Ullevi Stadium Goteborg
Aberdeen
opened up 1982-83 with a visit from Ipswich for Drew Jarvie's
testimonial, from which Miller was conspicuously absent. Eventually a
new deal was thrashed out and he remained with the club, and the fact
that Miller opted to stay at Pittodrie spoke volumes about the changing
balance of power in Scottish football. The Dons were faced with a
fixture headache almost at once, when they drew the short straw and had
to play a preliminary Cup-Winners' Cup-tie against Sion of Switzerland
in August. Having to play in Europe so early was hardly ideal, but the
Dons surged out of the traps, hitting the luckless Swiss for seven at
Pittodrie. The return in a picturesque Alpine setting was little more
than a holiday for the Dons.
The
early running in the League saw Aberdeen, Celtic and Dundee United
establish themselves as potential champions, while in Europe the Dons
had to negotiate a potential banana skin against Dinamo Tirana. A John
Hewitt goal at Pittodrie meant a trip fraught with danger to Albania,
but searing heat and crowd intimidation could not prevent the Dons
putting up the shutters. Next up were Lech Poznan from Poland. A 2-0 win
at Pittodrie seemed likely to be good enough, but Poland was in
political turmoil in those days. The Aberdeen party's flight touched
down in Poznan to be greeted by the sight of antiaircraft guns and a
welcoming party wearing military fatigues. Doug Bell scored the only
goal, although to this day Mark McGhee lays claim to it. The Dons had
booked their passage to the quarter-finals, which in those days were
held over to March of the following year. Aberdeen therefore had several
months in which to drool over the prospect awaiting them. Ferguson had
wanted a big name, and he got his wish. Names did not come bigger than
Bayern Munich.
In
the League, Aberdeen kept in touch at the top of the table with a
crushing 5-1 defeat of rival pretenders Dundee United. Big Doug Rougvie
was in irresistible form, scoring twice, to the delight of the Aberdeen
support. Rougvie was another unlikely hero. He had been with the club
since 1972 and had bided his time before becoming a first-team regular.
His giant frame was a daunting sight for opponents, but Rougvie was no
admirer of reputations and was ideally suited for the battles that came
his way. Cult status beckoned. By the turn of the year it was clear that
Ferguson would need to draw deeply from his squad. The Dons were
gunning on three fronts and a dream treble was on. Only the League Cup
was beyond them, Dundee United having dumped them from the
quarter-finals.
Whatever
the team had learned from previous European campaigns was put to good
use in Munich's Olympic Stadium, A travelling Red Army of around 1,000
made the trip and were rewarded with a display of true grit. The Germans
had derided the Scottish challenge. Franz Beckenbauer was quoted in the
Aberdeen Press & Journal before the tie: 'Aberdeen are technically
inferior to Bielfeld, who Bayern beat 5-0. I expect Bayern to outplay
them. As soon as the Scots set outside their country, they are only half
as good as they are at home.' Yet it is hard to imagine a finer
performance by a Scottish side on foreign soil. Solid in defence,
Aberdeen surprised their hosts by displaying a tactical nous nurtured in
the Ferguson way. A goalless draw set the stage for another famous
European night, which was a common feature of Wednesday evenings during
those halcyon days. Most supporters will claim this to be the biggest
game ever staged at the venerable old stadium. For long spells the Dons
looked out of it but they managed to hold on until a spectacular
Pflugler strike put the visitors 2-1 ahead. Bearing in mind the
away-goals rule, Aberdeen needed to score twice to win. Alex Ferguson
rolled his last throw of the dice. On came John Hewitt. Within minutes
the game was turned on its head. First Alex McLeish headed home a
Strachan free-kick. How opportune that the McMaster-Strachan 'messed up'
free-kick routine finally paid a handsome dividend. A minute later
Hewitt squeezed a volley through the legs of Muller after the keeper had
kept out Eric Black's header. Bedlam. The closing minutes were like
hours. It was a time for big hearts, and it required stout work from
Willie Miller &. Co to see the Dons through. A team of Scottish
upstarts that could play a bit had humbled Bayern Munich. It appears
that only Uli Hoeness, the Bayern manager, had heeded the warning
signals. Observing the Dons beforehand he had warned that they would
provide a formidable obstacle, but his opinions were lost in a sea of
German arrogance. When all was said and done, Aberdeen woke up to the
fact that they were in the semi-finals of the European Cup-Winners' Cup.
