Huntly will face Banks o’ Dee in the Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup final at Harlaw Park in Inverurie this Sunday more than 130 years since the first final was played.
The competition has been running since 1887 with Aberdeen FC – who later went on to merge with Victoria United and Orion to form Aberdeen Football Club in 1903 – the first winners of the competition.
There have been 15 different winners of the trophy with Aberdeen the most successful club with 35 victories followed by Peterhead with 20 wins.
How did it all start?
The edition of the Aberdeen Journal, dated August 29 1887, carried a report from a meeting of the Aberdeenshire Football Association confirming a tournament would be introduced for members in the coming season with the first round taking place on December 12. A cup to be awarded to the eventual victors was presented by honorary president Dr F. Maitland-Moir.
Aberdeen FC defeated Aberdeen Rangers in the first final of the competition. The Aberdeen Journal carried a lengthy report on the match, which even included the formations of both teams.
The final was played at the Chanonry Grounds in Old Aberdeen in front of a crowd of “not much less than 1,000” despite the rainy conditions.
Aberdeen, wearing white, lived up to their billing as pre-match favourites with a comfortable 7-1 victory.
The report stated that “the contest was carried on amidst the alternate shouts, hootings and jeerings of the crowd, the Rangers evidently having a large number of sympathisers among the more youthful of the spectators.”
When Rangers scored a consolation to make the score 6-1 late on, the goal was met by “quite an excess of enthusiasm”, according to the reporter.
The game appeared to end on a controversial note with the final paragraph of the report stating that a protest was due to be lodged against the result “on the grounds that the goal posts were six inches too high.”
The early Aberdeenshire Cup finals attracted good crowds. Around 4,500 people were at Victoria Bridge Grounds to watch Orion defeat Aberdeen 5-0 in the 1895 final with 3,991 paying for admission, while Victoria United members were allowed in free of charge. The total drawings amounted to £105 3s 3d.
Aberdeen University’s only success in the competition came in 1921. A replay was required after the students drew 2-2 with Peterhead at Pittodrie in front of a crowd of 7,500.
Around 8,000 spectators attended the replay – drawing a record gate receipt of £195 – with the university winning 3-1 against the Blue Toon.
A star-studded line-up as Dons make a triumphant return
Following Aberdeen University’s win in 1921, Aberdeen went on to win the next 13 finals before taking a break from the competition following their 1934 victory.
They returned to the competition in 1981 “mainly as a way of helping Willie Miller complete a suspension” according to a report in the Press and Journal.
On their return, Aberdeen made it to the final where they were due to face Buckie Thistle.
There was “a long and heated argument” over the date of the cup final with Aberdeen keen to play the match on Monday, April 13. Buckie were opposed to the date and wanted the match played at a weekend as had been tradition.
Jags secretary George Jappy said: “Many of our fans are fishermen and will be back at sea by Monday night. It’s not very fair.”
The final was eventually played on Wednesday, April 30.
Rather than use the competition to give youth or fringe players game time, Dons manager Alex Ferguson opted to field his first team squad in the final against Buckie Thistle.
Willie Miller, who was away on international duty with Scotland in a World Cup qualifier against Israel only two days before the final, played the whole match against Buckie.
The Aberdeen starting line-up included Jim Leighton, Stuart Kennedy, Drew Jarvie, Willie Garner, Neil Simpson, Doug Rougvie, Mark McGhee, Joe Harper and Ian Scanlon.
Before the match Buckie manager Allan White said he was “absolutely delighted” that Ferguson had opted to name his first team as it gave the final “enhanced credibility” even though it would take “a little miracle” for his side to win the match.
But an upset was on the cards as Buckie were 1-0 up at half-time in the final, played in front of 5,000 spectators at Pittodrie.
Second half goals from McGhee (2), Andy Watson, Ian Scanlon and Andy Harrow earned the Dons a 5-1 victory.
In more recent times, Fraserburgh have enjoyed the most success in the tournament, winning six of the past 12 finals.
Inverurie Locos defeated Buckie on penalties in last season’s final but it will be Huntly and Banks o’ Dee who go head to head for the top prize this Sunday.
Huntly have won the tournament on seven occasions, most recently in the 1999-2000 season when they beat Deveronvale 2-0.
Dee’s only success to date came in 2021 when they beat Formartine United 4-1 in the final.
Some of the winning teams
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