Second-placed Aberdeen host Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Friday night, live on BT Sport with a 7.45pm kick-off.
The Dons were formed in 1903 when a club called Aberdeen merged with Victoria United and Orion. Here are 10 other facts about the only team in the world with a 100% win record against Real Madrid.
1 Aberdeen were the first club to have dug-outs. They were introduced by trainer Donald Colman back in the early 1920s to allow Colman to study his players’ footwork, as well as make notes without the rain spoiling them. Everton visited Aberdeen shortly after their introduction and took the idea down to England.
2 The origins of the nickname of the Dons has been lost in the sands of time. One version is that an early side contained a number of teaching professionals or ‘Dons’. An alternative view is that ‘C’mon the Aberdonians’ was shortened to ‘C’mon the Donians’ and then shortened further to ‘C’mon the Dons’.
3 Aberdeen were the first club to exit a European competition on penalty kicks, losing to Honved in September 1970. Their European Cup Winners’ Cup tie had ended tied at 4-4, with both sides winning their home games 3-1. The Hungarians progressed after ‘kicks from the penalty-mark’ were used, with the method brought in to replace the toss of a coin.
4 Joe Harper was known as the King of the Beach End for his goalscoring exploits in the 1960s and 70s. When his playing career ended, Harper was credited with scoring 199 times for Aberdeen during his two spells but that was rounded up to 205 after it was agreed that Drybrough Cup goals could stand.
5 Derek ‘Cup Tie’ McKay was Aberdeen's hero in their Scottish Cup success of 1970, with goals in the quarter-final, semi-final and a double against Celtic in the final. He was released by the Dons after playing just three more games and sadly passed away in 2008. His four goals in that cup run were the only goals he scored in his Aberdeen career.
6 The club's record appearance holder is Willie Miller - he made 797 appearances and was rewarded with a testimonial against Tottenham in 1981 and an International XI just short of a decade later. After leading the Dons to silverware on seven occasions at the National Stadium, Miller's last game was a League Cup tie against Queen's Park.
7 If you are ever asked if a Belgian-born goalkeeper, signed from a Dutch club, scored on his competitive debut for the Scottish champions in England the answer is true! Marc de Clerck, who joined Aberdeen in 1980 from FC Twente, netted in a League Cup tie against Berwick Rangers at Shielfield with a monster kick-out!
8 Aberdeen have won two European trophies and they were both secured in 1983. The Cup Winners’ Cup was won with a 2-1 extra time success over Real Madrid in Gothenburg and the European Super Cup was won 2-0 on aggregate over European Cup winners Hamburg later that year.
9 When Aberdeen won three Scottish Cups in a row (4-1 over Rangers in 1982, 1-0 over Rangers in 1983 and 2-1 over Celtic in 1984) nine players - Jim Leighton, Doug Rougvie, Neil Simpson, Willie Miller, Alex McLeish, Gordon Strachan, Neale Cooper, Mark McGhee and Eric Black were involved in every game.
10 Aberdeen have won four league titles - in 1954/55, 1979/80, 1983/84, and 1984/85 - and remain the last team other than Celtic or Rangers to win the top-flight championship.
Craig Stewart
.png){kind=logo}
