tour to Canada was a memorable one, perhaps the most-remembered Aberdeen tour was the one to the USA in 1967. “The trip of a lifetime and one that I would have not missed for anything. It was a marvellous experience” That was how former Dons keeper Bobby Clark summed up the summer of 1967 when I asked him about the marathon tour to the USA and their participation in the Presidents Cup competition.

It was indeed a remarkable adventure and without doubt the most eventful tour ever undertaken by Aberdeen, yet it all followed the Dons defeat in the Scottish Cup Final against Celtic, a game missed by Aberdeen manager Eddie Turnbull through illness.

That illness also looked set to prevent the boss from going to the States with his team, but despite being under doctor’s orders not to travel, the persuasive powers of the American soccer organisers meant that Turnbull not only went to the tournament but was also afforded a meeting with the USA President as part of the deal! Scottish football was perhaps enjoying its highest ever profile with Celtic newly crowned European Cup winners, Rangers losing to Bayern Munich in the European Cup Winners’ Cup Final and Kilmarnock reaching the semi-final of the Inter City Fairs Cup only to lose out to Leeds, while on the international front, Scotland had just beaten World Cup winners England at Wembley in an historic 3-2 success.

Aberdeen for their part had emerged from a prolonged period in the doldrums and under Eddie Turnbull the signs were encouraging. The Dons had finished in 4th place in the League and also reached the Final of the Scottish Cup and the last four of the League Cup. A first ever European tie awaited them in the new season but as season 1966/67 closed, Aberdeen embarked on their tour of the States.

The Americans had invited 12 teams worldwide to take part in an exhibition tournament to gauge interest in ‘soccer’ in the USA, but each club would have to adopt a name bestowed upon them by their hosts for the duration of the tournament.

Aberdeen were to be based in Washington and after a radio poll that attracted no less than 35,000 entries, Aberdeen were named the Washington Whips. The twelve clubs were divided into two sections with the group winners meeting in the Final.

The ‘Whips’ got off to the worst possible start with a 2-1 defeat against Cleveland Stokers (Stoke City) but manager Turnbull was none too pleased with the Cleveland approach, declaring that their defensive outlook would hardly encourage their hosts to come out and see what it was all about. Next up were familiar opponents in Hibernian under the guise of Toronto City.

Goals from Jimmy Smith and Jim Storrie put the Whips in command before a second half strike from Eric Stevenson meant a nail biting finish. Martin Buchan played for the Whips that day, replacing Tom McMillan who was injured in the first game.

Following their first win, it was back to the grind of a 1-1 draw against the crack Italians Cagliari (Chicago Mustangs) whose ultra defensive outlook seemed so futile given the ‘exhibition’ status of the tournament.

Aberdeen then came up against the first of a series of bruising encounters with Uruguayan side Cerro offering plenty of fight, but the South Americans had no answer to the Dons’ goal threat and a 3-0 win was no more than they deserved, though sadly Dave Johnston was injured in this one and he was to play no further part in the tour. Irish side Glentoran (Detroit) put up stern resistance with a 1-1 draw against Aberdeen as the two sections were now taking shape.

Not that far away a Scottish representative side were also touring the North American area after visiting Australia and New Zealand. The Scots side contained mostly players who were out of the international side, but in Winnipeg Scotland beat Canada 7-2 with a youthful Joe Harper helping himself to five goals – also in the side was Alex Ferguson.

By 14th June it was coming down to the wire and nearest Aberdeen rivals Stoke City looked to have edged ahead until a late Wilson goal saved the Whips from defeat.

What was remarkable was the physical nature of most of these games. Hibernian had trouble with Cagliari and after taking the lead the Italian side walked off and the match was abandoned.

Further drawn games with ADO Wolves and Sunderland kept the Dons in contention for that prestigious final place but the tough nature of these games had taken its toll and there were several injury problems to contend with.

Boss Turnbull was determined to get his side through and with three games to play it was still all to play for. Wolves did not help their cause in the 1-1 draw with Aberdeen as they had illegally fielded an extra substitute, the American organisers insisting that the game be replayed. Meanwhile it was back to more familiar opponents when Dallas (Dundee United) were defeated 2-0 with a late Jim Whyte goal easing the Dons through.

Against Brazilian side Bangu it took the goal of the tournament from Jimmy Smith to give the Dons a vital win, meaning that it all came down to the last game, with Hibernian out of it after Stoke defeated the Edinburgh side.

The Dons were up against Glentoran while Stoke faced Sunderland with both teams level on points. Aberdeen looked to have blown it by losing 2-1, but news came through that Stoke had lost 3-1, but even so, it still looked ominous for the Scots, as Stokes’s superior goal difference would have put them through.

However it was then decided that the Aberdeen v Wolves game would have to be replayed and a win for the Scots would secure a final place. Aberdeen came good when it mattered and hammered Wolves 3-0 to set up an intriguing Final against the same side.

There was no love lost between them; Wolves were still upset at having to replay the original tie and the Dons were not comfortable with the English side’s robust approach. Those grudges spilled in the Final, which was played at the Los Angeles Memorial Stadium. The game itself was perhaps one of the most dramatic an Aberdeen side has ever took part in. Jimmy Smith was sent off after half an hour for kicking Wagstaffe. From that point on it was a real courageous performance from the Dons.

Frank Munro twice came up with goals in the closing minutes as ten men Aberdeen would just not give up. It took a freak own goal from Ally Shewan to finally consign the Dons to a defeat they hardly deserved. The game had just about everything but when the last whistle blew, the Washington Whips lost out 6-5 in overtime.

It was an incredible climax to a tournament that been as exhaustive as can be imagined.

