Saturday’s retro cover, brilliantly recreated by Dolly Digital, is inspired from some of the earliest AFC publications.
These programmes are from early 1950’s. The one with the stripes was from season 1953.54; the one without is from 1950-52.
The club began to change to ‘all red’ print issuing programmes for first team and reserve games on a regular basis from season 1946.47. The eight page issue was brief in content but most featured superb caricatures which were a distinct feature of the post war issues from the club.
In season 1951.52 the club changed their cover format from an action picture to feature Pittodrie from the air. At that time the official capacity of the ground was an incredible 53,000 with the Main Stand the only seated and covered area. The enclosure in front of the grandstand seats was a popular area while all other three sides were terraced and uncovered.
The match programme back then cost 3d or one and a half pence in new money. The popular haft time scoreboard remained the best way to find out the results around the country and every Aberdeen programme from that era carried the key to these results.
The Dons production of the time was typical of what was issued in line with most major clubs. Always an interesting read even allowing for strange items in the ‘Lost & Found’ section; someone lost their false teeth on one occasion, probably in over zealous celebrations at an Aberdeen goal!
In March 1954 the visit of Hearts in the Scottish Cup brought the club record attendance of 45,061; the tie kicked off at 3pm on a Wednesday afternoon, several years before Pittodrie had floodlighting. With Aberdeen back then enjoying a ‘half day closing’ all the factories and shops would close early as most worked on a Saturday morning which offers a reason why such a huge crowd turned up for the Scottish Cup Tie.
The quarter final tie attracted great interest and it was Aberdeen that swept aside the Tynecastle side in a 3-0 win. In the build up to the game the club only announced days before the tie that the grandstand (Main Stand) only would be all-ticket. The official attendance was given as 45,061 but with women who attended and not being added to the attendance and with several gaining entry ‘by other means’, the actual crowd was in excess of the official attendance that was announced.
Also in the programme…
The Manager, match action, the skipper, Dveveloping Don Connor Barron, Greg Stewart, opposition stats, Aberdeen Heritage Trust player feature – Jim Whyte, memory match from 1961/62, time teams from 1981/82, Stuart Duff column, the main interview is with Andrew Considine, The Complete History of Aberdeen FC 1965-1971 – part 2, AFC Heritage Trust – Tales of the Unexpected, Bon Accord Journal from 2013-14, Picture this, AFC FPs feature – Alex Jackson, who also appears on the back cover, That was the week from February 1986, Ally Begg column, talking point, Red News, Chris Crighton column, stats section.
Red Matchday Issue 16 |
to buy a copy online please click here
Red Matchday Magazine is available to buy in and around the ground from the programme sellers for £3.00.
You can pick up a copy from the AFC Club Shop and if you can’t make the match you can pick a copy by clicking on the link above.
As always, we welcome your comments and feedback on the programme this season. Please feel free to get in touch with the editor (Malcolm Panton) at [email protected]
