Happy Gothenburg Day Everyone

GOTHENBURG, 1983: the time and the place, like the memories they evoke, are etched on the consciousness of a city, written through its recent history as though they were the message on a stick of granite rock.
Aberdeen, a band of upstarts from the north-east of Scotland, had come, seen and conquered no lesser a name than the incomparable Real Madrid in the final of the European Cup-Winners' Cup. Had anyone been fool enough
to sleep through the drama, they wouldn't dare to have dreamt it.

The surviving images, resistant to the rub of time, are an indelible tribute to what was a momentous triumph. John Hewitt's extra-time winner, Alex Ferguson's stumble and fall as the coaching staff burst from the dugout, and Willie Miller's pose with the cup, an emperor before his people. All have run through the years like the ink from a
tear-stained postcard.

They won't forget that night in Sweden, when the Gods smiled down on 13,000 Aberdonians, and grown men cried in the rain. Not this week the 26th anniversary of an achievement they will never repeat. While details are blurred by the years, the most memorable moments have new definition.

The world has changed since May 11, 1983, when 12 home-grown players and a shipyard worker's son from Govan had the audacity to mess with the cognoscenti. Aberdeen are a shadow of their former selves, the Cup-Winners' Cup is defunct and Ferguson has long since departed the Scottish scene, knighted for his services to football, a behemoth to rank alongside the legends of Busby, Shankly and Stein.

Leighton, Rougvie, McMaster, Cooper, McLeish, Miller, Strachan, Simpson, McGhee, Black, Weir and Hewitt. Their contact may be limited now, but in those days they were friends, their relationship strengthened by a shared adventure. Their other victims in 1983 were Sion, Dinamo Tirane, Lech Poznan, Bayern Munich and Waterschei.

The team left no-one in any doubt as to the extent of their abilities. In a thrilling demonstration of guts and guile, they set about their opponents from the start, Eric Black striking the bar with a portentous volley in the opening exchanges before putting Aberdeen ahead in the 18th minute.

Although Juanito equalised from the spot 10 minutes later, Alex McLeish's short passback having forced Jim Leighton into a foul, the advancement of Peter Weir into a more dangerous position subjected Real to an uneasy second half. Their survival into extra time was merely delaying the inevitable.

Substitute John Hewitt's header, a bent-kneed collapse at the ball, was followed by the most helpless of celebrations, drenched as he was by rain, sweat and tears. When Real were awarded a free-kick in injury
time, reserve goalkeeper Bryan Gunn, sitting next to Ferguson in the dugout, sunk to his knees and said: "Dear God, please let them miss it." Which, of course, they did.

After the unthinkable euphoria of the final whistle, the trophy presentation and the parade of honour, the players retired to the dressing-room. While the team were living it up in one section of the changing area, there was another room for the staff, where Ferguson was joined by backroom colleagues and club directors, including chairman Dick Donald.

"I will always remember what it was like. When Dick came down, it was almost eerie, everything was so quiet. He was crying. He hugged me, and he was not the type of person to be demonstrative like that. He was the old school.
He would usually just come up to me and say, 'well done Mr Ferguson, your Boys were good'. But he loved that club. That night ... it was his greatest moment."

There are those who insist that the quarter-final defeat of Bayern Munich was a greater achievement. After a scoreless first leg in Germany, Aberdeen found themselves 2-1 down with half an hour left. Ferguson controversially replaced Neil Simpson with Hewitt and Stuart Kennedy with John McMaster, a gamble that turned out to be a mast

1.you support Celtic.


2.you've never seen Albion Rovers play.


3.you lie that you've seen Albion Rovers play.


4.you danced to Rupert the Bear in Garfield's.


5.you had your first pint in the Mint, then got stuck in the revolving
doors.


6.you played crazy putting in Dunbeth Park and later twisted you ankle on
the trampolines 7.you stole some swan's eggs in Drumpellier Park; I saw you
ya bass.


8.you know someone who has worked in Lamberton's.


9.you know someone who worked in the Time Capsule, then wanted to end it
all.


10.you sat naked with all the old farts in the Turkish steam room;
Coatbridge Baths.


11.you've snogged in 30 somethings.


12.you threw a trolley in the canal, from Asda's of course.


13.you went to a wedding in the Dunbeth suites; you must be old

14.you tried some course at Coatbridge College.


15.your not happy that Hue and Cry are from Coatbridge; only joking.


16.you tell everyone you're originally from Donegal and are surprised it's
not in Canada.


17.you would like to be Irish.


18.you hate it when your girlfriend thinks the Rangers' players are sexy.


19.you wonder which street the council will knock down next; not many left.


20.you've been to summerlee heritage park.


21.you remember 'it's a knock out' coming to Coatbridge outdoor centre.


22.you bought your dad Karate aftershave in Every Women Wants.


23.you smashed a window in Gartsherie Academy.


24.you're proud of Lee's macaroon bars.


25.you're proud that Tannoy speakers are in Coabridge.


26.you wonder if anyone does any shopping next to the Shark's mouth.


27.you think they should move the Whitelaw's fountain again; why not it's
only taxpayers money.


28.you can't believe it's so difficult to get to Coatbridge police station.


29.you miss the old cinema; snooker's boring.


30.you wonder if Coatbridge High School will get any smaller; lack of Huns
in the town:-)

31.you got a knock back from La club de France.


32.you've never been to Airdrie.


33.you're proud that Fran and Anna, Alan Frew, James Stirling, Janet
Hamilton, Thomas McAleese, Dean Ford and the Gaylords, Mark Millar comic
man, Des Dillon, Bob Cramsey ( Brain of Britain), are associated with the
brig; or maybe you're not.


34.you nearly killed yourself at the swing park in Dunbeth park.


35.you remember the speedway at cliftonhill.


36.you're a Catholic twice a year;funerals and weddings

37. you have spent
most of your childhood avoiding walking on dog @#$%& and broken glass.


38. you thought going to the Airdrie Market was an exciting day out!


39. you went to Universe on Thursday night for Ladies night.


40. you spent warm summers down the daisy park avoiding falling in the
canal, after downing several 50p Vodkas at the universe ladies night!


41. you had a membership to the gym at the Time Capsule.


42. you went to the quiz night at the Mint.


43. you went to Dunbeth park for the fireworks.


44. you started going to Odins when Garfields closed. down

45. you know how to snog somebody and eat a kebab.... at the same time.


46. you went home in an asda trolly to save money on a taxi (if ye were fae
toonheed).


47. you got done-in outside garfields by some eejit from Tokyo Joes

48. you wish they'd bring back the rainbow cafe, the co-up, the record store and
the galleria. Oh, and the wimpey across from asda...


49. you can't believe Chris Iwelumo was born in Coatbridge. However, if he
supports Celtic he probably tried to miss that sitter.


50. you wonder where the red bridge actually is. Can't be a chip shop,
disco, pub...


51. you shed a tear when they knocked down Coatbridge Baths.

"I hate Rangers more than England"

http://www.zshare.net/audio/12720480...