Aberdeen F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Aberdeen Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Dons, The Dandies, The Reds | |||
| Founded | 14 April 1903 | |||
| Ground | Pittodrie Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 20,866 | |||
| Chairman | Dave Cormack | |||
| Manager | Jimmy Thelin | |||
| League | Scottish Premiership | |||
| 2015–16 | Scottish Premiership, 2nd | |||
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Aberdeen Football Club is a professional football team from Aberdeen, Scotland. They play in the Scottish Premiership, which is the top football league in Scotland. Since joining the top league in 1905, Aberdeen has never been moved down to a lower division.
Aberdeen has won many important trophies. They have won the Scottish league title four times, the Scottish Cup eight times, and the Scottish League Cup six times. They are also the only Scottish team to win two European trophies: the European Cup Winners' Cup and the European Super Cup, both in 1983.
The club was started in 1903 when three local teams joined together. They didn't win many major trophies until after World War II. Then, under manager Dave Halliday, they won all the main Scottish trophies. Their most successful time was in the 1980s, when Alex Ferguson was manager. During this "golden era," they won three league titles, four Scottish Cups, one Scottish League Cup, and their two European trophies. Aberdeen was the last team outside of the "Old Firm" (Celtic and Rangers) to win the league title, in 1985. They were also the last Scottish team to win a European trophy.
After this amazing period, the team had less success. However, they ended a 19-year wait for a major trophy by winning the 2013–14 Scottish League Cup in 2014. They also finished second in the league many times behind Celtic in the 2010s. In 2025, they won the 2024–25 Scottish Cup, their first Scottish Cup win in 35 years!
Aberdeen has always played at Pittodrie Stadium. This stadium was the first in the United Kingdom to have all seats and a full roof. It was also the first football stadium to have a "dug-out," which is a special area for coaches and players invented by Donald Colman.
The team's main colours have been red and white since 1939. Before that, they played in black and gold stripes. Today, Aberdeen usually plays in all-red kits with white details. Aberdeen gets support from people in the city and nearby areas because there are no other big football teams very close by. They have rivalries with teams like Dundee United (called the "New Firm" in the 1980s) and Rangers.
Contents
History of Aberdeen Football Club
How Aberdeen FC Started (1903–1939)
The Aberdeen F.C. we know today was formed in 1903. Three smaller clubs from the city – Aberdeen, Victoria United, and Orion – joined together. Their first game was on August 15, 1903, a 1–1 draw against Stenhousemuir. In their first season, they won the Aberdeenshire Cup.
In 1904, the club joined the Scottish Football League in the Second Division. Even though they finished seventh, they were moved up to the new, bigger First Division the next year. They have stayed in the top league of Scottish football ever since!
From 1906, the team got better. They reached the Scottish Cup semi-finals in 1908 and 1911. In the 1910–11 season, Aberdeen beat the famous "Old Firm" teams, Celtic and Rangers, for the first time. They even led the league for a while, finishing second that season.
World War I caused problems for the club. By 1917, Aberdeen stopped playing competitive football for a few years. When football returned in 1919, Jimmy Philip was still the manager. His team played well sometimes but couldn't win a trophy. In 1923, Aberdeen had their biggest win ever, beating Peterhead 13–0 in the Scottish Cup. Philip retired a year later.
Paddy Travers became the new manager. Under him, Aberdeen reached their first Scottish Cup final in 1937. Travers' coach, Donald Colman, invented the "dug-out." This covered area, slightly below the field, helped him see the game better. Other teams, like Everton, copied the idea, and it spread worldwide. Travers left in 1939.
Winning Trophies (1939–1978)
Dave Halliday became manager, and the club changed its colours from black and gold to red and white. Soon after, World War II stopped football again.
After the war, Halliday became the first manager to bring national trophies to Aberdeen. They won the Southern League Cup in 1946, beating Rangers. Then, in 1947, they won their first major trophy, the 1946–47 Scottish Cup, by defeating Hibernian 2–1. Halliday's team reached two more Scottish Cup finals but lost both. However, in the 1954–55 season, Aberdeen won their first Scottish League title.
