Peter Wood on the Northern Lights of old Aberdeen…
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by Peter Wood
Altogether now, “The Northern lights of old Aberdeen, sweet home, sweet home to me”… I’m very proud to be an Aberdeen fan, even though my football team can be excruciating to watch at times! Although we are now turning the corner with Craig Brown at the helm, after the complete disaster that was Mark McGhee. A lot of people say that McGhee he was never given enough support by the board… but there were rumours that the players could not stand him, and by the end neither could the fans. So, like many of the previous managers – Porterfield, Jocky Scott, Skodvahl, and Jimmy Calderwood – it was time for him to go.
Jimmy Calderwood in 'Falling Down' mode after delivering consistent top 4 finishes... then having his P45 delivered to him.When we first enticed Craig Brown away from Motherwell, I wondered if we were making another mistake. After a pretty sticky start to this season though, he’s turned it around and we’re climbing up the table. I mean, let’s face up to the facts. The Dons are skint, probably more skint than most clubs. [I think fans of other clubs would suggest Aberdeen are the 4th highest wage payers in the SPL. If Rangers and Hearts keep on the same path…they may be up to 2nd by next season! Ed.] I mean we have a reputation in Aberdeen for being tighter than a duck’s a*se, but if we’d taken the 1990s spending policy that Glasgow Rangers did we could be in the brown stuff. Now a lot of the Aberdeen fans will be rejoicing in the demise of one of the Glasgow giants. I’m not as I fear that this will have a ripple effect for the whole of Scottish football. We need at least two teams to be challenging for the title in Scotland. At the moment, it’s disappointing that it’s always Rangers and Celtic at the top of the league every season. Could you imagine a table with just Celtic at top of the tree and no one else challenging though? Put this season aside.
Craig Brown. Moments after Fraser Fyvie handed him an invite to his leaving party.Back to Aberdeen, for many years we have been basking in the Alex Ferguson era, but he left 20 years ago. When I was a boy I heard that he would come back and make us a force again… sadly that has never happened! Due to this we have had a merry go round of managers. Can I see the glory days coming back with Craig Brown and Archie Knox though? Sadly no, they’re too defensive and their management-style, despite bringing stability, is a little dated. We do at least now have a defence to proud of, but a few injuries could prove fatal in our top six ambitions. We need to pushing for the top six every season, especially with plans to move to our new stadium. A lot of stick has been given to Willie Miller, Stewart Milne, and the rest of the board, but I’m conscious that Milne and Miller have seen us through some very sore times. Milne – as well as buying a new hair piece – has at last put his hand in his pocket and put together a budget to bring in Stephen Hughes, Rory Fallon, Chris Clark, and Daniel Uchechi.
Russell Anderson. Delighted to be back...until Steve Paterson got in touch and suggested a night out for old times' sake.I really hope our Captain Braveheart Russell Anderson gets back to full fitness. Some fans were well p*ssed when he b*ggered off to England, but I can’t blame players for taking that leap. If you were offered promotion at your job and more money… surely you’d be the first to take it. One player that I am glad to see the back of is Richard Foster. I think he’s garbage, and he also defected to Rangers. However the day he took a little bit of stick and then turned on the fans was criminal. Unlike most jobs we do pay your wages matey! We do have some talent coming through, with Paton, Fyvie, and others are showing good promise.
Gothenburg. The place of Aberdeen fans' footballing dreams...and of their beer price nightmares.We are on the up, and looking down at Dunfermline and Hibs. Can we earn a top six finish? I do hope so. However, as Aberdeen fans we have to be realistic…and remember that at least this season we’re not in a relegation dog fight. The top six may be a struggle though, given the form that Dundee Utd are currently showing. I feel that next season we can push for Europe and become the Dandy Dons once again though. Here’s hoping!
One, two, three… “The Northern lights of Old Aberdeen, sweet home, sweet home to me”.
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Peter Wood has been a football fan since he was a wee boy kicking around a ball in his hometown of Kincorth. At 33, he’s sadly not old enough to have witnessed the glory Gothenburg, but is old enough to remember the time that the Dons under Alex Smith lost the league to Rangers by one point. Favourite memories include seeing the likes of Jess, Snelders, Gilhaus, and Russell Anderson strut their stuff. Less pleasant memories include the Million Pound Drop that was Paul Bernard, and Ebbe Skovdahl’s corner-tactics that resembled seagulls huddled round a discarded fish supper.
His first game attended was a charity match between the men of Kincorth Amateurs and the women from Kincorth community centre, with his mum playing. Peter used to go and see Aberdeen at Pittodrie, but finances now dictate otherwise.
Peter Wood has been a football fan since he was a wee boy kicking around a ball in his hometown of Kincorth. At 33, he’s sadly not old enough to have witnessed the glory Gothenburg, but is old enough to remember the time that the Dons under Alex Smith lost the league to Rangers by one point. Favourite memories include seeing the likes of Jess, Snelders, Gilhaus, and Russell Anderson strut their stuff. Less pleasant memories include the Million Pound Drop that was Paul Bernard, and Ebbe Skovdahl’s corner-tactics that resembled seagulls huddled round a discarded fish supper.