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AFC Archive | 1982 Scottish Cup

21 May 2022
Author Red Matchday Team

 

Sunday is the 40th anniversary of Aberdeen’s 1982 Scottish Cup win.

The Dons have won seven Scottish Cups to the club’s credit. It took Aberdeen a long time to win that first one in 1947 and it took until 1970 before the Scottish Cup was able to reside in the Pittodrie boardroom again, the old trophy having a narrow escape from the fire of 1971, handed out to safety by an intrepid fireman. That fire and its aftermath did more than burn down the stand – it snuffed out the promise of a league title that season and that in turn, perhaps, affected manager Eddie Turnbull’s decision when the opportunity to return to Hibs came his way.

It took the arrival of Alex Ferguson to turn around Aberdeen’s Scottish Cup fortunes, something he did in the most emphatic style with a hat-trick of wins, ultimately four in five years.

That side had already delivered the Premier League title in 1980 and a tilt at the European Cup along with it. But still a win in the season’s glamorous finale eluded even Fergie as the 1982 competition got underway in January with a trip to Motherwell. Would this be the year to lay the Scottish Cup hoodoo to rest?

READ | the 1982 Scottish Cup story | click here

THE WEEK BEFORE THE FINAL

Season 1981.82 was a crucial milestone in the Dons history. After winning the title in 1980 a barren season followed and critics were quick to suggest that the Dons 1980 success was a one-off. Alex Ferguson was determined to build on that success and the closing weeks of the 1981.82 season was to prove critical. In the league race, the Dons had to claw back a big points deficit and were always chasing the Parkhead side. After a 1-0 win at Celtic Park the Dons kept their title interest going up to the last game. With Rangers due at Pittodrie in the last day of the league season, thoughts turned to the Scottish Cup Final seven days later at Hampden where both sides would meet again. It was a definitive part of the Aberdeen season as they went into the game knowing that they still had a mathematical chance of taking the championship. Celtic were at home to St Mirren and the Dons had to hope for an upset at Celtic Park and the Dons had to beat Rangers by five goals. It was never a realistic target and all the Dons could do was to see if they could do some real damage to Rangers and also give them the edge for the cup final. Fergie was in confident mood in what had been a gruelling season—“A season of 58 competitive games comes to a close this week with one remaining fixture beckoning, the cup final next week at Hampden. We are still in position where we could land the championship, but it is a big ask given Celtic’s superior goal difference and the fact that we have to rely on a result going our way. We will approach this game to push Celtic all the way and make them earn the right to be champions. In my football experience I know that anything can happen. I remember the 1969 cup final playing for Rangers against Celtic and they lost Johnstone and Hughes before the game. Everyone had Rangers down as favourites but Celtic won 4-0 because on the day they were tactically superior. The present successful spell at the club reflects the efficiency that the club has been run from top to bottom and the players aim to repay that with a win today and at Hampden next Saturday.”

Aberdeen made a positive starts against a Rangers side that had struggled to keep up with either Aberdeen or Celtic all season. The Dons had beaten the Glasgow side twice comfortably in league in recent months and in 30 seconds they almost went ahead after Peter Weir set up John Hewitt but the ball ran away from the young Dons striker. Aberdeen kept up the pressure and forced two corners in quick succession. All of the action was centred around the Rangers area as the visitors were under intense pressure. The Dons took the lead after 23 minutes. Hewitt sliced open the Ibrox defence and set up Weir who saw McGhee poke the ball towards Stewart. The keeper pulled off a fine save but the ball spun of Colin Jackson to give Aberdeen a deserved lead. Five minutes later Hewitt made it two with a superb drive from 25 yards that gave Stewart no chance. Rangers were overwhelmed at that stage and the Dons sensed that there were more goals in the game. A younger and hungrier Aberdeen side were first to every ball and Rangers had little by way of response. Aberdeen knew that they had to chase five goals and their hopes were raised after John Hewitt scored the Dons third after he headed a Kennedy cross past Stewart. Two minutes before the break the Dons impossible dream was well and truly on as Hewitt completed a memorable hat trick when he scored from close range after Stewart had saved from McGhee. That goal triggered a mini invasion from the Rangers support in the King Street end that had seen at close hand the Dons four goal salvo. Police quickly moved in to prevent further trouble. As news came through from Parkhead that Celtic were still being held by St Mirren, the title was still on for the Dons. Despite Aberdeen continuing to dominate the game in the second half they could not add to their lead and Celtic eventually scored before completing a 3-0 win over St Mirren to end the Dons faint hopes of title success.

