History of Aberdeen F.C. facts for kids

Aberdeen Football Club is one of Scotland's most successful football teams! They have won 17 major trophies in Scotland. This includes four League titles, seven Scottish Cups, and six Scottish League Cups. (These numbers are from March 2020).

Aberdeen is also the only Scottish team to win two European trophies. They won the European Cup Winners' Cup against Real Madrid on May 11, 1983. Then, they won the European Super Cup in December 1983. They beat Hamburger SV, who were the European Cup holders.

Aberdeen has never been sent down to a lower league. They only missed two seasons during World War I. This was because of travel problems. Since 1905, they have always been in the top division. Only Celtic has a better record!

How Aberdeen FC Started

Plaque remembering the first meeting of Aberdeen Football Club in 1881.

Aberdeen FC was formed by joining three local clubs. These were Aberdeen, Victoria United, and Orion. More than 1,600 people met on March 20, 1903. They talked about joining the clubs and agreed to it. The merger became official on April 14, 1903. That's when Aberdeen Football Club was officially born!

The new club wore an all-white kit. They hoped to join the Scottish Football League. But they didn't get into the First Division right away. So, they spent their first season in the Northern League.

Early Years and First Matches (1903–1917)

The new club played its first game on August 15, 1903. It was a 1–1 draw with Stenhousemuir. William McAulay scored Aberdeen's first goal. In that first season, they won the Aberdeenshire Cup. But they finished third in the Northern League.

The club then applied to join the Scottish League. They were accepted into the Second Division for the next season. This was in 1904–05. Aberdeen changed their kit colors to black and gold. This earned them the nickname the Wasps.

Jimmy Philip was the club's manager at this time. He led the team to win the Scottish Qualifying Cup. This happened on November 26, 1904. They beat Renton 2–0 at Dens Park. Even though they finished seventh in the Second Division, Aberdeen was moved up. They were elected to the new, bigger First Division. They have been in the top league of Scottish football ever since. Only Celtic shares this amazing record!

Once in the First Division, the team grew steadily. They reached the Scottish Cup semi-finals in 1908 and 1911. These were big moments before World War I. In the 1910–11 season, Aberdeen beat the Old Firm teams for the first time. They even led the league for a while. But the trophies still went to Glasgow, as was common.

World War I affected the club a lot. Despite cutting costs, the situation became too difficult by 1917. So, Aberdeen, along with Dundee and Raith Rovers, stopped playing competitive football for two seasons.

Between the World Wars (1919–1939)

Senior football returned to north-east Scotland on August 16, 1919. The Dons, a nickname they'd had since 1913, played their first game against Albion Rovers. Manager Philip was still in charge. His team could get good results sometimes. But they never quite managed to win a trophy.

In 1923, Aberdeen played Peterhead in the Scottish Cup. They scored their record number of goals in one game: a 13–0 victory! It rained heavily during the match. It's said that Aberdeen's goalkeeper, Harry Blackwell, wore a waterproof coat. He even spent part of the game under a spectator's umbrella!

Alex Jackson, a famous Scottish international player, played for Aberdeen from 1924 to 1925.

Philip retired in 1924. Paddy Travers became the new manager. Travers's teams didn't win more trophies than Philip's. But he did lead the team to their first Scottish Cup final in 1937. They also went on two tours to South Africa. Sadly, on the second tour, right after the Cup final loss, player Jackie Benyon sadly passed away.

In November 1931, Travers suddenly removed several main players. None of them played for the club again. Years later, in the 1970s, the club's official history was published. It revealed there was a suspicion of a betting scandal. However, no players were punished at the time.

Donald Colman and the 'Dug-out' Invention

Commemorative plaque to Donald Colman.

Travers's trainer, or first team coach, was Donald Colman. He was a former player and a fan favorite. Colman was seen as a very smart and creative thinker about football. One of his ideas is still used in many football stadiums today! Colman believed in watching players' feet closely as they played. So, he invented the 'dug-out'. This is a covered area set slightly below the field. It helped him see the players better. Everton visited Pittodrie soon after it was built. They took the idea back to England. From there, it spread all over the football world!

