Football often thrives on nostalgia, even as it looks towards the future.
Most supporters can dispel their previous disappointments whenever a new year beckons and dare to dream that, from this moment on, things will be different.
Normally, such positivity tends to last about as long as a bottle of whisky on Hogmanay, but fans cling on to precious memories of festive fixtures – or at least that was what I discovered when I asked a few Dons aficionados for their recollections of past winters and matches contested in frozen conditions at Pittodrie.
Winter matches at Pittodrie
Some revelled in hard-fought victories over Dundee rivals on frosty December and January days; others recalled how even dreich scoreless draws could be enlivened by excitement over new signings or looking ahead to singing Auld Lang Syne with relish.
Chris Gavin, a stalwart member of the Aberdeen FC Heritage Trust in recent years, was among those who offered some evocative reminiscences of these seasonal tussles.
He said: “The traditional derby match against Dundee, especially at Pittodrie, has always been one of my favourite fixtures, partly because some of my formative years were spent in Dundee, which obviously added an edge to the sense of rivalry.
“One of the most memorable of these was played on January 1 1971 in front of a 24,000 crowd, including a fair few Dundee fans who had, like me, made the trip straight from the all-night Hogmanay celebrations in Juteopolis.
“The Dons were in quite devastating form that day against a very decent Dundee side and a rare Tommy McMillan goal put them ahead early on.
‘We’ll show ye the road and the miles tae Dundee’
“It was a great game to stand and watch from the Beach End, with the crowd in high spirits and clearly loving the football. Steve Murray and Arthur Graham added the other goals, but the highlight which has stuck in my mind for so long is when a small dog invaded the pitch and chased around after the players.
“I think Davie Robb helped retrieve it, so that the game could continue.
“The other big moment was when the Dundee supporters were starting to leave early, and the home fans sang: ‘We’ll show ye the road and the miles tae Dundee’. Proper derby banter.”
Jock Gardiner is another keen-as-mustard Dons lover and heritage hunter who has been at the forefront of the AFC Heritage Trust’s activities, which have so far amassed a fascinating collection of memorabilia, dating back to before the club was even founded in 1903.
He told me: “The New Year game I remember the best was on January 2 in 1990 against Dundee at Pittodrie.
“It was a cracking match which we won 5-2 with Willem van der Ark scoring a brace of goals, one of which was an absolute belter at the Beach End.
“The supporters were in terrific voice that day as well – these festive occasions tended to have a really good atmosphere and sense of fun.”
Stewart Eaton has worked with Jock on a number of initiatives and this beetle-browed pair have been instrumental in developing a treasure trove of artefacts, ranging from old match programmes and tickets to items, such as vintage football boots.
They have cherished watching some of the sport’s great figures in the Granite City and were excited by news of a certain champagne personality signing on the dotted line with the Dons. Indeed, the anticipation among the supporters glossed over the lack of goals.
Dundee United v Aberdeen
As Stewart explained: “The New Year game I remember the best is the match prior to Charlie Nicholas signing for Aberdeen.
“It was against Dundee United at Pittodrie on January 2 in 1988. And although it eventually finished 0-0, I can still remember the buzz around the ground that day, with all the talk of Charlie coming to our club.”
Dave Macdermid has seen almost everything while being involved with Aberdeen. And he recalled at least one day when winter’s worst brought a halt to proceedings.
Abandoned festive match
He said: “One of the more bizarre games in the festive period came in 1984 when the Dons match with St Johnstone at Pittodrie was abandoned at half-time.
“The Dons were in fine form as they looked to stretch their lead at the top of the league and the Perth club had no answer to the bombardment during the first period.
“The highlight was a superb volley from Eric Black as they strolled into a 3-0 lead.
“The only respite for the visitors was when the weather intervened and a severe blizzard swept across the north-east, causing havoc which cut the power supply, not just at the ground, but throughout the city.
“Pittodrie was shrouded in darkness as the large crowd were told the game had to be abandoned. There were surreal surroundings as the area was covered in snow and in total darkness, but this caused no real concern as the crowd left the stadium.
“However, many them realised they were not going to get home that night.
“Northsound Radio, which had only started three years earlier, came into its own when appeals were delivered over the airwaves to help find accommodation for stranded fans in the city.
“While it was tough on the supporters, it was the same for young Eric, whose superb goal became one that never was.”
… But it’s a cracking quiz question if you are celebrating this weekend.
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