Halliday left in 1955, and Davie Shaw took over. Aberdeen won the Scottish League Cup in 1956 under Shaw. He was replaced by Tommy Pearson in 1959. Pearson's time didn't bring any trophies.
Eddie Turnbull became manager in 1965. He led Aberdeen to the 1967 Scottish Cup final, where they lost to Celtic. But this loss meant they qualified for a European competition, the 1967–68 European Cup Winners' Cup, for the first time. They won their first European game 14–1 against KR Reykjavik. Two years later, Aberdeen won the 1969–70 Scottish Cup. This meant they played in Europe again, but they were knocked out after a penalty shoot-out, which was the first one in UEFA history!
In the 1970s, Aberdeen often challenged for trophies but didn't win many. They won the Drybrough Cup in 1971 and the League Cup in 1976. During this time, Aberdeen had five different managers. They reached two more cup finals before Alex Ferguson became manager.
The Alex Ferguson Era (1978–1986)
Under Alex Ferguson, Aberdeen had their most successful period ever. In just seven years, they won three league titles, four Scottish Cups, one League Cup, the European Cup Winners' Cup, and the European Super Cup. Players like Jim Leighton, Willie Miller, Alex McLeish, and Gordon Strachan were key to the team.
Aberdeen won their second league title in 1980. They then won the Scottish Cup three years in a row, from 1982 to 1984. They also won two more league titles in 1984 and 1985.
In the 1982–83 European Cup Winners' Cup, Aberdeen beat teams like FC Sion and Bayern Munich. In the semi-final, they beat Waterschei. On May 11, 1983, Aberdeen played Real Madrid in the final. They won 2–1 after extra time, becoming only the third Scottish team to win a European trophy! The club even released a song called "European Song" for the final. Later that year, they won the UEFA Super Cup by beating Hamburger SV.
Aberdeen reached the semi-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup again in 1984. They lost to FC Porto. In 1985, they lost to BFC Dynamo in a penalty shoot-out in the European Cup. Today, these two clubs are friends.
After Ferguson (1987–1999)
After Ferguson left to manage Manchester United in 1986, Aberdeen found it harder to compete with Celtic and Rangers.
In 1989, Alex Smith and Jocky Scott became co-managers. They signed some international players. In the 1989–90 season, the club won both the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup. In 1991, they almost won the league title but lost the last game to Rangers.
Former player Willie Miller took over as manager in 1992. Aberdeen came close to winning the league title twice under him. However, in the 1994–95 season, the club finished near the bottom. They had to win a play-off against Dunfermline Athletic to stay in the top league. Miller was fired in 1995.
Roy Aitken replaced him. Aberdeen won the Scottish League Cup in 1995, but the team still struggled. Alex Miller and Paul Hegarty also managed the team. The club went into debt because of a new stand. So, Stewart Milne, a local businessman, became the club's chairman.
From Skovdahl to Brown (1999–2013)
Ebbe Skovdahl from Denmark became Aberdeen's first foreign manager in 1999. His time saw some of the club's biggest defeats. The lowest point was in the 1999–2000 season when they finished last. However, because the Scottish Premier League (SPL) was expanding, Aberdeen stayed in the top league. The next season, they lost early in the 2000–01 UEFA Cup to an Irish team.
Steve Paterson took over in 2002 but only stayed for two seasons.
Jimmy Calderwood became manager in 2004. Aberdeen's results became more consistent. In the 2006–07 season, they finished third in the league and entered the 2007–08 UEFA Cup. Aberdeen beat Dnipro and F.C. Copenhagen, with a 4–0 win against Copenhagen being one of Pittodrie's biggest crowds since the 1980s. This led to a match against German giants Bayern Munich. Aberdeen drew 2–2 at home but lost 7–3 overall. Calderwood was fired in 2009.
Mark McGhee became manager in June 2009. Aberdeen had their heaviest defeat ever, losing 9–0 to Celtic in November 2010. McGhee was fired in December.
Craig Brown took over in 2010. Aberdeen didn't get much better results under him. In March 2013, he announced his retirement from managing to join the club's board.
