Aberdeen and rivals Celtic once came within 90 minutes of ruling Europe and North America simultaneously.
Jock Stein’s Celtic became the first British team to lift the European Cup in May 1967 by beating Inter Milan in Lisbon. Aberdeen looked to emulate The Hoops’ continental success across the Atlantic shortly afterward when Eddie Turnbull’s side were invited to represent the Washington Whips franchise during the inaugural United Soccer Association tournament – a forerunner to the North American Soccer League that spawned oft-told tales of Pele and the New York Cosmos.
Illness had forced Turnbull to miss the Scottish Cup Final between the two teams in April when two Willie Wallace goals gave Celtic a comfortable victory. The Dons still qualified for the following season’s European Cup Winners’ Cup regardless (their first venture into Europe) as Stein’s all-conquering side also wrapped up the league title. A two-month trip to the United States and Canada gave Aberdeen’s manager a chance to blood talented teenagers like Martin Buchan and Frank Munro for the challenges ahead.
The Washington Whips’ bid to become America’s first pro-soccer champions got off to an inauspicious start – a 2-1 home defeat to the Cleveland Stokers, represented by Stoke City. A baseball diamond remained in one corner of the converted D.C. Stadium field and a pitchers’ mound loomed menacingly against one of the touchlines. Tommy McMillan burst a blood vessel in his foot during the game, and Jim Whyte claimed to have played on a concrete strip with “Whips” painted over it.
McMillan’s injury saw Buchan start the Whips’ second game – a 2-1 win at Toronto City (Hibernian). The Aberdonian’s meteoric rise that would carry him up Wembley’s 39 steps a decade later to lift the F.A. Cup for Manchester United had begun.
Celtic cemented their status as Europe’s top team against Real Madrid on June 7 in front of 130,000 fans at the Bernabeu in a testimonial for Alfredo Di Stefano. Real’s dethroning as the European Cup holders had rankled the retired Madrid legend so deeply that he wanted to invite the Lisbon winners to compete for the Alfredo Di Stefano Trophy.
The Spanish side’s intended show of superiority never materialised in a game that was far from friendly after its 40-year-old beneficiary left the field on 20 minutes. Spain’s international winger Amancio Amaro and Celtic midfielder Bertie Auld were dismissed for fighting. Diminutive outside-right Jimmy Johnstone terrorised the hosts with his jinks, flicks, turns and nutmegs, and his bravado even won over the acclaim of the home fans. Fittingly, the 5-foot-2-inch winger set up Bobby Lennox for the game’s only goal after he had waltzed around five Madrid players.
Aberdeen’s USA title bid gathered pace later that day. Strikes from Jimmy Wilson and Jimmy Smith added to a first-half own goal gave the Whips a convincing 3-0 win over the New York Skyliners (Cerro from Uruguay) and narrowed the gap to Eastern Division-leading Cleveland to one point.
Stoke, with Gordon Banks in goal and one-time Republic of Ireland assistant Maurice Setters in midfield, kept the top spot until a dramatic final weekend of regular-season action. Jim Baxter produced an increasingly rare display of genius as the Vancouver Royal Canadians (Sunderland) beat Cleveland. A brace from Washington’s centre-forward Jim Storrie and a first professional goal from Buchan carried the Whips to a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Wolves (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and a place in the championship decider against the same opponents on July 14, 1967.
Aberdeen’s bid for an unlikely place in North American soccer history was thwarted after 126 unbelievable minutes of play in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Jimmy Smith was dismissed after half an hour and the two teams produced 11 goals, including hat-tricks from Munro and Wolves midfielder Dave Burnside, three penalty kicks, countless punch-ups, last-minute equalisers in normal and extra-time by Munro, and finally a heartbreaking golden own goal from “Iron Man” Ally Shewan in sudden-death overtime. Los Angeles Wolves 6, Washington Whips 5. Munro’s display earned him a move to Wolves before the year was out, and he remained at Molineux until becoming Jock Stein’s last signing for Celtic in 1977.
The Dons may not be able to claim the USA crown among their achievements, but they can boast taking part in the greatest soccer final played on American soil.
Ian Thomson is the author of “Summer of ’67: Flower Power, Race Riots, Vietnam and the Greatest Soccer Final Played on American Soil.” The book tells the story of the 1967 USA tournament and features interviews with participants including Buchan, Shewan, Bobby Clark and Pat Stanton. It is available in Kindle and paperback formats via Amazon.co.uk.
Ian Thomson is the author of “Summer of ’67: Flower Power, Race Riots, Vietnam and the Greatest Soccer Final Played on American Soil.” The book tells the story of the 1967 USA tournament and features interviews with participants including Buchan, Shewan, Bobby Clark and Pat Stanton. It is available in Kindle and paperback formats via Amazon.co.uk.