Nevertheless the result at Pittodrie gave the Dons a marvellous edge for the cup final and they would travel to Hampden as firm favourites to lift the Scottish Cup….

Saturday 15th May 1982
Aberdeen 4:0 Rangers
Aberdeen; Leighton, Kennedy, Rougvie, Cooper, McLeish, Miller, Strachan, Simpson, McGhee, Hewitt, Weir. Subs; McMaster, Watson.
Rangers; Stewart, Jardine, Dawson, McClelland, Jackson, Bett, Cooper, Miller, Dalziel, Redford, McDonald.
Attendance; 18,000

COOPER SEALS CUP WIN WITH EMPHATIC STRIKE IN EXTRA TIME

Aberdeen suffered a blow when Peter Weir was ruled out through injury and 15 minutes into the game their prospects darkened when John McDonald headed a Dalziel cross past Jim Leighton. This Dons team was made of stern stuff though and 17 minutes later McLeish curled a delightful effort past Stewart from the edge of the box to level the score. There was to be no further scoring in the 90 minutes, but the Aberdeen support were treated to a goal fest in extra time. It began three minutes after the restart as McGhee headed a Strachan cross past Stewart. Ten minutes later it was Strachan himself who was on target after Bell had crashed a shot off the woodwork. McGhee flicked the rebound across goal and from all of six inches Strachan smashed the ball into the net. The humiliation was completed ten minutes from the end when Neale Cooper charged down a clearance from Stewart and smashed the ball into the empty net to seal the 4-1 win. It was a dream come true for the local loon.

WATCH | the 1982 final on RedTV | click here

STATS 

Saturday
22/05/1982
1981-82
Scottish Cup Final
Rangers 1 v 4 Aberdeen a.e.t.
Attendance 53,788

Aberdeen team: J. Leighton, S. Kennedy, D. Rougvie, J. McMaster, A. McLeish, W. Miller, G. Strachan, N. Cooper, M. McGhee, N. Simpson, J. Hewitt.
Subs: D. Bell, E. Black,
Aberdeen Scorers: N. Cooper (1) M. McGhee (1) A. McLeish (1) G. Strachan (1)
Referee: McGinlay, B
Manager: Ferguson, Alex

GALLERY | Red Matchday Magazine archive photos from the game | click here

POST MATCH CELEBRATIONS

Aberdeen’s traditional base for cup finals at Hampden was the Gleneagles Hotel. It was a regular stop off point for years, even as far back as some of the cup finals in the 1950s. In 1967 ahead of the Scottish Cup final against Celtic it was where manager Eddie Turnbull got ill and was unable to travel to the game. Such was the chaos it caused, the team bus left late and got stuck in traffic going to the game. 20 minutes before kick-off Bobby Clark, who had travelled separately, thought he was going to have to face Celtic himself as his team-mates had still not turned up! Celtic ran out comfortable 2-0 winners and the travel disruption and the loss of Turnbull had certainly contributed the Dons defeat.

There were happier memories in 1982 when the team returned to the hotel with the Scottish Cup. Whilst the team celebrated, a famous guest was also staying at the venue. Burt Lancaster used the luxury venue as his base whilst filming the cult Scottish film ‘Local Hero’. The Hollywood legend would travel to the film set by helicopter each morning before returning was filming was complete for the day.

This photo was taken by Donald Stewart. Donald was a familiar face to generations of AFC players, staff and supporters having covered The Dons since the 1970’s- firstly with Aberdeen Journals and latterly for The Sun. Donald bravely fought a battle with Motor Neurone Disease before passing away in May 2016. At the time Donald was working as a photographer for The Evening Express and covering the game for the Green Final. He remembered the night well.

“After the game, it was my task to go to Gleneagles and get a photo of the team in their dinner jackets with the Scottish Cup. Unfortunately when I arrived they had already sat down for dinner. When I asked if I could do a photo with the team Alex Ferguson informed me that there had already been a photocall and it was just tough that I had missed it. At which point Stuart Kennedy, who was always a gentleman, stood up and along with his wife picked the cup up from table and said “Come on Donald I will give you a picture”. As we were going through to the front door, Stuart remembered that Burt Lancaster was in the hotel and thought this would make a nice picture! When Stuart eventually found him he was sitting having dinner with the rest of the people working on “Local Hero”.

