Dignity Required (Aberdeen F.C.)

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Product:	Aberdeen F.C.
Date:	08/08/01 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: talented youngsters, recent improvement in form, new stadium planned

Disadvantages: glory days long gone, lack of spending power, can no longer attract big names

What's happened to Aberdeen? The once mighty Scottish club have fallen to new depths over the past couple of years as Danish manager Ebbe Skovdal battles to turn things around at the Pittodrie club. But despite plans to move to a new 30,000 seater stadium, it could be too late for the Dons as the European glory days under Alex Ferguson are now long gone.

Aberdeen shot to noteriety in the eighties under the guidance of Ferguson with players like Steve Archibald, Willie Miller and Alex McLeish. Their exploits in Europe would today be unrealistic for any Scottish club and at that time, they looked set to become the biggest power in Scottish football, bigger than both halves of the Old Firm, Rangers and Celtic.

But as the nineties approached, things began to go pear-shaped for Aberdeen. Graeme Souness' Rangers revolution saw the Ibrox side begin to dominate Scottish Football and they pipped the Dons at the death for the Championship on more than one occasion. Second place wasn't good enough for the Dons and manager Alex Smith, despite doing a wonderful job, was sacked.

After the Ferguson era, they expected too much and managers changed fast and furious with Willie Miller, Paul Hegarty and Roy Aitken among the men who failed to keep their job. Aberdeen expected to be winning, an unrealistic ambition, and the lack of stability of the club, coupled with their failure to hang onto star names like Eion Jess and Hans Gillhaus meant they quickly began to struggle.

The arrival of Ebbe Skovdal brought many defeat and a struggle. The Dons have sunk to their lowest ebb and their title of never having being relegated from the top flight of Scottish football was only preserved by the state of Falkirk's Brockville.

They simply don't have the cash to compete at the top, dealing in the bargain basement market and rearing talented youngsters. The kids are good and they'll make an impression one day, but they need tim
e to gel and it's going to be a long road back to the top for Aberdeen.

With Rangers and Celtic running away with things, Aberdeen will never be the force they once were but they will still be determined to restore some dignity to the once proud club.

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