Recent Years (2013–Present)
Derek McInnes became manager in March 2013. In his first season, Aberdeen won the 2013–14 Scottish League Cup by beating Inverness on penalties. This was their first trophy in 19 years! Aberdeen also finished third in the league.
In the next seasons, they often finished second in the league behind Celtic. They also played in the UEFA Europa League but were usually knocked out in the qualifying rounds. In 2017, Aberdeen finished second in the league and reached both cup finals, but lost to Celtic in both.
In November 2019, Atlanta United, a team from the USA, bought a small part of Aberdeen. As part of this deal, Dave Cormack became the new chairman. McInnes left in March 2021 after almost eight years as manager.
After McInnes, Aberdeen had four different managers in three years. Stephen Glass was fired in 2022. Jim Goodwin was sacked after a surprising loss in the Scottish Cup and a big league defeat. Barry Robson became manager in 2023 but left in 2024. Neil Warnock was a temporary manager. In April 2024, the club announced that Jimmy Thelin would become the new manager in June 2024. On May 24, 2025, Aberdeen won their first Scottish Cup in 35 years, beating Celtic on penalties!
Team Colours and Badge
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| The "Wasps" black and gold strip, worn until 1939 |
For their very first season, Aberdeen played in mostly white. This was similar to the colours of the old Aberdeen F.C. team. But this only lasted one season.
For the 1904–05 season, Aberdeen started wearing black and gold striped shirts. This led to them being called "the Wasps." They wore these stripes until just before World War II. Their shorts were blue at first, then white.
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| A typical post-war Aberdeen kit. These colours were worn when they won trophies in the 1950s. |
In March 1939, Aberdeen changed to red and white colours. These colours matched the silver and red of the official City of Aberdeen badge. The first red kits had white shorts. From 1966, Aberdeen started wearing all-red kits, similar to Liverpool. This all-red look has continued to today, with different designs over the years.
In the late 1970s, a kit had five white stripes. In the early 1980s, the shirts had thin white pinstripes. Later designs sometimes included blue, or went back to white shorts for a season. But the all-red design returned in 1997.
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Teams started having sponsors on their shirts in 1987. JVC was Aberdeen's first sponsor. Now, the sponsors are usually local businesses from Aberdeen. As of 2025, the main shirt sponsor is TEXO.
Away kits are usually white (sometimes with black shorts) or yellow and black, which reminds people of the old "Wasps" colours. For a while in the 1970s, Aberdeen had an all-blue away kit.
The club didn't have an official badge until 1972. Before that, they sometimes had the letters "AFC" on their shirts. In November 1972, they showed their new official badge. It was designed by Donald Addison. The badge looks like a capital letter "A" that is also a football goal, with a ball in the net. The letters "FC" are also on the badge. This badge was used on shirts from around 1978. In the mid-1980s, the words "Aberdeen Football Club" and the founding year, 1903, were added. The current badge, which looks similar, was introduced in 1997. In 2005, two stars were added above the badge to show that the club won two European trophies in 1983.
Kit Suppliers and Shirt Sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (front) | Shirt sponsor (sleeve) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–1976 | Bukta | None | None |
| 1976–1979 | Admiral | ||
| 1979–1987 | Adidas | ||
| 1987–1990 | Umbro | JVC | |
| 1990–1993 | Abtrust | ||
| 1993–1994 | A-Fab | ||
| 1994–1996 | Northsound Radio | ||
| 1996–1997 | Living Design | ||
| 1997–1998 | Puma | ||
| 1998–2001 | Atlantic Telecom | ||
| 2001–2004 | Le Coq Sportif | A-Fab | |
| 2004–2006 | Nike | ADT | |
| 2006–2008 | Apex Tubulars | ||
| 2008–2011 | Team Recruitment | ||
| 2011–2014 | Adidas | ||
| 2014–2022 | Saltire Energy | ||
| 2022–2024 | TEXO | Tendeka | |
| 2024– | Ram Tubulars |
Aberdeen's Home Stadium
Aberdeen has always played at Pittodrie Stadium. The name "Pittodrie" comes from an old language and means "place of manure." The stadium was first used by the original Aberdeen F.C. team in 1899. When the new club formed in 1903, they took over the stadium. On August 15, 1903, 8,000 fans watched the new Aberdeen team draw 1–1 against Stenhousemuir. The club first rented the stadium, then bought it in 1920.
