One of the most significant events in Aberdeen FC’s history across the 1970s was not winning the Scottish Cup nor almost being relegated in 1976 but the extensive fire that swept through the Main Stand at Pittodrie in the early hours of February 6th 1971.

The Red Matchday team look back at the dramatic events on Pittodrie Street 50 years tonight …. 

 

It was only by luck and by the timing of the fire that nobody was hurt, or worse. The fire broke out during the early hours of Saturday 6th February, underneath the Main Stand. Thankfully, the deserted ground was free from any staff or visitors, while fireman wearing breathing apparatus were needed to save the Scottish Cup as the blaze destroyed around a third of the Main Stand.

At the height of the fire, Firemaster John Donnachie directed the operation after club secretary Bert Whyte appealed to him to save the club trophies from the smoke-filled boardroom. Mr Donnachie commented at the time, “Being a Dons fan, I knew the layout of the boardroom well. We had to break the windows on Pittodrie Street so I could put two men in. They felt their way through smoke to the glass case and handed out all the trophies, the Scottish Cup first, so they were all safe.”

However, the fire destroyed not only all the offices and administration, but the sauna and billiards rooms were also destroyed. All of the player’s strips and equipment was also gone. The blaze lit up the skies over Aberdeen and around 35 firemen fought the blaze. Nearby householders were also alarmed when two explosions caused danger. The initial one was thought to have been asbestos cracking in the roof but the second was far more dangerous as a gas canister blew up, causing significant damage. Firemen had to evacuate that area as a crew went in to remove more cylinders in an adjacent area.

Aberdeen chairman Richard Donald, who was called to the stadium after the fire broke out at 3.55am, was a dejected figure; “The loss of everything is a big blow after everything was going so well. How it started we may never know. The last person here was at 5pm last night. It could not have been an electrical fault, as we have safety switches in place.”

Aberdeen manager Eddie Turnbull arrived at the ground at 5am and was unsure how the fire would affect his plans; “We shall have to try to get other facilities, but it won’t upset our training. Our reserve match due here today will be off.” The club also announced that the sale of tickets for the Dons’ Scottish Cup tie at Dundee United would go ahead as planned on the Monday.

As daylight broke, the full extent of the damage became apparent. Viewing the mass of twisted girders and what remained of the seating, Mr Donald said, “We will get structural engineers in to survey this. Whatever happens, we shall be right on to getting this sorted and to get the club back to some kind of normality as soon as possible.”

There was no doubt that the fire ripped the very heart out of the club. Gone were the administration areas, offices, gymnasium, dressing rooms and other associated areas. That Saturday, the Dons were due to play Dunfermline at East End Park. Aberdeen were sitting proudly at the top of the table and were going head to head with Celtic for the title. The Dons had already beaten the Parkhead side in Glasgow and were favourites to win the league. Aberdeen had recently gone 12 matches without conceding a single goal and a recent defeat at Hibernian was the Dons’ only blemish on an otherwise faultless report card. The week before the fire, Aberdeen defeated Morton 3-1 at Pittodrie, which meant the Dons had beaten every single one of their opponents in the league that season.

As the players gathered at Pittodrie in daylight of Saturday morning they saw for themselves the utter destruction caused by the fire. Even the strips and hampers that were prepared for the trip to Fife were gone. It was hardly ideal preparation and a sad day for Aberdeen was compounded when Aberdeen went down 1-0 to Dunfermline, a team that was bottom of the 18-team division back then.

The Dons had to soldier on and two weeks after the fire, they played their first game at Pittodrie, against Rangers. Pittodrie looked very different with the steel framework the only remaining part of Section ‘A’ which was now completely gone. With so many crucial games coming up, the Dons were at a distinct disadvantage as, with no facilities as such, it was a day-to-day existence with training being changed away from the ground and there being little or no contact with club officials on a daily basis. By the time Celtic came calling on 17th April 1971, the game was a virtual league decider. Aberdeen simply had to win to take the race to the final day a week later. A draw suited Celtic and the Glasgow club were delighted to return to Parkhead with a point in the 1-1 draw.

The almost eerie atmosphere at Pittodrie back then was a strange experience for Dons record score Joe Harper: “There was no doubt that the damage caused to the ground had an effect on the team. Everything was on hold, with no facilities, training was impossible and our preparations for games were nothing like what we were used to.

“When we played Celtic in the penultimate game of the season we had to change in the area where the police were housed. All that separated us from the Celtic team was a curtain drawn across the area. We could hear everything Jock Stein was saying and they could listen in on what Eddie Turnbull was telling us. It was a strange experience. Before we went out, all I could hear was the police commander telling his men about information on a group of Glasgow pickpockets in the area.”

During 1970/71 the records before and after the fire make for interesting comparisons.

Prior to the blaze in February, the league record was:
PLAYED 23 WON 19 DRAWN 2 LOST 2 FOR 53 AGAINST 10.