Also
through were Real Madrid, Waterschei from Belgium, and former
adversaries Austria Vienna. Ferguson did not hide the fact that he
relished a crack at the little-known Belgians, with Madrid as his dream
final. The Austrians were experienced and would be a tough prospect, but
Waterschei on the other hand were beatable. The Dons' boss got his
wish, with the first leg at Pittodrie. The excitement generated around
the city was extraordinary. Never before had the Dons been so much in
the limelight. Ferguson remained outwardly unmoved, but he knew his team
would have to do the business at home. Waterschei
were the other shock team that year. They were based in the town of
Genk and were unfashionable in every sense. Aberdeen assistant boss
Archie Knox took in the Dons' opponents and was convinced that, if
Aberdeen could get at their defence early, they could be unsettled. Ferguson
had often deployed the mercurial Doug Bell in key European games. Now
he was given a starting berth and his inclusion was vital. Two early
goals had Pittodrie in raptures. The Dons were in command, cutting
through their opponents almost at will. There was no let up, and by the
end Aberdeen had crushed the Waterschei challenge 5-1. Such a margin in a
European semi-final exceeded all expectations, but the Aberdeen machine
had been in full flow. The return two weeks later was little more than
academic. Ferguson took the opportunity to draw deep from his squad, in
the wake of a bruising Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic. That
Hampden clash presented a battle that the Dons could have done without,
but the physical nature of the contest was hardly unexpected. A Peter
Weir header was enough to carry the Dons to their first final of the
season. Three days later they reached their second. Waterschei salvaged
some respect with a 1-0 win on the night, but Aberdeen's achievement was
marred by the loss of Stuart Kennedy, whose injury meant he would never
play again. Their place in two finals confirmed, the Dons had six games
left in which to clinch the League championship. But points had been
squandered in March and April, and Dundee United seized their chance.
Not for the first time, Aberdeen had opened the door for the Tannadice
club. However, the Dons had more important matters on the horizon.
It was a relaxed Aberdeen squad that prepared for their biggest ever
game. A shadow side defeated Kilmarnock 5-0 in a League fixture brought
forward by two days to allow the team more time in which to prepare.
Alex Ferguson was in surprisingly jovial mood as the team took their
first training session on the Ullevi pitch in Gothenburg. More than
15,000 of the Red Army were undertaking the trip by air, land, and sea,
leaving the city of Aberdeen severely under-populated. Awaiting Aberdeen
were Real Madrid, coached by the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano. The
Spanish giants had cost a mint to assemble, whereas the total cost of
Fergie's Furies was just over £400,000. Surely this was a mis-match, but
conditions favoured the Dons when torrential and persistent rain doused
the pitch on match-day. From the outset the Dons were
positive, and early pressure almost brought reward. Gordon Strachan
crossed from the right and Eric Black's athletic volley crashed against
the bar. Aberdeen continued to press and a text-book corner brought them
the first goal. It was Strachan whose deep kick found Alex McLeish on
the edge of the box. His downward header allowed Eric Black to clip the
ball past Augustin in the Madrid goal. The Spanish side
had not expected the Scots to come at them so early and it was fifteen
minutes before they mustered their first attack. But it brought an
equaliser. McLeish's pass-back slowed in the wet and gave Santillana the
opportunity to tumble over Jim Leighton. Juanito scored from the
penalty awarded. Real seemed content to hold the Dons and it was not
until the second half that Aberdeen regained their earlier initiative.
The heavy conditions had been energy sapping but wave upon wave of
Aberdeen attacks might have been better rewarded. Gordon Strachan's
volley was saved by the keeper's legs. Then Augustin kept out Black's
header. Neale Cooper came close with a searing drive. It appeared
that Real were content to take the tie into extra-time and, if
necessary, penalties. John Hewitt had replaced Black late in normal
time. Twelve minutes into the extra 30, Peter Weir fed Mark McGhee down
the left. McGhee's perfect cross was missed by the Real keeper and
dropped for John Hewitt to head home. The expected riposte from Real
only materialised in the dying minutes. A twice-taken free-kick from
Salguero whizzed past the post and it was all over. Amid scenes of
unbridled joy the Dons had done it. In the cold light of day Aberdeen
had achieved what only Celtic and Rangers in Scotland had done before
them. For a provincial team it was all the more remarkable. The Dons
returned to the city the following day to the now traditional open-top
bus ride down Union Street. The only stragglers were the 500-strong
Aberdeen supporters still on board the St Clair ferry, which had been
hired for the purpose. The 'boat people' were not to arrive home until
the day after...
Aberdeen : Jim Leighton, Doug Rougvie, John McMaster, Neale Cooper, Alex McLeish, Willie Miller (captain), Gordon Strachan, Neil Simpson, Mark McGhee, Eric Black (John Hewitt 87e), Peter Weir. Entr. Alex Ferguson.
Real Madrid : Agustín, Juan José, John Metgod, Bonet, José Antonio Camacho (Isidoro San José 91e) - Uli Stielike, Ricardo Gallego, Ángel, Juanito, Carlos Santillana (captain), Isidro (Salguero 103e). Entr.
Alfredo Di Stéfano.
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