Travers left to manage Clyde in 1939. Dave Halliday took his place. Halliday signed George Hamilton from his old club, Queen of the South. This was a very smart signing! But Halliday had barely started when World War II stopped competitive football in the United Kingdom.

Wartime Football (1939–1945)

World War II basically shut down professional football. But Aberdeen kept playing games. They used players who were in the armed forces and stationed nearby. Players like Stan Mortensen and Ted Ditchburn played for Aberdeen. They competed in the North-Eastern League and the North-Eastern League Cup. For the last season (1945–46), the Southern League and Southern League Cup became national competitions. Aberdeen played in those. Unlike the previous break, the club kept running, even if it was very unplanned.

Post-War Success (1946–1970)

Halliday led Aberdeen, now wearing red shirts, to their first major trophy in 1946. They won the Scottish League Cup. This was a smaller wartime version of the competition. The next season, they reached the final again but lost. However, Aberdeen also reached the Scottish Cup final in 1946–47. This time, they won the Cup, beating Hibernian.

Halliday built a strong team from these early wins. They could challenge for the top honors in Scottish football. They reached two more Scottish Cup finals, in 1953 and 1954. But they lost both. However, Halliday's team didn't give up! The next season, 1954–55, Aberdeen won their first Scottish League title! But they didn't get to play in the first European Cup. Scotland's spot was given to Hibs instead.

Halliday and Hamilton both left after that championship season. Davie Shaw replaced Halliday. Aberdeen won another League Cup under Shaw. They beat St Mirren in 1955–56. They also reached another Scottish Cup final in 1959. But Shaw's time was mostly disappointing. He stepped aside for another former player, Tommy Pearson, in 1959.

Pearson's time as manager saw many players come and go. But they didn't win any trophies. He retired in 1965. Eddie Turnbull took over. He led Aberdeen to two Cup finals against Celtic. They lost in 1967 but got their revenge in 1970.

Aberdeen as the Washington Whips

In the summer of 1967, Aberdeen played a season in North America. They were part of a new league called the United Soccer Association. This league brought twelve whole clubs from Europe and South America. These clubs played in American and Canadian cities. Each club used a local name. Aberdeen played as the "Washington Whips." They won the Eastern Division title. But they lost the championship match to the "Los Angeles Wolves" (Wolverhampton Wanderers from England).

Challenging but No Trophies (1970–1979)

The Aberdeen team of the 1970s often competed for trophies. But they weren't very successful, except for winning the League Cup in 1976 under Ally MacLeod. During this decade, Aberdeen had five managers: Eddie Turnbull, Jimmy Bonthrone, Ally MacLeod, Billy McNeill, and Alex Ferguson. They reached two more national cup finals. These were the Scottish Cup in 1978 under Billy McNeill. And the League Cup the next season under the new manager, the relatively unknown Alex Ferguson.

European Football and Penalty Shootouts

Aberdeen first played in Europe in the 1967–68 Cup Winner's Cup. They qualified because they were runners-up to Celtic in the Scottish Cup final the season before. Their first game was a big 14–1 win over KR Reykjavik. But they lost the second round to Standard Liège 3–2. As Scottish Cup holders in 1970–71, Aberdeen qualified again. But they were knocked out in the first round after a 4–4 tie with Honvéd. This game was tied after extra time and on away goals. It was decided by the first ever penalty shootout in UEFA history! Honved won the shootout 5–4 in their own stadium.

Aberdeen played in UEFA competitions often in the 1970s. But they didn't get past the second round until the years when Alex Ferguson was manager.

The Glory Years (1980–1986)

Ferguson became manager in 1978. This was after McNeill left for Celtic. Ferguson started building a team that would win more in the next eight years than in the club's entire history!

