40 Years Ago

[BaaBaaRedSheep]

Given that it is 40 years ago to the week since we beat Bayern Munich in the quarter final second leg was hoping that fellow sheep, old enough to remember, can share their memories of that night and the subsequent games that followed. 

Apart from gubbing Ipswich a couple of years earlier I have never had a better feeling at Pittodrie than that Bayern evening. 

At 2-1 down I thought we were out. Even when I sat down after celebrating the equaliser I thought we were out.

My arse cheeks had just hit the Beach End bench seating when Hewitt scored the winner. 

Complete bedlam, the atmosphere was just brilliant, and quite the surreal moment. 

At that stage we didn't know our semi-final opponents and how we would dismantle them in the first few minutes of the first leg.

At the end of the Bayern game we headed to the pub in bewilderment and drank until last orders, which were delayed by an hour or two.

As an 18 year old I was completely pissed but didn't care. The Dons were in a European semi-final and we could start dreaming. 

Definitely one of the best nights of my football supporting life, with a couple more, I didn't know about, yet to surface in the next couple of months.

[Dal Riata Don]

I'm 42 this year.

You lot had it good. 

[BaaBaaRedSheep]

1 minute ago, Dal Riata Don said:

I'm 42 this year.

You lot had it good. 

We did min, was definitely surreal.

'Cos we saw some shite before and some shite afterwards too.

So witnessing real success did play with yer heed sometimes. 

[YorkDon]

I don’t really remember it as didna start going to the fitba until ‘86/‘87, so missed the days when we regularly hammered most teams.

 

[BaaBaaRedSheep]

Just now, YorkDon said:

I don’t really remember it as didna start going to the fitba until ‘86/‘87, so missed the days when we regularly hammered most teams.

 

You still saw the 1990 cup final min, when we beat the feckin' Tims on penalties. 33 years ago😔.

[YorkDon]

3 minutes ago, BaaBaaRedSheep said:

You still saw the 1990 cup final min, when we beat the feckin' Tims on penalties. 33 years ago😔.

Aye min, but by that time I’d seen the 2 heartbreaking losses in the Skol Cup finals, before winning the third, and by that time the hun cheating years were in full flow and we were falling behind.

[EH11Red]

I was there & was 9 at the time so didn't really properly understand the magnitude of the achievement to be honest - but my old man would have been 33 & could tell by his reaction that it was special. We're blessed to have those days to remember. Imagine being a jute or a jambo 

[BaaBaaRedSheep]

1 minute ago, YorkDon said:

Aye min, but by that time I’d seen the 2 heartbreaking losses in the Skol Cup finals, before winning the third, and by that time the hun cheating years were in full flow and we were falling behind.

Just read history of League Cup book.

Huns have always been cheating bastards. 

Several league cup matches in the early years were "decided" by "Huns with a whistle" in Huns favour.

Nothing much has changed.

I remember hating Huns from first time I saw them but couldn't remember why.

The book helped me understand totally. 

[Ten Caat]

As I said yesterday in another thread, the quarter final tie against Bayern was roughly a month before my Highers so I was studying like fuck at the time.

What I do seem to remember is that in the weeks following it, we lost 3 times in 4 matches. I'm sure 2 of them were away to oldco and the DABS so could happen at any time really but one was at home, it was either Morton or St Mirren. Whoever it was, it was a bad result and come season's end would end up costing us the league....winning any one of those 3 matches and the league would have been ours. We did have a bad run of injuries after Xmas that seemed to never end (including the one that finished Kennedy's career in the ECWC semi). Famously the DABS only used 14 players in total all season.

But as Dal Riata Don says.....folk of my generation and older definitely had it good. 

 

[muttonhumper]

4 minutes ago, Ten Caat said:

But as Dal Riata Don says.....folk of my generation and older definitely had it good. 

Aye wis great, for sure.

Fits nae so great is we'll be deed pretty soon.

[BaaBaaRedSheep]

16 minutes ago, Ten Caat said:

As I said yesterday in another thread, the quarter final tie against Bayern was roughly a month before my Highers so I was studying like fuck at the time.

What I do seem to remember is that in the weeks following it, we lost 3 times in 4 matches. I'm sure 2 of them were away to oldco and the DABS so could happen at any time really but one was at home, it was either Morton or St Mirren. Whoever it was, it was a bad result and come season's end would end up costing us the league....winning any one of those 3 matches and the league would have been ours. We did have a bad run of injuries after Xmas that seemed to never end (including the one that finished Kennedy's career in the ECWC semi). Famously the DABS only used 14 players in total all season.

But as Dal Riata Don says.....folk of my generation and older definitely had it good. 

 

Ah the dilemma to study or go to the footie.