After the fire:
PLAYED 11 WON 5 DRAWN 4 LOST 2 FOR 15 AGAINST 8.

Another damaging aspect of the fire was that the substantial collection of club artefacts and memorabilia was virtually destroyed. Items that dated back to the club’s formation in 1903 were lost forever. Fortunately, one trophy that was saved was the Scottish Cup. The boardroom at Pittodrie escaped the worst of the fire and the national trophy was passed out through a window after the fire was put under control. Many club items were not so fortunate and as well as the collection of trophies, memorabilia and photographs, the club records and administration files and ledgers were also destroyed.

It emerged later that the fire was caused by a discarded cigarette which was allowed to smoulder beneath the Main Stand seating. Nobody was ever blamed for causing the fire and subsequently no police involvement was necessary.

The 1970-71 Season

Not since 1965 when Hearts blew a rare chance to win the title on the last day of the season, had the championship been away from Celtic Park. Under Jock Stein the Parkhead club had dominated the domestic game ever since. Apart from 1968 the nearest occasion that Celtic came to losing their grip on the flag was in season 1970.71 when a memorable Aberdeen challenge pushed Celtic all the way.

While Celtic could do little wrong those days Aberdeen certainly had more than the measure of them. The previous season the Dons won 2-1 at Parkhead and followed that up with a sensational win in the Scottish Cup Final. Under Eddie Turnbull the Aberdeen side of 1970 had gained a reputation of a side that gave little away and had plenty of pace up front where they could cause some real damage.

The more cynical would suggest that Aberdeen’s use of the ‘offside trap’ was infuriating and boring. Tactically it was superb management from Turnbull—the Aberdeen ethic under the former Hibernian player was built on a rock-solid defence and it was tailor-made for playing away from home as Aberdeen exploited their opponents with some lightning quick breaks. Away from home it was simplicity itself, while at Pittodrie the Dons had to adapt to a more positive approach. The Aberdeen team of 1970 certainly had a settled look about it.

Keeper Bobby Clark had been around since 1965 and had established himself as the no1 for both Aberdeen and Scotland, following an indifferent spell in 1968 when he was dropped and aborted a short spell outfield. Henning Boel the Dons original ‘Great Dane’ was a colossus at right back, gaining cult status with the Aberdeen support with his trademark forays deep into opposition territory.

Jim Hermiston shared the left back duties with former Motherwell defender George Murray. Both were Scotland U-23 internationals and their defensive qualities allowed Boel some freedom on the right. Tom McMillan was perhaps the unsung hero in defence. McMillan was never the most flamboyant but his defensive qualities brought stability to the team and not many centre forwards around would get the better of him. While McMillan provided the steel, the craft came from Martin Buchan, the youngest captain ever to lift the Scottish Cup. Buchan had been deployed in a variety of roles in his early days but after Turnbull had honed his defensive strategy he used Buchan in a new ‘sweeper’ position and it was from there that the Aberdonian would excel. In midfield there was enough variety in there to adapt to different matches but Turnbull saw the inclusion of the cultured Steve Murray as a crucial element. The former Dundee captain was a record £40,000 buy in March 1970 and he went on to become a vital cog in the slick Aberdeen machine. Ian Taylor was used on occasion with Alec Willoughby providing able back up. The spearhead of the team was Joe Harper.

For the system used by Aberdeen at that time it was vital that they carried a potent threat in attack and in Harper they had a natural goalscorer who went on to become a hero at Pittodrie. Harper weighed in with goals per game ratio not seen at Pittodrie since the days of the free scoring Matt Armstrong back in the 30’s. Joe was often used in a more withdrawn role, which made a mockery of his ‘poacher’ tag. The pace was supplied by Jim Forrest and a young Arthur Graham. ‘Bumper’ as he became known was a raw 17-year-old when he played in the 1970 cup final. Forrest was the more experienced and his physical strength and speed proved a great asset to the Dons.

They were backed up by big Dave Robb, the ‘Brush’ as he was known due to his flowing golden locks. Not many around could match Robb’s commitment and desire and Davie could certainly look after himself and he made sure others around him knew it.

There was little indication in the opening ties of the League Cup section matches that Aberdeen would be such a potent force that season. The Dons struggled against St Johnstone and Hibernian but after hammering Airdrie 7-3 at Pittodrie with Harper netting four goals, the promise of a good season looked encouraging. Nevertheless the Broomfield side held Aberdeen to a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie just seven days later in the opening league game of the season.

Inconsistency was the problem and although a fine 2-1 win at Dens followed, the Dons against struggled at home as they were held by St Johnstone. At that point Aberdeen had still to be looked upon as serious contenders. By virtue of their cup win in May Aberdeen had qualified for the ECWC competition and they welcomed Hungarian side Honved to Pittodrie on 16th September. That game proved a pivotal moment as the Dons managed to win 3-1 in a display of attacking strength that had not been seen for many a year. While the Hungarians would eventually knock the Dons out after the Budapest return, it proved that the Dons really had looked the part.