The stadium can hold 20,866 fans. The most people ever at a game was 45,061, for a Scottish Cup match in 1954.
Pittodrie Stadium has four main stands:
- The Main Stand, which has the club offices and player facilities.
- The Merkland Road Stand, also called the "Red Shed."
- The South Stand, which is the biggest and holds the most fans.
- The Richard Donald Stand, built in 1993, which has special hospitality areas. It's named after a former chairman.
A part of the South Stand is used for visiting team supporters. In 1978, Pittodrie became the first stadium in Britain to have all seats and a full roof.
Training Facilities
Aberdeen trains at Cormack Park, which opened in 2019. Former manager Alex Ferguson said it was "up there with the best" training facilities he had seen. Cormack Park is used by the first team, the Bobby Clark Football Academy (for young players), and the AFC Community Trust.
The complex has a training building, three full-sized grass pitches, two floodlit 3G pitches (artificial grass), and other spaces. All the pitches are named after club legends, chosen by the fans. The training facilities are named after chairman Dave Cormack because he invested a lot of money to build them.
Before Cormack Park, the team trained in different places around the city.
Plans for a New Stadium
Since 2009, Aberdeen has been thinking about moving to a new stadium. They believe Pittodrie is too old and too limited for more development. In 2009, the city council approved a plan for a new stadium near Loirston Loch. The plan was approved in 2011.
However, the move was delayed due to land ownership problems. In 2012, the council rejected a plan to build a community sports centre. In 2014, Aberdeen announced new plans for training facilities at Balgownie, but this project was cancelled in 2015.
In 2016, new plans were announced for a stadium and training facilities near Westhill. This new stadium is expected to have a similar number of seats as Pittodrie. Even though the project faced legal challenges, it slowed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. In 2021, new designs were released for a stadium at the city's beachfront, closer to Pittodrie.
Fans and Team Names
Supporters
Aberdeen's fans are known as the "Red Army." They are even listed in the team squad as wearing the number 12 shirt, showing they are the "12th man" on the field.
Aberdeen is the only top-flight team in Scotland's third-largest city. This means they have a large area where they get their supporters from. In the 2022–23 season, the average number of fans at their games was 15,636.
Rivalries
Aberdeen rarely plays against their closest neighbours in the same league. So, their rivalries are usually with teams further away.
In the early 1980s, because both Aberdeen and Dundee United were very successful, they were called the "New Firm."
Aberdeen also has a rivalry with Rangers. This started in the 1980s because of some incidents in games and because Aberdeen was winning a lot of trophies. Alex Ferguson, Aberdeen's manager at the time, also had a personal history with Rangers. There are still often clashes between fans of both teams.
Aberdeen has a smaller rivalry with Inverness Caledonian Thistle. This is called the "North derby" because Aberdeen and Inverness are the two biggest cities in the north of Scotland.
As Aberdeen became one of Scotland's top teams again in the 2010s, their rivalry with Celtic also grew.
Nicknames
Aberdeen is known as "The Dons." This name has been used since at least 1913. No one is completely sure where it came from. It might be from "don" meaning "teacher," because Aberdeen is a university city. It could also be from the nearby River Don, or a shorter way of saying "Aberdonians."
Before "The Dons" became popular, the team was called "The Wasps" or "The Black and Golds," because of their old yellow and black striped shirts. Since they play in red, they are also sometimes called "The Reds." Some fans also call them "The Dandy Dons" or "The Dandies."
Rival clubs sometimes call Aberdeen "The Sheep" and their fans "The Sheep Shaggers." This term was eventually accepted by Aberdeen fans, and they even started chanting "the sheep are on fire" at games. This led to the club selling special merchandise with sheep on it.