By the time the Super Cup Final second leg came along I was basically fucked studying and then sitting a college preliminary exam the same day.

I went to the Lochside Bar after the exam and before the game and got so pissed I can't remember much of the game.

 

[Tommy]

A fantastic night, never to be forgotten. Until dementia kicks in.

 

[graham]

1 hour ago, Ten Caat said:

As I said yesterday in another thread, the quarter final tie against Bayern was roughly a month before my Highers so I was studying like fuck at the time.

What I do seem to remember is that in the weeks following it, we lost 3 times in 4 matches. I'm sure 2 of them were away to oldco and the DABS so could happen at any time really but one was at home, it was either Morton or St Mirren. Whoever it was, it was a bad result and come season's end would end up costing us the league....winning any one of those 3 matches and the league would have been ours. We did have a bad run of injuries after Xmas that seemed to never end (including the one that finished Kennedy's career in the ECWC semi). Famously the DABS only used 14 players in total all season.

But as Dal Riata Don says.....folk of my generation and older definitely had it good. 

 

Saturday 2nd April, Aberdeen 0 v St Mirren 1, Gordon Strachan slides a penalty wide,St Mirren score quarter of an hour left in sleet and snow.Home defeat 1-2 to Dundee United Saturday 26th March,Ralph Milne double and Saturday 9th April, Rangers 2 v Aberdeen 1,late winner for Rangers by Jim Bett.We did win 2-1 down at Cappielow Saturday 26th March 2-1.Andy Ritchie got his customary goal before a last minute winner by Eric Black. .

[RUL]

1 hour ago, BaaBaaRedSheep said:

Given that it is 40 years ago to the week since we beat Bayern Munich in the quarter final second leg was hoping that fellow sheep, old enough to remember, can share their memories of that night and the subsequent games that followed. 

Apart from gubbing Ipswich a couple of years earlier I have never had a better feeling at Pittodrie than that Bayern evening. 

At 2-1 down I thought we were out. Even when I sat down after celebrating the equaliser I thought we were out.

My arse cheeks had just hit the Beach End bench seating when Hewitt scored the winner. 

Complete bedlam, the atmosphere was just brilliant, and quite the surreal moment. 

At that stage we didn't know our semi-final opponents and how we would dismantle them in the first few minutes of the first leg.

At the end of the Bayern game we headed to the pub in bewilderment and drank until last orders, which were delayed by an hour or two.

As an 18 year old I was completely pissed but didn't care. The Dons were in a European semi-final and we could start dreaming. 

Definitely one of the best nights of my football supporting life, with a couple more, I didn't know about, yet to surface in the next couple of months.

Great fucking post 

[Localfitbafan]

I was in the later years of primary school but had been off sick the whole week before the game. There was a heated debate in the house before going where my mum told my dad I should not be going to the football as I had been off school for the past few days. My dad quickly told my mum to wind her neck in and took me to the football anyway. We were still celebrating the equaliser when the winner went in, I remember the goalie saving the first attempt and thinking thats the chance gone only for Hewitt to score the rebound. Knowing this was 40 years ago I ended up watching Team of the decade on YouTube last weekend

[NorfolkDandy]

What a time to be Alive

I have never witnessed bedlam/scenes like it, prior or since, as an Aberdeen fan - There are no superlatives that come close to describing the euphoria that game delivered

Leading up to it I had been on leave, and having just turned 18, was able to indulge pre & post match - I have no recollection of where we ended up, and until when after

Last night I actually found myself reminiscing, around 7.30pm, about standing in Y with my pals at that exact time 40 years ago

Anyway, and like others, I thought we were out (twice) however, THAT team had other ideas...............

I sailed for NYC the night of the Waterschei semi (Listened on the BBC WS), and watched videos that my mum sent me of Real Madrid in the final whilst in Jacksonville, FL

6 weeks later we went alongside in Gothenburg - Gangway down, I was on my way to the Ullevi in a taxi (The City bars/nightclubs were still hanging in Dons scarves/flags)

Reception arranged a stadium tour, dressing rooms, photo's, and 4 tickets for the midweek Sweden Brazil game commemorating the 58 WCF

The framed print advertising the game that was hanging on the wall was presented to me as a gift

It remains in mint condition (Signed by 'Tattie') for all to see in my mancave

Magical for everyone that lived it, and nice for others to be aware of those times

SF

 

 

 

[strachanmcgheegoal]

Q.  Where were you when Hewitt scored the winner against Bayern?

A.  Halfway down the stair to tell the old man we’d equalised.

Sakes!

[NorfolkDandy]

3 minutes ago, strachanmcgheegoal said:

Q.  Where were you when Hewitt scored the winner against Bayern?

A.  Halfway down the stair to tell the old man we’d equalised.

Sakes!