Days later Aberdeen kicked in to top gear and hammered Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in an impressive 4-0 win. A week later and before the Honved return tie, Hibernian were humbled 3-0 at Pittodrie as the Dons gained revenge over the Easter Road side who had knocked Aberdeen out of the League Cup. The belief was certainly in the team and although they went out of Europe after becoming the first team to suffer from a penalty shoot out, the hangover that resulted in a surprise defeat at Morton, was the last time the Dons would suffer defeat for almost four months.

The Dons defeated Dunfermline 3-2 at East End Park before their first crucial test of the season at Ibrox.

The Aberdeen tactics were well suited to the wide open spaces of the Rangers ground and the majority of the 40,000 support had long since departed as Aberdeen cut through Rangers with ease in an impressive 2-0 win. After a 3-1 win over St Mirren the Dons embarked on a British record sequence of 12 straight league wins without conceding a single goal. Those 24 points gathered had taken Aberdeen to the top of the table and at that point they looked invincible.

During that run Aberdeen went to Parkhead for what many had called a title decider even at that early stage of the season with Aberdeen and Celtic almost out of sight of the rest. Before an incredible 63,000 at Celtic Park it was a classic Harper goal that gave Aberdeen victory.

Jim Hermiston’s long throw was knocked on by Robb and Harper ghosted past Billy McNeill to head past Fallon. You could hear a pin drop at that point and the Dons withstood a late Celtic onslaught to retain their record and hoodoo over Celtic.

The other eleven results were: Dundee Utd 4-0, Clyde 3-0, Ayr Utd 1-0, Hearts 1-0, Motherwell 2-0, Cowdenbeath 7-0, Falkirk 1-0, Airdrie 4-0, Dundee 1-0 and Kilmarnock 3-0. It all came to an end at Easter Road on 16th January when Pat Stanton became the first opponent to score against Aberdeen for four months.

After that Aberdeen struggled to score as freely as Harper’s goals dried up but the Dons still managed to grind out enough wins to set up a title decider against Celtic at Pittodrie on 17th April the penultimate week of the season. Aberdeen went in to the game knowing that they had to win and that would almost certainly take the title to Pittodrie.

After an early setback when Harry Hood opened the scoring the Dons came storming back and a superb Alec Willoughby volley levelled the game before half time. In a torrid second period the definitive moment came midway through the second half when Arthur Graham rounded Celtic keeper Evan Williams. Graham looked certain to score only for his effort to hit Billy McNeill’s knee on the line and the danger was cleared. It was the end of a brave Aberdeen challenge that had taken Celtic right to the wire.

 

What was perhaps significant during the season and had a bearing on the Dons dip in form at the turn of the year was the fire that destroyed the offices and dressing rooms in the main Stand in February. It had a devastating effect on the club and staff.

For the record Aberdeen lost their last game at Falkirk and the title by two points in what was a real anti climax to a season that had promised so much. Nevertheless the Dons unbeaten sequence over Celtic was stretched and at least they could claim that they were not beaten by the league winners that season. Aberdeen went through the entire season undefeated at home although six drawn games at Pittodrie proved decisive.

1970-71 stats

High spots:
15 successive league wins from 10 October.
12 successive defensive clean sheets from 31 October.
Highest league position since 1955-56.
Twice scored 7 goals in a match (v Airdrie in Cup and Cowdenbeath).
Fewest league defeats (4) since World War II.
Fewest league goals (18) ever conceded.
Using just 19 players in all matches.

Low spots:
Defeat at Hibs to end 15-game winning run.
Failure to beat Celtic in title decider at Pittodrie

Ever-presents: (3) Martin Buchan, Bobby Clark, Henning Boel (league only).
Hat-tricks: (3) Joe Harper (2), Dave Robb (1)
Leading scorer: (27) Joe Harper.

Appearances
Martin Buchan 46
Bobby Clark 46
Henning Boel 45
Steve Murray 44
Dave Robb 44
Jim Forrest 43 (1)
Jim Hermiston 43
Arthur Graham 42
Joe Harper 41 (1)
Tommy McMillan 37
Alec Willoughby 12 (13)
Ian Taylor 17 (3)
George Buchan 13 (2)
George Murray 12 (1)
Willie Young 10
Jim Hamilton 6 (3)
Derek McKay 3
Billy Williamson 1
Jim Whyte 1

Goals
Joe Harper 27
Dave Robb 13
Jim Forrest 12
Steve Murray 9
Arthur Graham 6
Ian Taylor 5
Henning Boel 4
Martin Buchan 2
Jim Hamilton 2
Alec Willoughby 2
George Buchan 1
Jim Hermiston 1
Tommy McMillan 1
Own Goals 7