Scotland » Aberdeen

Welcome the Dons to the Offside

Ian Rose — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:16:31 +0000

It’s not just for the Old Firm and Caley anymore. I wanted to make a quick post and welcome the newest member of the Scotland Offside, Aberdeen Offside. They might be bottom of the table at this moment, but the Reds are one of the most storied sides in the Scottish game, and we’re all looking forward to reading about the history of the club, the great fanbase and the fantastic experience that is a game at Pittodrie. I took in Celtic’s first visit of the season to Pittodrie last fall, and it was a great atmosphere – can’t wait to go back.

Welcome … and here’s hoping you stick around a bit longer than those Edinburgh bloggers.

Aberdeen might be Europe bound, after all

Ian Rose — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:33:49 +0000

It’s been a really remarkably weird season for Aberdeen Football Club. On one hand, they had a great run in Europe, their first good run in Europe in a long time. Getting to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Cup was no small accomplishment for a club of relatively modest financial means, and it was made more meaningful by the fact that their run has contributed to one of Scotland’s best ever years in Europe. The SPL’s current league coefficient for the season is 8.5, the highest since 1984, when Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen went to the semifinals of the European Cup.

On the other hand, the Dons’ league performances have been mediocre, and sometimes much worse than that. After finishing last season in third, their route to that UEFA Cup run, they now sit in eighth place in the SPL, ten points below third place Hibernian with eight league matches remaining, and that’s been after a fairly good run of play in March. Still, realistically, their one route back to Europe this season looked to be the Scottish Cup, and after drawing with Celtic and forcing a replay at Celtic Park, it seemed a long route indeed. But, as Celtic Offside’s Matt sadly reported today, Darren Mackie’s second-half strike was enough to get the Dons past Celtic, 1-0, to book a place in the semis.

A look at the five teams left in the Scottish Cup invites some comparisons to the English FA Cup this season, with names like Queen of the South and Partick Thistle subbing in for Barnsley and Cardiff. Aberdeen and Rangers are the only two top flight teams left, and they are separated until the final. That means that if Aberdeen beat Queen of the South to reach the final, and if Rangers make it past Partick and then St. Johnstone, Aberdeen will get back to the UEFA Cup, regardless of the outcome of the match.

I’ve been a big opponent of this policy, and of UEFA’s insistence at its continuation, for a long time. The SFA has appealed to be able to award its second UEFA Cup spot to the fourth team in the league if a Champions League bound team wins the Cup, rather than to the Cup runner up. However, for now, that’s the rule, and Aberdeen might be the beneficiaries of it. I’m personally hoping they are, not only because I like the Dons and their chances to do well in Europe, but also because I don’t want to see another second-tier team represent Scotland in the UEFA Cup, as Gretna did a few years ago.

If Hibs can hold on to third in the league, I’m actually pretty happy with the potential SPL entry into Europe next season. Celtic, Rangers, Hibs and Aberdeen. That’s a strong foursome. Still a long way to go before then, though. Stay tuned.

SPL WAG of the … ever?

Ian Rose — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:46:30 +0000

Admittedly, this is not my style of football journalism. I like to write about goals and formations, assists and saves. But in honor of Martha, who leaves The Offside this week, I’m making an exception. Martha was one of the original Offsiders, and I, like so many of us, was a consistent reader of her WAG of the Week column. You’ll be missed, Martha, and for you, here is the first, and likely the last SPL WAG story.

It seems Aberdeen’s Steve Lovell, one of the heroes of this week’s 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich, has himself a famous lady friend. Pop star Amy MacDonald, no relation to Celtic’s Scott, is apparently going steady with the Dons striker, when she can find the time between gigs on her current UK tour. In true disgustingly 21st-century style, they announced their relationship on … you guessed it … Facebook.

Again, in homage to Martha’s column, here’s a picture of Amy, a tasteful and work-friendly one, I promise. Good luck to Steve and Amy and please, let this be the last time we hear about you in a gossip column.

Aberdeen 2-2 Bayern Munich

Ian Rose — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:49:37 +0000

I have to admit it – I had lost faith in Aberdeen’s UEFA Cup run. As much as I like the Dons (my second favorite team in Scotland), it seemed like their drawing everyone’s favorite to win the tournament, Bayern Munich, would certainly be the end of the good results. Everything was going wrong before the match – injuries, a run of heavy losses, and players leaving in the January transfer window. But once again Aberdeen have stepped up at home and pulled off a draw that in many ways has to be seen as a win.

Granted, Bayern head home with two away goals, so if they score, it’s basically over. Still, a point against the German giants is a great result, and keeps hope alive. Josh Walker and Sone Aluko had the goals for the Dons, with Jamie Langfield once again doing prideful work between the sticks. I’ve said it before on this blog – he is one of the most underrated shot stoppers in Britain.

The tie moves on to Munich next Thursday, and Dons have it all to do, but they will certainly not fear Bayern, not after playing them well and evenly today in Aberdeen.

Aberdeen explodes into UEFA Cup Round of 32

Ian Rose — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:53:06 +0000

Up to this point, there was some luck involved. With only one point from three matches, the result of a home draw against Locomotiv Moscow, Aberdeen were still in range of advancing in the UEFA Cup tonight by way of other results. Four points wouldn’t be enough to qualify in a lot of groups. Still, the circumstances take none of the shine off of the result today, as Dons crushed Copenhagen 4-0 to move through to the UEFA Cup Round of 32.

The Dons’ first victory of this year’s European campaign was worth the wait, with a brace from Jamie Smith and a late killer from Ricky Foster. Copenhagen’s Mikael Antonnson did his part in killing the match as well, with an 82nd minute own goal from a badly deflected Lee Miller cross.

To me, and to many supporters of Scottish clubs outside of the Old Firm, this victory means more for Scottish football than any Celtic and Rangers win. Everyone knows what those two clubs can do, but true respect for our game only comes when our third-place team, whoever it may be, can also do damage of their own in Europe. It shows that we are more than two teams and the rest. There is quality in the SPL beyond the Old Firm, particularly in clubs like Hibernian and Aberdeen.

Dons and Rangers will both find out who they will face in the round of 32 tomorrow, as both the UEFA Cup and Champions League hold their respective draws. Good luck to both sides. For the first time in thirty years, three Scottish teams are still active in Europe past the new year, and as an SPL fan, I couldn’t ask for a better Christmas present than that.

Aberdeen thrown a lifeline, can still advance

Ian Rose — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:38:41 +0000

It has been a pretty rough group stage for Aberdeen in the UEFA Cup. The Dons picked, in my opinion, just about the hardest group they could have, with Atletico Madrid, Panathinaikos and Locomotiv Moscow looking to take all the spoils. Things have lined up about as expected for the struggling Scots, with their only point in the group coming from a home draw with Locomotiv.

Today, though, all the results have gone Aberdeen’s way. With Copenhagen and Locomotiv both losing today, the table looks like this:

Panathinaikos – 9 pts (1 game left – Already qualified)
Atletico Madrid – 7 pts (1 game left – Already qualified)
Copenhagen – 3 pts (1 game left)
Locomotiv Moscow – 2 pts (0 games left – Already disqualified)
Aberdeen – 1 pt (1 game left)

The last two matches, played on December 20, are a meaningless match between the group leaders Atletico and Panathinaikos, and a much more important one, Aberdeen v. Copenhagen. A Dons win will put them in the Round of 32. A loss or draw, and Copenhagen is in. Either way, a shocker to see either one top Locomotiv.

It would be a bit like backing into the next round, but I’ll take it. A winner-take-all European match at Pittodrie sounds like a great time. Go Dons!