Players like Jim Leighton, Willie Miller, Alex McLeish, and Gordon Strachan grew into amazing players under Ferguson. They became the core of a team that knew how to win. Aberdeen won their second League title in 1979–80. They built on this success. They won the Scottish Cup three years in a row, from 1982 to 1984. They also won two more league titles in 1983–84 and 1984–85.

They also became only the third Scottish team to win a European trophy! This was the European Cup Winners' Cup victory over Real Madrid on May 11, 1983. The club even released a song called European Song for the final! This was followed by winning the European Super Cup in December that year. They beat Hamburger SV over two games. Aberdeen is still the only Scottish club to have won two European trophies. The next season, Aberdeen reached the Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals. But FC Porto stopped them from defending their trophy.

The success under Ferguson was so great that the 1985–86 season was seen as a "failure" by many fans. Even though they won the Scottish Cup and the League Cup that year!

Later Years (1986–Present)

Ferguson left for Manchester United in November 1986. It was a very hard job to replace him. The club chose Ian Porterfield, a less known coach. He had done well in England but was new to top-level football. Porterfield's time was not successful. He resigned in May 1988.

Alex Smith and Jocky Scott became co-managers. They won a League Cup and Scottish Cup double in 1989–90. In the 1990–91 season, Aberdeen won twelve out of thirteen games. This put them at the top of the league. They were ahead of Rangers on goal difference before the last game. The final match was at Ibrox. A change in tactics, which led to Jocky Scott leaving, and two goals from Mark Hateley gave the Championship to Rangers. This allowed Rangers to win nine titles in a row.

Alex Smith was not successful as manager on his own. He was eventually fired in 1992. Former captain Willie Miller took over. For two seasons, they came close to beating Rangers. But at the end of the 1993–94 season, Miller decided to change his team and bring in new players. This didn't work out. Miller was fired before the season ended. The club had to win a play-off game against Dunfermline Athletic to stay in the Premier League.

Roy Aitken replaced Miller. His early success in avoiding relegation didn't last. Despite winning a League Cup against Dundee in 1995–96, the club continued to struggle. Alex Miller and Paul Hegarty also managed the team in the late 1990s. But success was hard to find. The cost of a new stand put the club in debt for the first time. So, the directors asked Stewart Milne, a local businessman whose company built the stand, to help manage the club's finances.

21st Century Challenges and Triumphs (2000–Present)

Ebbe Skovdahl, from Denmark, became Aberdeen's first non-Scottish manager in 1999. During his time, the club had some of its biggest defeats. It was also the first time the club finished last in the league. They avoided a relegation play-off because Falkirk didn't have a stadium that met Premier League rules. Skovdahl did lead the club to two cup finals in 2000. They also finished fourth in 2002. But he left during the 2002–03 season, feeling he had done all he could.

Many expected great things from his replacement, Steve Paterson. He was seen as a promising new manager. He led the club to a good seventh-place finish that season. However, Paterson's first full season, 2003–04, was a disaster. The club was in danger of being relegated. They only escaped because Partick Thistle was even worse. Paterson was fired after losing five games in a row at the end of the season.

Jimmy Calderwood took over as manager in 2004. He was chosen by the new Director of Football, former player and manager Willie Miller. Aberdeen under Calderwood had more consistent results. They finished fourth in 2004–05 and sixth in 2005–06. But the club still didn't challenge for major trophies like they did in the late 1900s. In 2006–07, they finished third in the SPL. This qualified them for the 2007–08 UEFA Cup. They secured this with a clear 2–0 win over Rangers at Pittodrie on the last day.

In September 2007, Aberdeen made club history. They beat Dnipro in the UEFA Cup because of the away goals rule. This was the first time the club had won on away goals in 40 years of European football! In the group stage, they didn't win their first three matches. But other results meant Aberdeen could go through with a home win over Danish champions FC København. They did it in style, winning 4–0! This was their biggest win since the 1980s. It set up a match in February 2008 against German giants Bayern Munich.

In May 2009, Jimmy Calderwood left his job as manager. This was by "mutual agreement." He had secured a fourth-place finish in the Scottish Premier League. This meant a return to European competition.

