Personal Dons Memories

[Clydeside_Sheep]

What was your:

 

First Dons game you remember attending?

 

I don’t remember the exact year or season, but my earliest memories of being at game(s) come from Parkhead, I can remember us winning 3-0 there at least twice. I remember our support singing “We want four, we want four” in a mood of arrogant expectation. F*cking changed days, eh?

 

First Dons game you attended on your own?

 

It was at Fir Park, again I’ve no idea about the year/season.

I think my Dad was going to take me along, but then had to work (Police). So my Mother bundled me into the car and dropped me off to go myself.

 

The weather was really foul, I remember being given one of my Dad’s raincoats to wear – this full-length, Goretex number in blue. It was so very over-sized for me that I looked ridiculous, it was trailing like a cape behind me and I could barely see out of the cavernous hood. Imagine what a Jedi Knight might wear in poor weather, and you won’t be far off.

 

I don’t recall if the visiting stand we currently get at fir-park was even built yet, coz at this time we were put into the main stand. At ground level, at the extreme left of where the dugouts are. So really we were at the opposite end of the ground from where visitors go now. And of course we were standing.

 

I remember feeling quite safe and happy amongst the other Aberdeen fans, though it was sometimes hard for me to see the game through a crowd of (taller) grown men / older boys. I remember going to get a pie, and feeling very ‘grown up’ because I stood in line and bought it myself. However, the pie was minging and I could not finish it.

 

Not long after my pie, I started to feel dreadful and it got worse to the point where I essentially collapsed and had to be helped by the Stewards, all of whom were wholly convinced this was all down to the pie.

 

Turns out I had pleurisy (discovered later). Eating the pie had not contributed to the situation, other than to taste awful. I dont recall the result, tbh I felt so bad I couldnt have given a toss about the football by that stage.

 

Favourite stadium(s) to attend as a yoof?

 

Firhill – I have always been fond of Partick and enjoyed visiting their ground. I liked it better when they had the curved bit of uncovered terracing behind the goal, rather than the new stand we have now. I liked the compact size of the ground and the atmosphere and indeed the area its in. I actually live very near it now (have done for many years) and can see it from my window, but will soon move.

 

Parkhead – as a kid, the massive scale used to impress me. I liked walking up the stairs and into our portion of the old rangers end. Whereas, in modern stands, you see wee glimpses of the pitch at a time through tunnels and corridors, when you came up the stairs at the old parkhead you suddenly saw everything at once, and the noise would build to a crescendo as you came over the crest of the stairs and into the terracing proper.

 

Honourable mentions – Easter Road, Rugby Park.

 

[360]

Bradford tourny

 

Never been to a game on my own... I'm not a sad bastard

[Redstar]

 

Turns out I had pleurisy (discovered later).

 

 

You should have worn your wellies

[KentishDon]

What was your:

 

First Dons game you remember attending?

 

Home to Kilmarnock, think it was 1993. 1-0 win, goal just as the second half started - think it was Kane or maybe Jess that scored it. I then went to a midweek friendly a few days later vs somebody - for some reason I can't get Bayern Munich out of my head but I doubt it was them.

 

First Dons game you attended on your own?

 

Never done it. Only ever been to those 2 games . I do remember hoping that we would have beaten Torino so we would have been drawn against Arsenal so that I could have attended that game - much closer to home !!

[Dynamo]

What was your:

 

First Dons game you remember attending?

 

Home to Kilmarnock, think it was 1993. 1-0 win, goal just as the second half started - think it was Kane or maybe Jess that scored it. I then went to a midweek friendly a few days later vs somebody - for some reason I can't get Bayern Munich out of my head but I doubt it was them.

 

 

Hamburg according to this http://www.afcheritage.org/Matches/Fixtures/fixtures.cfm?season=1992-93&Squad=Senior

[Stoney]

 

What was your:

 

First Dons game you remember attending?

 

First game was 1994 - Got free tickets from the school, was a midweeker and 0-0 draw

 

First Dons game you attended on your own?

 

By alone a presume without adult supervision? Hearts away in 1999 me and two of my mates from School seen an advert for one of the buses in the paper (Ullevi dons) and went down with them - Sunday night game and we lost 3-0, Don't remember much about the game, remember being on the bus on the way home and they were taking names for the next two aways (think it was motherwell and rangers) so we got cajoled into joining the club and attending the next games, didnt miss an away game after that until dnipro in 2007.

 

Favourite stadium(s) to attend as a yoof?