Songs
Popular songs and chants for Aberdeen include "The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen" and "Stand Free." "Stand Free" is sung to the tune of "Lord of the Dance."
Ultras
Aberdeen has had a few "ultras" groups (very passionate fan groups) over the years. In 1999, a group called "Red Ultras" formed. They made big displays at games. This group stopped in 2010.
After the "Red Shed" stand was introduced, a new group called "Ultras Aberdeen" formed in 2022. They have made displays, like a "Heroes" display to celebrate the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup win. They also made a display at Hampden Park for the 2023 League Cup final. This group also uses flags and sometimes pyrotechnics like smoke bombs and flares.
Club Honours
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Scottish League | 4 | 1954–55, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1984–85 |
| Scottish Cup | 8 | 1946–47, 1969–70, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1989–90, 2024–25 | |
| Scottish League Cup | 6 | 1955–56, 1976–77, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1995–96, 2013–14 | |
| Continental | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 1 | 1982–83 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 1 | 1983 |
Other Awards
- France Football European Team of the Year: 1
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- 1983
- The club was given the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen award on December 16, 2022.
Club Officials
Technical Staff
Management
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Players
Current Squad
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On Loan
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Famous Players
- Hall of Fame
Aberdeen started a Hall of Fame in 2003 to celebrate its 100th birthday. Famous players and managers are added to this special list. Alex Ferguson was added in 2015.
In 2017, Neale Cooper, Archie Knox, John McMaster, and Graham Leggat joined the Hall of Fame. In 2018, Eoin Jess, Peter Weir, Bobby Clark, and Donald Colman were added. In 2025, Matt Armstrong, Brian Irvine, Hans Gillhaus, and Charlie Nicholas were inducted.
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- Greatest Ever Team
In 2015, fans voted for the greatest Aberdeen team of all time:
Jim Leighton (1977–88, 1997–2000)- Stuart Kennedy (1976–83)
- Willie Miller (1972–90)
- Alex McLeish (1978–94)
- Russell Anderson (1996–2007, 2012–15)
- Gordon Strachan (1977–84)
- Eoin Jess (1987–96, 1997–2001)
- Jim Bett (1985–94)
- Neil Simpson (1980–90)
- Joe Harper (1969–72, 1976–81)
- Duncan Shearer (1992–97)
Club Records
Top Goal Scorers
This list shows players who scored the most goals for Aberdeen in official games. All players are from Scotland unless noted.
| Rank | Name | Years Played | Games | Goals | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Harper | 1969–1973, 1976–1981 | 300 | 199 | 0.66 |
| 2 | Matt Armstrong | 1931–1939, 1945–1946 | 219 | 156 | 0.71 |
| 3 | George Hamilton | 1938–1939, 1945–1955 | 284 | 155 | 0.55 |
| 4 | Harry Yorston | 1947–1957 | 278 | 141 | 0.51 |
| 5 | Drew Jarvie | 1972–1982 | 386 | 131 | 0.34 |
| 6 | Benny Yorston | 1927–1932 | 156 | 124 | 0.79 |
| 7 | Willie Mills | 1932–1938 | 210 | 114 | 0.54 |
| 8 | Jack Hather  |
1948–1960 | 351 | 105 | 0.30 |
| 9 | Mark McGhee | 1978–1984 | 249 | 100 | 0.4 |
| 10= | Billy Little | 1957–1968 | 306 | 98 | 0.32 |
| Davie Robb | 1966–1978 | 345 | 98 | 0.28 |
Most Appearances
This list shows players who played the most games for Aberdeen in official matches. All players are from Scotland unless noted.
