1981–82 Aberdeen F.C. season

Aberdeen
1981–82 season
ChairmanDick Donald
ManagerAlex Ferguson
Scottish Premier Division2nd place
Scottish CupWinners
Scottish League CupSemi-final
UEFA Cup3rd round
Top goalscorerLeague: John Hewitt (11)
All: Gordon Strachan (20)
Highest home attendance24,000 (3 times) vs. Ipswich Town, 30 September 1981
vs. SV Hamburg, 25 November 1981
vs. Celtic, 13 February 1982
Lowest home attendance6,000 (vs Partick Thistle, 3 May 1982)
Average home league attendance12,883

Aberdeen competed in the Scottish Premier Division, Scottish Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup in season 1981–82.

They finished second in the Scottish Premier Division and won the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1970. In Europe, they reached the third round of the UEFA Cup, their longest run in European competition, after knocking out the holders, Ipswich Town.

Peter Weir became the most expensive player in Scottish football when he was signed from St Mirren for £300,000.

Results

Scottish Premier Division

Match Day Date Opponent H/A Score Aberdeen Scorer(s) Attendance
1. 29 August Dundee United A 1–4 McLeish 10,598
2. 5 September Celtic H 1–3 Strachan 18,825
3. 12 September Partick Thistle A 2–0 McCall, Cowan 3,606
4. 19 September Hibernian H 1–0 Simpson 10,852
5. 26 September Airdrieonians A 4–0 McLeish, Hewitt, Weir (2) 3,000
6. 3 October Morton H 2–0 Rougvie, Watson 11,007
7. 10 October Rangers A 0–0 28,000
8. 17 October St Mirren A 2–1 Watson (2) 6,870
9. 24 October Dundee H 2–1 Rougvie, McCall 11,506
10. 31 October Dundee United H 1–1 Black 11,035
11. 7 November Celtic A 1–2 Strachan 29,326
12. 14 November Partick Thistle H 2–1 Watson, Harrow 11,193
13. 21 November Hibernian A 1–1 Simpson 7,600
14. 28 November Airdrieonians H 0–0 8,030
15. 5 December Morton A 1–2 Hewitt 3,102
16. 30 January Celtic H 1–3 McMaster 20,000
17. 3 February Partick Thistle A 0–0 2,317
18. 6 February Morton H 0–0 7,217
19. 20 February Airdrieonians A 3–0 Hewitt, McGhee (2) 3,500
20. 27 February Dundee H 0–0 8,961
21. 10 March Hibernian H 3–1 Strachan, Cooper, Jarvie 8,691
22. 13 March Rangers A 3–1 Cooper, Cowan, Watson 31,305
23. 17 March Dundee A 3–0 Cowan, Simpson, Hewitt 6,126
24. 20 March Dundee United H 2–1 Hewitt, McLeish 12,056
25. 27 March Celtic A 1–0 Kennedy 30,000
26. 10 April Hibernian A 3–0 Strachan, McGhee, Jarvie 8,000
27. 14 April St Mirren H 4–1 Rougvie (2), Strachan, Simpson 12,119
28. 17 April Morton A 1–2 McGhee 3,000
29. 21 April Rangers H 3–1 McGhee, Rougvie, Black 15,700
30. 24 April Airdrieonians H 2–0 McGhee, Black 8,000
31. 1 May Dundee A 5–0 McLeish, Harrow, Bell, McCall, Glennie 6,415
32. 3 May Partick Thistle H 3–1 McCall, Hewitt, Watson 6,000
33. 5 May Dundee United A 2–1 Hewitt (2) 6,587
34. 7 May St Mirren H 5–1 Strachan (2), Cooper, McGhee (2) 9,000
35. 12 May St Mirren A 2–0 Rougvie, McLeish 3,942
36. 15 May Rangers H 4–0 Hewitt (3), Jackson 18,000

Final standings

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Celtic (C) 36 24 7 5 79 33 +46 55 Qualification for the European Cup first round
2 Aberdeen 36 23 7 6 71 29 +42 53 Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round
3 Rangers 36 16 11 9 57 45 +12 43 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
4 Dundee United 36 15 10 11 61 38 +23 40
5 St Mirren 36 14 9 13 49 52 −3 37
Source: Statto
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions

Scottish League Cup

Group stage

Round Date Opponent H/A Score Aberdeen Scorer(s) Attendance
G3 8 August Kilmarnock H 3–0 Kennedy, McGhee (2) 9,000
G3 12 August Heart of Midlothian A 0–1 10,500
G3 15 August Airdrieonians H 3–0 Strachan, Hewitt, Weir 7,000
G3 19 August Heart of Midlothian H 3–0 Strachan, Hewitt, Bell 8,600
G3 22 August Kilmarnock A 3–0 Strachan (2), McGhee 3,100
G3 26 August Airdrieonians A 0–0 3,000

Group 3 final table

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Aberdeen 6 4 1 1 12 1 +11 9
Kilmarnock 6 2 2 2 5 8 −3 6
Heart of Midlothian 6 2 1 3 5 9 −4 5
Airdrieonians 6 1 2 3 4 8 −4 4
Source: [citation needed]

Knockout stage

Round Date Opponent H/A Score Aberdeen Scorer(s) Attendance
QF L1 2 September Berwick Rangers H 5–0 Cooper, Strachan (2), Bell, McCall 6,500
QF L2 23 September Berwick Rangers A 3–0 McGhee, McMaster, Harrow 1,200
SF L1 10 October Dundee United A 1–0 Weir 13,100
SF L2 28 October Dundee United H 0–3 12,837

Scottish Cup

Round Date Opponent H/A Score Aberdeen Scorer(s) Attendance
R3 23 January Motherwell A 1–0 Hewitt 12,679
R4 13 February Celtic H 1–0 Hewitt 24,000
QF 6 March Kilmarnock H 4–2 Strachan (2), McGhee, Simpson 12,000
SF 3 April St Mirren N 1–1 Strachan 16,782
SF R 7 April St Mirren N 3–2 McGhee, Simpson, Weir 15,663
F 22 May Rangers N 4–1 Strachan, McGhee, McLeish, Cooper 53,788

UEFA Cup

Round Date Opponent H/A Score Aberdeen Scorer(s) Attendance
R1 L1 16 September England Ipswich Town A 1–1 Hewitt 18,535
R1 L2 30 September England Ipswich Town H 3–1 Strachan, Weir (2) 24,000
R2 L1 21 October Romania FC Argeş Piteşti H 3–0 Strachan, Weir, Hewitt 22,000
R2 L2 4 November Romania FC Argeş Piteşti A 2–2 Strachan, Hewitt 8,760
QF L1 25 November West Germany SV Hamburg H 3–2 Watson, Black, Hewitt 24,000
QF L2 9 December West Germany SV Hamburg A 1–3 McGhee 45,000

Squad

Appearances & Goals

No. Pos Nat Player Total Premier Division Scottish Cup League Cup Europe
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Scotland SCO Jim Leighton 58 0 36 0 6 0 10 0 6 0
DF Scotland SCO Andy Harrow 11 3 6 2 0 0 5 1 0 0
DF Scotland SCO Stuart Kennedy 54 2 34 1 5 0 9 1 6 0
DF Scotland SCO Alex McLeish 50 6 32 5 6 1 8 0 4 0
DF Scotland SCO Willie Miller (c) 58 0 36 0 6 0 10 0 6 0
DF Scotland SCO Brian Mitchell 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DF Scotland SCO Doug Rougvie 43 0 28 0 5 0 5 0 5 0
MF Scotland SCO Ian Angus 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
MF Scotland SCO Dougie Bell 27 3 13 1 4 0 8 2 2 0
MF Scotland SCO Neale Cooper 46 5 27 3 5 1 8 1 6 0
MF Scotland SCO Steve Cowan 14 3 13 3 1 0 0 0 0 0
MF Scotland SCO Derek Hamilton 3 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
MF Scotland SCO John McMaster 48 2 31 1 5 0 8 1 4 0
MF Scotland SCO Neil Simpson 42 6 29 4 5 2 3 0 5 0
MF Scotland SCO Gordon Strachan 50 20 30 7 6 4 8 6 6 3
MF Scotland SCO Andy Watson 45 7 30 6 3 0 6 0 6 1
MF Scotland SCO Peter Weir 42 8 25 2 3 1 10 2 4 3
FW Scotland SCO Eric Black 17 4 13 3 2 0 0 0 2 1
FW Scotland SCO John Hewitt 45 19 25 11 6 2 8 2 6 4
FW Scotland SCO Drew Jarvie 16 2 10 2 1 0 5 0 0 0
FW Scotland SCO Walker McCall 14 5 8 4 0 0 4 1 2 0
FW Scotland SCO Mark McGhee 53 16 31 8 6 3 10 4 6 1

References

  • Kevin Stirling. Aberdeen A Centenary History 1903-2003. Desert Island Books 2002. ISBN 1-874287-49-X.