I often fear a visit to Aberdeen. Sometimes my fears are justified, more often they are not. Aberdeen’s record against Celtic over the past 35 years or so has not been good. The time was when it was different, however, and when Alex Ferguson and his immediate successors were around, Pittodrie was a place to be feared – and the same went for an Aberdeen trip to Glasgow.
Some of us have clear and vivid memories of that tragic penalty shoot-out in the Scottish Cup final of 1990, and that equally dreadful Scottish Cup final of 1984 when Roy Aitken was sent off (interesting incidentally, is it not, that the three man participants in that incident – Roy himself, Mark McGhee and Gordon Strachan all subsequently changed sides!), but we are pulled up with a start when we realise that we are here talking about almost 32 and 38 years ago!
Even I was young (well, youngish!), when that happened!
Things have changed. Aberdeen’s decline has been very marked particularly this century when they have won absolutely nothing, albeit coming close to Celtic on many occasions under Derek McInnes when there were no Rangers. Their supporters, not in truth the worst bunch of people I have ever come across in Scottish football, moan and complain about players and managers with “no’ comin back” a frequent refrain (and empty red seats can testify that this is no idle threat), but little seems to improve.
One day perhaps, they will get a new stadium…and one day they may get back among the honours… but then again one day pigs may fly.
But therein lies the danger. They are wounded. If they were a ship they would be holed below the water line… but they may still have enough power to inflict some damage. They are grimly determined, their greetin-faced supporters, boosted by a performance against (the)Rangers which should have earned them a victory, will be there looking for something else to cheer them up, it will be as cold in the north east as it usually is (a good few degrees worse than anywhere else), their luck generally has to change some time, and they will have Scott Brown.
But apart from that, Celtic should win. We have of late seen some superb football played by the Bhoys in green with some excellent and exciting players strutting their stuff. On a rational basis, Celtic should win hands down…but when was there ever anything “rational” about a football match?
Willie Maley once said that only a fool would predict the result of a football match. But YOU WOULD THINK that Celtic would win, wouldn’t you? Oh, and let’s hope that Shaun Maloney’s merry men put up a better show than their city rivals did in that miserable second half cave-in on Sunday!
But the main thing is that Celtic win! You must, Celtic!
David Potter
Photos from Celtic’s win at Pittodrie on our last visit back in October when goals from Kyogo and Jota were enough to win Celtic the three points with a 2-1 win.