| Rank | Name | Years Played | Games | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willie Miller | 1972–1990 | 796 | 32 |
| 2 | Alex McLeish | 1978–1994 | 689 | 30 |
| 3 | Bobby Clark | 1965–1980 | 591 | 0 |
| 4 | Andrew Considine | 2004–2022 | 571 | 41 |
| 5 | Stewart McKimmie | 1983–1997 | 562 | 9 |
| 6 | Jim Leighton | 1977–1988, 1997–2000 | 533 | 0 |
| 7 | Russell Anderson | 1996–2007, 2011–2015 | 407 | 21 |
| 8 | Drew Jarvie | 1972–1982 | 386 | 131 |
| 9 | Brian Irvine | 1985–1997 | 385 | 40 |
| 10 | Eoin Jess | 1989–1996, 1997–2001 | 380 | 94 |
Managers
This list shows the full-time managers of Aberdeen F.C. and their results in league games.
| From | To | Name | P | W | D | L | Win% | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 1924 | Jimmy Philip |
644 | 221 | 172 | 251 | 34.32 | |
| 1924 | 1937 | Paddy Travers |
474 | 214 | 106 | 154 | 45.15 | |
| 1937 | 1955 | Dave Halliday |
371 | 165 | 71 | 135 | 44.47 | |
| 1955 | 1959 | Davie Shaw |
148 | 66 | 20 | 62 | 44.59 | |
| 1959 | 1965 | Tommy Pearson |
180 | 66 | 42 | 72 | 36.67 | |
| 1965 | 1971 | Eddie Turnbull |
216 | 101 | 43 | 72 | 46.76 | |
| 1971 | 1975 | Jimmy Bonthrone |
143 | 67 | 46 | 30 | 46.85 | |
| 1975 | 1977 | Ally MacLeod |
61 | 24 | 19 | 18 | 39.34 | |
| 1977 | 1978 | Billy McNeill |
36 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 61.11 | |
| 1978 | 1986 | Alex Ferguson |
288 | 167 | 71 | 50 | 57.99 | |
| 1986 | 1986 | Alex Ferguson Archie Knox |
15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 46.67 | |
| 1986 | 1988 | Ian Porterfield |
71 | 35 | 27 | 9 | 49.30 | |
| 1988 | 1991 | Jocky Scott Alex Smith |
117 | 63 | 35 | 19 | 53.85 | |
| 1991 | 1992 | Alex Smith |
23 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 30.43 | |
| 1992 | 1995 | Willie Miller |
126 | 54 | 46 | 26 | 42.86 | |
| 1995 | 1997 | Roy Aitken |
100 | 35 | 28 | 37 | 35.00 | |
| 1997 | 1998 | Alex Miller |
38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 26.32 | |
| 1999 | 2002 |  Ebbe Skovdahl |
130 | 40 | 31 | 59 | 30.77 | |
| 2002 | 2004 | Steve Paterson |
57 | 18 | 10 | 29 | 31.58 | |
| 2004 | 2009 | Jimmy Calderwood |
190 | 79 | 49 | 62 | 41.58 | |
| 2009 | 2010 | Mark McGhee |
53 | 13 | 12 | 28 | 24.53 | |
| 2010 | 2013 | Craig Brown |
93 | 27 | 29 | 37 | 29.03 | |
| 2013 | 2021 | Derek McInnes |
295 | 157 | 60 | 78 | 53.22 | |
| 2021 | 2022 | Stephen Glass |
29 | 9 | 6 | 14 | 31.03 | |
| 2022 | 2023 |  Jim Goodwin |
35 | 11 | 7 | 17 | 31.43 | |
| 2023 | 2024 | Barry Robson |
36 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 41.67 | |
| 2024 | Present |  Jimmy Thelin |
38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 39.47 |
See Also
In Spanish: Aberdeen Football Club para niños
- Aberdeen F.C. Women
Images for kids
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League history of Aberdeen from their first league appearance in 1904
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Alex Ferguson, Aberdeen's most successful manager, later managed Manchester United.
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Gordon Strachan's 1983 European Cup Winners Cup final shirt.
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A display by Aberdeen fans in the Richard Donald Stand.
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Aberdeen collecting their first trophy in 19 years in 2014.
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Pittodrie Stadium's granite facade from outside the Merkland Road stand.
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Commemorative plaque on the wall of Pittodrie Stadium.
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Fans display "1903", the year Aberdeen FC was established, before the 2014 Scottish League Cup Final.
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A commemorative pennant from 1980.