Aberdeen returned to Canada in 1972 and once again came up against Wolves in four tour matches.

However it was not the English club that concerned the Dons but the local support of Montreal Olympics when the Dons played them on 7th June 1972.

The game was abandoned after 62 minutes after angry fans invaded the pitch and tried to attack the Aberdeen players after Joe Harper scored with a penalty.

Montreal defender Luigi Mascalatio on loan from Italian side Verona barged Dave Robb as the Aberdeen player stood in front of the Montreal keeper.

The penalty triggered unpleasant scenes as the referee stopped the game as he feared for the safety of the Aberdeen players. Fans set off firecrackers and threw stones and seats on to the field.

Two years later Aberdeen did not exactly seek more calm surroundings as their 1974 ‘World Tour’ began in Teheran of all places. Finishing up in Auckland in New Zealand the month long tour took in such venues as Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and New Caledonia.

In June ’74 the Scotland national team were getting ready to take part in the World Cup Finals in Germany. Arguably the strongest squad we have ever sent to a World Cup, contained former Don Martin Buchan.

The Aberdeen players had finished their season at the end of April, after what can only be described as a fairy uneventful campaign. Slightly more eventual (going by some of the stories we have heard down the years) the team embarked on a world tour. They first went to the Middle East where they lost 2-0 to Persepolis in Tehran, Iran, in May 1974. At the time Persepolis were the reigning Iranian league champions and the Dons had to face them at an altitude in excess of 1,500m with little preparation.

After that they travelled down under where they played seven games (winning four), travelling right across Australia, and remember it is a big country! Before finishing with a 4-0 win over Auckland in New Zealand. And we moan nowadays about the amount of games!

In 1994 Aberdeen finished their league campaign against Celtic at Pittodrie in a 1-1 draw to secure runners up place in the league. Some weeks later the sides clashed again, this time in Canada as part of the Hamilton Cup tournament that also involved Hearts and a local Canadian side. The Dons last major tour was a third trip to South Africa in 2006. The trip was fraught with organisational problems and although the venues and the opposition were of a high standard it was hardly the ideal preparation for the new season.

 

(Date / Opponents / Score (Aberdeen – Opposition) / Location / Scorers)

1956 Tour of Canada
29th May	Montreal Stars	8-0	Montreal	Hather 3, Hay 2, Allister, Wishart, Allan
2nd June	Ontario All Stars	8-0	Ontario	Hay 3, Allister 2, Yorston, Leggat, Allan
5th June	Manitoba	5-0	Manitoba	Buckley 3, Wishart 2
7th June	Regina	17-0	Regina	Yorston 4,Leggat 4,Allan 3,Buckley 2,Wishart 2,Brownlee, Hather
9th June	Everton	3-3	Vancouver	Hather 2, Leggat
11th June	Vancouver XI	2-2	Vancouver	Allan 2
13th June	Everton	1-2	Edmonton	Clunie
17th June	Everton	1-3	Toronto	Buckley
18th June	Everton	3-6	New York	Wishart 2, Yorston
1967 Presidents Cup Tour of America
27th May	Stoke City	1-2	Washington	Storrie
31st May	Hibernian	2-1	Toronto	J Smith, Storrie
3rd June	Cagliari	1-1	Washington	Storrie
7th June	Cerro	3-0	Washington	J Smith, J Wilson, OG
11th June	Glentoran	2-2	Detroit	J Wilson, P Wilson
14th June	Stoke City	2-2	Cleveland	Shewan, P Wilson
20th June	Wolves	1-1	Washington	J Wilson
25th June	ADO the Hague	0-0	San Francisco
28th June	Sunderland	1-1	Washington	Munro
1st July	Dundee Utd	2-0	Dallas	J Smith, Whyte
4th July	Bangu	1-0	Houston	J Smith
8th July	Shamrock Rovers	1-2	Washington	Munro
10th July	Wolves	3-0	Washington	Storrie 2, M Buchan
14th July	Wolves	5-6 aet	LA Coliseum	Munro 3, J Smith Storrie
1972 Tour of North America
14th May	Somerset	4-2	Bermuda	Mitchell, Harper, McMillan, OG
17th May	Devonshire Colts	6-1	Bermuda	Forrest 2, Harper, Willoughby S.Murray, Taylor
19th May	Baltimore Bays	5-1	Baltimore	Harper 2, Forrest, R Miller, Jarvie
21st May	Wolves	3-1	San Francisco	Harper 2, Robb
24th May	Wolves	3-0	Seattle	Mitchell 2, Forrest
26th May	Wolves	0-3	Vancouver
28th May	Wolves	0-4	Los Angeles
31st May	Toronto Metros	0-0	Toronto
2nd June	Chicago All Stars	1-1	Chicago	Willoughby
4th June	Ecuador Barcelona	5-1	New York	Robb 2, Forrest, Harper, OG
7th June	Montreal Olympic	1-0	Montreal	Harper
10th June	Boston Astros	5-0	Boston	Forrest 2, Robb, Jarvie, Harper
1974 World Tour
7th May	Persepolis	0-2	Teheran
12th May	Western Australia	5-3	Perth	Pirie 3, Davidson 2
15th May	South Australia	2-2	Adelaide	Pirie 2
19th May	Queensland	1-2	Brisbane	Pirie
24th May	New South Wales	4-1	Newcastle	Thomson, Pirie, Hermiston, McCall
26th May	New South Wales	2-1	Sydney	Davidson, Hermiston
28th May	Noumea	3-0	New Caledonia	Ward 2, Pirie
30th May	Noumea	1-2	New Caledonia	Davidson
1st June	Auckland	4-0	Auckland	Graham 2, Jarvie 2