Neil Simpson

After years of campaigning and putting pressure on the club, Aberdeen fans will finally be given the chance to say ‘thanks’ to Neil Simpson in tonight’s benefit game in his honour. And quite right, too. Manchester United have been roped in as opponents and it seems like a fair crowd is expected, so what’s not to like?

Neil Simpson is an Aberdeen legend.

It’s not just the fact that he scored against both Bayern Munich and Waterschei during the transcendental European Cup Winners’ Cup of 1983 (in the quarter final and semi final, respectively), or against Hamburg in the final of the European Super Cup, as well - although these facts alone would see most players obtain legendary status. And it’s not just the fact that he put in an astonishing performance against Real Madrid in the final of the ECWC, running himself into the ground – although the very fact that he was part of this winning team to begin with accords him the status of legend straight off, neverminding the selfless heroism of his exertions throughout the match itself.

He also grew up locally, which helps, and was impeccably loyal - eschewing the chance to move on for more money and “better things” when many others jumped ship and left the club following the traumatic departure of Alex Ferguson - although he did leave eventually (in 1989, I think). He’s back at the club now, though, in a coaching capacity, and may – at a push – be future managerial material. Who knows?

Either way, it makes no odds. As the beating heart of the most successful team in the club’s history, his place as one of the Aberdeen greats is assured - and I hope he makes a killing from tonight’s match.


Edit: the game is sold out, apparently.

 

Neil Simpson to take the kick-off and Aberdeen have Doug Rougvie and Dougie Bell (amongst others) on the bench. Very, very misty at Pittodrie. Could be dodgy.

This link appears to be working.....

 

Aberdeen leading at half time ----- Jonny Hayes 1 - 0

 

Aye, Paul Scholes was fannying about in his own penalty box and Hayes did well to rob him. It's all a bit weird and flat feeling, though, as these sort of matches tend to be.

Very good round of applause for Darren Fletcher as he came on as a substitute (two minutes ago).

 

2 - 0 Aberdeen nae sure fa scored second

 

Shaughnessy, I think.

Beautiful goal from Anderson, though. 2-1.

 

Can't take to much from the game with the mix of players but hopefully it gives the team a confidence boost & gives
some of the younger players like Shaughnessy & paton a chance to get more regular games.

Heard paton had one of his better games, i think with a decent run in the team he could be decent player for us.

 

I know what you mean, there’s not much to be gleaned from such a match. Paton was definitely impressive, however, and I still can’t quite stop myself from feeling confident about the upcoming season. I was properly impressed by some of the passages of play against Ross County and cling to the hope that with a slight change in luck we’ll be off on an unbeaten run that will see us shoot up the table and stay there. If nothing else, I think we’re going to be very, very difficult to beat this season.

A full house tonight. I’m not quite sure what to make of that. At least it shows that the fans are still there, I suppose, and I’m not sure it’s entirely fair to blame them for staying away for so long given the extreme levels of dross that have been served up.

Everything is about to change.....

 

Ross county are on a year long, 36 game unbeaten league run & will take points off quite a few teams this season.
We played well against them except for our finishing.

Heard a rumour up here that Birmingham are about to put Adam Rooney out on loan & Aberdeen could be interested,
not so sure we could afford his wages but am sure if it were to happen it would be an excellant signing & would bring
the stay away fans back.

{Everything is about to change}........Hope your right there.

 

Guten Morgen.

You hope I’m right? Me too, although I seem to remember having said something similar at the beginning of last season and quite probably the season before that. Early season confidence is a disease.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Adam Rooney, by the way (I don’t watch English football), so I can’t really tell if you’re being agreeably sarcastic or playing it dead straight, Rep.

There was maybe someone called Adam Rooney who once played for St Mirren or Inverness, though? If there was - and if it’s the same guy - then I still don’t really know anything about him. God damn it. (Pretty pleased with the signings so far, right enough.)

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Ross County hold (or even beat) Celtic this weekend. I’ll go for 2-1 Ross County, with the weary acknowledgement that celtic might just as easily win 4-0. It would certainly be a shame to see them lose their (v. impressive) unbeaten run, though. I like stuff like that.

 

I think Aberdeen could finish top four this season, definitely top six. Find a goalscorer ...