 

Tynecastle / Easter road – me and my pals wern't drinkers at that age so we were all too young to get served so tended to go into town get some grub and look round the shops in 2000 we started buying labels and Edinburgh was the best place in Scotland for it at the time so we always enjoyed our days out there. When i got to drinking age i'd say Ibrox as the atmosphere was immense loved it when we were in the broomloan and half times were pretty much a riot underneath the stand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KentishDon]

 

Hamburg according to this http://www.afcheritage.org/Matches/Fixtures/fixtures.cfm?season=1992-93&Squad=Senior

Thank you - that looks like the one. At least I got the country right I suppose !!

 

Look at the team we put out - for a midweek friendly during the season as the official RDS opening celebration:

 

Aberdeen Teamsheet: Snelders, McKimmie, Wright, Kane, Irvine, McLeish, Richardson, Bett, Jess (Booth), Shearer, Miller.

 

Unused Subs: Ten Caat, Smith.

[The Hulk]

Home to Kilmarnock, think it was 1993. 1-0 win, goal just as the second half started - think it was Kane or maybe Jess that scored it.

 

I remember it well, it was Paul Kane. It was the first home league game of that season and the 1st game for the newly-opened RDS. I was sat in row L seat 1 (upper) and recall being hacked off that I couldn't see the Main Stand touchline.

 

My own first game was April 1st 1989, a 1-0 win over Dundee Utd where Charlie Nicholas scored at the Beach End. Can't remember what 1st game unsupervised was, it would've definitely been during 92-93, might've been a 3-2 v Hearts when Ian Baird had to play full 90mins in goal after Henry Smith injured himself in the warm-up, or the 7-0 v Airdrie when Paatelainen scored 4.

 

Was never one for away games as a youth, I must've played every weekend from age 13 to 18, my first away game was a 4-0 League Cup win over Arbroath at Gayfield (1992?). Favourite away grounds for me are probably Tannadice and Tynecastle. I like most away days to be honest with the notable exception of Celtic Park which is a cesspit.

[tightbreeks]

getting a can of kestrel off my old man after we humped real Madrid. I was 6 years old, i'm nails.

[wicker83]

What was your:

First Dons game you remember attending?

It was Dundee after a long trip down on the Caithness Supporters Bus, leaving at 4am or some ungodly hour for a child, on 2nd January 1990. (Bus was full of sore heids.) 7 goal thriller as we horsed them 5-2.

First Dons game you attended on your own?

As I was down on the Caithness bus for every game I probably wasn't at a game 'unattended' until I moved to aberdeen later on. Definitely remember travelling down on the bus (and drinking tinnies) for the horrible 'Never Again' season of 94-95 and going to the last 2 home games of that season that we needed to win to avoid automatic relegation. Packed, noisy house for that dundee utd game that sent them down, also was my first time in the Main Stand.

Favourite stadium(s) to attend as a yoof?

Either of the Dundee grounds, for the shortish journey & banter.

[Nespa]

What was your:

 

First Dons game you remember attending?

Ma old man took me to Ibrox Sept 1985 and we beat them 3-0...we had to leave as i celebrated at the 3rd goal and got abuse in the Govan.

 

First Dons game you attended on your own?

 

Me and ma mate got a bus to Fir Park in 89 and it was Van Der Arks debut. I was 13 and thought i was the baws!

 

Favourite stadium(s) to attend as a yoof?

– Motherwell/Hamililton/Celtic/Rangers were really the only games i went to when i was a lad and only really if they were midweek as i played fitba on a Sat from i was 8 till i was 19

[madjockmcferson]

What was your:

 

First Dons game you remember attending?

 

I was born in '77 but I struggle to remember any games I attended before the title win in '84-'85.

 

First Dons game you attended on your own?

 

Midweek game vs Murderwell. First away one was us vs 'Tic in the semifinal at Snake Mountain.

 

Favourite stadium(s) to attend as a yoof?

 

Got evacuated cos of crowd crushing at East End park vs Utd in a cup semi...so that was pretty cool.

 

Old Hampden was immense, I remember it being the first time I realised that Rankers and the Tic had the SFA in their pocket with their over-generous ticket allocation.

 

Tinkycastle with the open away stand was great. Fantastic atmosphere. Still love it.

 

Tannadice with that mentally steep terrace was 'interesting'.

 

 

[a1-don]

What was your:

First Dons game you remember attending?

European Cup Quarter Final 1986, Aberdeen 2 - 2 IFK Gothenburg. Its been downhill since then.

First Dons game you attended on your own?

Probably Zalgiris Vilnius in the UEFA cup when Big Brian Irvine scored. Vague memories of nil nils against Falkirk around that time too.

Favourite stadium(s) to attend as a yoof?

– Standing behind the goals at Dens Park