Calderwood was replaced by former player Mark McGhee. McGhee's time at Aberdeen was not successful. A few weeks after a club record 0–9 defeat to Celtic, McGhee was fired in December 2010. Craig Brown replaced him.

Brown was replaced in May 2013 by the current manager, Derek McInnes. A more successful period followed. McInnes's win rate (55%) was second only to Alex Ferguson (58%). Aberdeen won the 2014 Scottish League Cup Final 4–2 on penalties after a draw. This was their first trophy in 19 years! McInnes led Aberdeen to qualify for Europe for the first time since 2009. They did this by finishing third in the league. The club has continued to play well. They finished second in the league in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. This was their best league position since 1993–94.

Aberdeen FC's Trophies and Achievements

League Success

Aberdeen has never been relegated from any division. Their only season in a league below the top one in Scotland was their first, 1904–05. After that season, they were elected, not promoted, to the First Division. In 1910–11, Aberdeen finished second behind Rangers. They had beaten both parts of the Old Firm that season. But they didn't do that again until 1935–36.

It took over 50 years for the club to win its first league title. This happened in 1954–55. The next season, Aberdeen finished second behind Rangers. But it wasn't until the 1970s that they regularly challenged for the league title. Between 1970 and 1994, Aberdeen finished second ten times. They won the league three times. All those wins were under manager Alex Ferguson. In 1983–84, they also won the Scottish Cup. This made them the only team outside Glasgow to win the Scottish Double (winning the league and main cup in the same season).

Cup Victories

Aberdeen's first major trophy was the Southern League Cup. This was a wartime version of the Scottish League Cup in 1946–47. The next season, Aberdeen reached the League Cup final. They also won their first Scottish Cup. They had been in a Scottish Cup final before, in 1936–37. That match had 146,433 fans, a record for a club game in Europe! Aberdeen reached cup finals four times in the 1950s. Their only trophy then was beating St Mirren in the 1955–56 League Cup final. After losing a final to Celtic in 1966–67, they won the Scottish Cup again in 1969–70.

An extra-time League Cup win over Celtic in 1976–77 and losses in the Scottish Cup final of 1977–78 and the League Cup final the next season came before the 1980s. In the 1980s, Aberdeen won four Scottish Cups. This included three in a row between 1982 and 1984. They also won two League Cups. The second of these, in 1989, was the third final in a row between Aberdeen and Rangers. Aberdeen had lost the first two. This period included the club's first 'double' win in 1983–84. They also won two cups in 1985–86.

Aberdeen won the 1989–90 Scottish Cup final against Celtic on penalties. This was the first time the competition was decided this way. They have won one League Cup since then, against Dundee in 1995–96. They have also reached two more major finals.

Aberdeen has won the Aberdeenshire Cup more than any other team. The 39 wins listed on the club's website include some won by clubs before Aberdeen FC officially started in 1903. The club usually doesn't use its full-strength team in this competition. Aberdeen also won the Drybrough Cup twice, in 1971 and 1980. These were the first and last times that competition was held. Aberdeen also won the Scottish Qualifying Cup in 1904, the only time the club entered it.

European Achievements

Aberdeen has regularly played in European competitions since their first appearance in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1967. They qualified for the European Cup three times. They reached the quarter-final in 1985–86. They have played 17 times in the UEFA Cup, UEFA Europa League, and its earlier version, the Fairs Cup. They reached the third round twice. They also played eight times in the Cup Winners' Cup. They won this competition in 1982–83. They reached the semi-final the next season.

In 1970–71, Aberdeen became the first team to be knocked out of a European competition by penalties. They lost a first-round Cup Winners' Cup game against Honvéd. Also, the club won their only European Super Cup final in 1983. They are the only Scottish club to have won this competition. Aberdeen was voted 'European Team of the Year' by France Football and Adidas because of their great achievements in 1983.

As of 2012, Aberdeen was ranked 143rd in the UEFA Team Rankings. However, by 2019, they had dropped to 192nd place. This was due to several less successful European campaigns in the years between.