Marvellous! 😂

[TheRock]

I just missed out on the Ferguson years but had the Team of the Decade video as a kid and wore the hell out of that thing. That video came out, what? 6 years after Gothenburg? When you're a kid, 6 years earlier seemed like a different era. Now 6 years ago seems like yesterday. Is weird thinking back to how close it actually was when at the time it felt anything but.

[Crashnyploshnit]

I was in the main stand for the game. I’ve seen larger crowds at Pittodrie but that night the noise was incredible. I still remember thinking they had screwed up that free kick and the next thing big Alex nods it in. Definitely my most treasured match at Pittodrie. 

[strachanmcgheegoal]

Out of interest was anyone at the first leg?  Sure Ferguson wrote later it was the triangle’s finest hour.

[maryhilldon]

5 hours ago, graham said:

Saturday 2nd April, Aberdeen 0 v St Mirren 1, Gordon Strachan slides a penalty wide,St Mirren score quarter of an hour left in sleet and snow.Home defeat 1-2 to Dundee United Saturday 26th March,Ralph Milne double and Saturday 9th April, Rangers 2 v Aberdeen 1,late winner for Rangers by Jim Bett.We did win 2-1 down at Cappielow Saturday 26th March 2-1.Andy Ritchie got his customary goal before a last minute winner by Eric Black. .

Played twice on March 26th?  That's a heavy schedule.

[graham]

1 hour ago, maryhilldon said:

Played twice on March 26th?  That's a heavy schedule.

Well spotted ! Aberdeen 1 v Dundee United 2 was on 19th March and Morton 1 v Aberdeen 2 on 26th March.

[red kelly]

never been quite an atmosphere quite like it since, at 1-2, my thoughts were ,at least we reached the quarters and we;re going out to a really good team .


i would have been 24 at the time, remember it was a bit wet at one stage during the game, still got the rain soaked progamme.
me and my cousin were still celebrating the equaliser only to look up and  see my one time neighbor run in and get the winner.
still erks me that the camaras never caught the build up to hewitts winner.


as a hilton loon i was fortunate to play against johhny in a few kickabouts as kids as well as andy watson.
johnny was a tiny wee lad when scouted ,looked like he was heading to villa as were the rumours at that time.
i really couldnt see the fuss about johnny  , anyway  fergie  caught wind of this and signed him up promptly, the rest is history.




what a time to be alive.

[Jocky Balboa]

On 3/17/2023 at 4:25 PM, Ten Caat said:

As I said yesterday in another thread, the quarter final tie against Bayern was roughly a month before my Highers so I was studying like fuck at the time.

What I do seem to remember is that in the weeks following it, we lost 3 times in 4 matches. I'm sure 2 of them were away to oldco and the DABS so could happen at any time really but one was at home, it was either Morton or St Mirren. Whoever it was, it was a bad result and come season's end would end up costing us the league....winning any one of those 3 matches and the league would have been ours. We did have a bad run of injuries after Xmas that seemed to never end (including the one that finished Kennedy's career in the ECWC semi). Famously the DABS only used 14 players in total all season.

But as Dal Riata Don says.....folk of my generation and older definitely had it good. 

 

A lot of people see the 1986 European Cup as our biggest "what if?!" moment, but I often wonder how things would have gone if we'd held on and won the league... The Arabs were 90min away from the European Cup final in 1984, robbed by Roma. Could we have gone further and taken the hubcap stealers in the final? Difficult for sure, but not impossible.

[strachanmcgheegoal]

Porto to go ECWC finalists twice was way more likely and would have given us even greater foundation for a EC try IF we could keep the squad together.

Foggy bastards.

[Hazlehead Don]

The atmosphere when Hewitt scored was unbelievable, but I still think when we went two up in the first few minutes against Waterschei was just as good.

[anderson72]

I wasn't at the Bayern Munich game, but lucky enough to get a program with players signatures on  it.

 

Went to the Waterschei came, as my Dad took me, won 5-1 and the goal scoring started early on in the first half.

Seemed so easy then.

Watched the Real Madrid game on the telly, only 9 at the time what a feeling.

 

 

[Itsagoal]

If, and it’s a huge if, we’d drawn with the jutes the Saturday after beaten ‘Bayern, instead of losing 2-1, we would have won the league in 1982-83. Despite the importance of the jutes game, it must have been incredibly difficult for the team to be properly “up” for the jutes game, given that it came less than 3 days after the incredible high of beating Bayern.

[True_Don]

Was born 2 days before the final. Seems surreal. My Dad played with Simmie and had many a story...South stand native and the game v Bayern has been re-told many a time. Watching the the documentaries of the ECWC win brings tears to my eyes every time. A monumental achievement.