“Stuart went up to his table, tapped him on the shoulder, and said “Hello, my name is Stuart Kennedy and this is the Scottish Cup!” To Stuart’s amazement Burt knew exactly who he was, about the game and the score. Even although he was halfway through his meal he was delighted to do a photo with Stuart and the cup. So I took the snap with the two of them and Stuart’s wife.

“As I was doing the photo, word of what was going on got back to the Aberdeen table. Before long there were 4 or 5 players, then 6 or 7 and it was not long before the whole team was standing outside in the lobby of the Gleneagles Hotel with Burt! Next thing the door burst opens and Fergie runs out, putting on his dinner jacket shouting wait for me! At which point I politely reminded him that he did not want any more pictures taken!

“Anyway, I did a group pic with all the players, Burt, Sir Alex and Stuart’s wife who was still standing there and she was the only poor female in the picture! The group picture was carried on the front page of the Evening Express throughout the day on the Monday and as you can imagine I was very proud of the picture.”

The film also stared Peter Riegert (more recently in The Sopranos), and Scottish actors Denis Lawson, Fulton Mackay, Peter Capaldi and Rikki Fulton. It was filmed in several locations around Scotland, although most of the village scenes were filmed in Pennan on the Aberdeenshire coast.

The film would go on and win many awards including a BAFTA for director Bill Forsyth in 1984 and receive critical acclaim, although much of it was many years later. The film’s soundtrack was written and produced by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits and is still used by Newcastle United ahead of a game.

Burt Lancaster was one of the greatest movie stars of all time. He passed away after a heart attack at the age of 80, at home in Los Angeles on October 20, 1994. Burt won an Oscar for his performance in “Elmer Gantry”.

In the news …

FERGIE LOOKS TO FUTURE SUCCESS

The final whistle had barely blown when Alex Ferguson started his plans for the future with the re-signing of skipper Willie Miller his number one priority. “I’ve heard the rumours that Miller will be leaving the club, but I will be doing everything in my power to keep him. I’m not interested in breaking up this team. There will be no buying or selling. During the season, we tried to buy Sandy Clark, but times have changed. We now have Hewitt, Black and McGhee competing. The average age is 23. Who is to say what they can achieve? Now we’ve broken through and the benefits will be seen next season. We go into Europe as winners and looking to improve on past performances.”

KEEPY UP KING SIGNS FOR DONS

16,000 fans filled Pittodrie on Sunday to welcome home the Scottish Cup winners. Among those celebrating was 14-year-old Michael Campbell. Not only was he celebrating the Dons win, but he had his own double celebration as he lifted the trophy as Scotland’s keepy Uppy champion, which he won at Hampden yesterday. He is now set to become an Aberdeen player in the near future as the youngster has been training at Pittodrie for the last two seasons and hopes to emulate his hero, Gordon Strachan.

SPURS LIFT FA CUP WITHOUT ARGENTINE PAIR

At Wembley Spurs and QPR fought out at 1-1 draw with Spurs winning the replay 1-0. Due to the on-going conflict in the Falklands, Spurs were unable to call on the services of their Argentinean pair of Ardiles and Villa, who had both lit up the final 12 months earlier. The pair returned to Argentina during the conflict and the cousin of Osvaldo Ardiles, Jose Ardiles was killed during the conflict when his aircraft was downed.

BRITISH ESTABLISH BEACHEAD IN FALKLANDS

Today British troops established a beachhead in San Carlos Bay in their attempt to retake the East Falklands. It was not all positive news from the front however as the Navy lost HMS Ardent and HMS Antelope in the space of three days. Elsewhere another Argentinean was in the news as Maradona completed his world record £5m move to Barcelona.

SOPHIA LOREN JAILED IN ITALY

As the Yorkshire Ripper today marked his first year in prison since being handed down a life sentence at the Old Bailey, a famous actress was enduring her first week behind bars. Hollywood actress Sophia Loren had been sentenced to a month in prison in her native Italy after being found guilty of tax evasion. It was a crime that the 47-year-old attributed to “a little error” by her accountant.

FOOTBALL TAKES ON NICOLE IN CHARTS

A Little Peace by German Eurovision winner, Nicole, topped the chart, but she was facing stiff opposition from ‘musical’ footballers. The Spurs squad were at number 24 with the imaginatively titled Tottenham, Tottenham. However, the Scotland World Cup Squad were at number six with the memorable We Have a Dream. Former Don Steve Archibald had the claim to fame of being one of very few people to appear twice on Top of the Pop in the same episode.

Number 1 Single
A Little Peace
Nicole

Movie Releases
Death Trap
Michael Caine

Number 1 Album
Complete Madness
Madness

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