 

Says the guy who predicted that 13,982 people would go to the Aberdeen V Ross County game and missed the target by a whopping (and shaming) 28.

I'm surprised you've got the nerve to make any predictions at all, to be honest.

Hello.

Well, I predicted that Aberdeen would finish third, APLPS, so I'm more or less bound to agree with you. I thought that Hearts would finish second. But I subsequently had a look at the activity of Hearts in the transfer market (you envy my life, admit it) and it hardly makes for pretty viewing....

Players in: None.

Players out: Craig Beattie, Ian Black, Suso Santana, Adrian Mrowiec, Stephen Elliott, Gary Glen, Jordan Morton, Jason Thomson, Chris Kane, Gary Graham, Rudi Skacel, Marian Kello, David Obua, Aaron Murdoch, Chris Tobin, Ryan Stewart, Colin Hamilton and Matthew Park.

Fair enough, I don't actually recognise some of those names, but that's still a pretty serious trimming of the squad. Maybe Dundee Utd will take second place, I don't know, but Hearts certainly seem to be weaker than they were before.

I'd love to see an out and out goalscorer arrive, no arguments there. We need to unearth a seven-goals-per-season superstar from a club like Torquay. After that, there'll be no holding us back. None.

 

Full house I hear.

Looks like the prophets of doom were corrrect and that the death of Rangers has made everyone fall out of love with the game.

 

Ibrox last home game >38,000
All stadiums in SPL at the weekend <38,000

that includes "sellout saturday" & the biggest Derby in the SPL

 

No Celtic playing, of course.

And enjoy your large crowds while you can. Once the novelty's worn off and you're playing the likes of Elgin and East Stirling in the middle of winter you'll be lucky to get 10,000. 17,000 against Dundee Utd in February was it not?

 

Peterheid

Ian Black in the Scotland squad

Craig Levein and ex huns

This just gets better and better.

Mon the Newco, plucky little Newco. Already overspending in their quest for administartion and subsequent liquidation.

 

It's just AP by the way, the rest refers to ... well it's obvious isn't it?

Anyway, Hearts as you say will be weaker, but they still have a decent first 11. Dundee Utd and Motherwell are the obvious other tips for the top 3, with Utd looking the stronger imo. I think Aberdeen should be up amongst them but too early to say where precisely I think. And to be in the top 4, you'll need to be beating the likes of Ross County at home ffs

 

Why the beel Trev.

Leave the big boys talk to us. You stick with your diddy club in Divvy 3.

 

How did you get on against Ross County in the 2010 Cup Semi-Final Piss Poor?

 

Guten Tag, Dev.

The pundits of doom are entitled to their blood-soaked predictions of terrifying death, of course, but what slightly puzzles me is the fact that some of these pundits actually appear to want this doomsday scenario to unfold; they actually want everything to collapse so that – what? – they can be proved right in their original predictions? Do they really need to be proved right to such an extent that they'll long for the death of a Rangers-free Scottish football?

It depresses me a bit.

I'll get my violin.

Willkommen auf dem offiziellen Internetportal von Der Dandy Dons, Trevor.

Yes, that was a really good crowd, considering. Impressive stuff – and I must admit to being slightly surprised. (I thought the fans would stay away until the less than inspiring Charles Green had been shown the door. Please tell me you don’t trust him, Trevor? Please.)

Whilst Rangers were in the SPL and played a home game, however, I think it would have been possible to say more or less exactly the same thing most weeks - look, our attendance is equal to or bigger than all of the rest combined - so I’m not entirely sure what may be gleaned from this? Apart from the fact, of course, that life carries on in much the same way as before, despite all those prophesies of doom? I think the main objection was being told that Scottish football would “die” without Rangers – a palpable fallacy – whereas most people appeared to realise that it would merely be different, as opposed to being outright dead - and yes, in some ways, diminished.

I’ve seen “sell-out Saturday” (a purely Aberdeen thing, I think, although I could be wrong) being mocked and written-off as a failure. I’m not sure I really get this. I thought it was great. And any attempt to get more fans through the door should surely be welcomed by all fans of Scottish football? Someone, somewhere has to try something. Anything.