OK, I admit it – I’m an Aberdeen supporter. (Personally, I blame my husband, although I suppose it’s not entirely his fault.) Accordingly, I have spent many miserable hours (and a few happy, but too brief, minutes) at Pittodrie Stadium - I’ve never heard it called Pittodrie Park anywhere except here on Dooyoo! So here, for what it’s worth, is my feeble attempt at a review on the subject...

~Ground~

Pittodrie, which has a capacity of approximately 22,000, became in 1978 the first all-seater, all-covered football stadium in Britain. It was also the first sporting venue in the world to have a dug-out. There has been much discussion in recent years about the possibility of a new stadium being built, however at present this idea seems to have been shelved.

The stadium is situated on Pittodrie Street near Aberdeen beach. Low-flying seagulls are frequently in evidence during matches. It’s also usually pretty cold, due to that “bracing” North Sea breeze. The ground is easy enough to get to by car, public transport or on foot from Aberdeen city centre. Parking is limited and the surrounding streets usually get clogged up quickly, however finding a space is not usually a problem as long as you’re prepared for a short walk.

Seating is available in the Richard Donald Stand, the Main Stand, the South Stand (part of this is for away supporters, and Celtic and Rangers fans always get a bigger seat allocation than others) and the Merkland Family Stand (this is the one we sit in. It’s supposed to be family-friendly, i.e. no swearing etc, although this isn’t always the case...) Ticket prices vary according to seat location and opposition (Old Firm games are always more expensive), but generally start from £15 (less for concessions). Season ticket prices start from £230 for an adult ticket.

There is a club shop which sells a variety of merchandise… shirts, hats, scarves, mugs, small red teddy bears with Aberdeen badges on them, etc etc… you get the picture.

~The Match-Day Experience~

Although the stadium can hold over 22,000 fans the usual turnout is more like 13,000 (more for Old Firm games). There are many delightful experiences to be had from attending a match at Pittodrie. There are pies, which I personally would not touch with a bargepole, although I believe nobody has, as yet, died as a result of eating one. There is a half-time draw, which we have never won, although my husband has been faithfully buying a ticket since the dawn of time. (The actual draw is usually made by some world-famous celebrity, usually an ex-Aberdeen player, although on one particularly memorable occasion it was a children’s TV presenter.)

There is Angus the Bull, the club mascot, who prances around before kick-off and at half-time to “entertain” the crowd. There are cheerleaders, “Redz & Co” who prance around at half-time to a selection of strangely chosen music. There are toilets, about which the less said the better. (Actually they’re not that bad, though basic.) There is the opportunity to purchase an expensive programme. There is the opportunity to sing rude songs about the opposition (admittedly not much of this goes on in the family stand).

Oh, and there’s football to watch as well.

~Club~

Aberdeen FC, nicknamed “The Dons”, was founded in 1903. Like other teams with successful pasts and not-so-successful presents, Aberdeen fans love to hark back to the club’s glory days – in this case, the 1980s. Aberdeen does have a successful history, being the only Scottish team to have won more than one European trophy. The arrival of manager Alex Ferguson in 1978 from St. Mirren was a key moment, and from 1978 to 1986 the Dons won three league championships, four Scottish Cups, one League Cup, the European Cup Winner's Cup in 1983 (defeating Real Madrid in the final) and the European Super Cup. During those years, the Dons and Dundee United broke the traditional dominance of the Old Firm (Celtic and Rangers) in Scotland, and the two clubs became known as the New Firm. Sadly, recent years have been rather less successful although the club did manage to finish 4th in the league last year, missing out on a European slot only on goal difference. This season has so far been erratic however, with a few highs (beating Rangers for the first time in seven years) and a number of lows (where would you like me to start?).

Management team Jimmy Calderwood and Jimmy Nicholl (the “two Jimmies”) arrived from Dunfermline last season following the departure of previous manager Steve Paterson. The rotund figure of Calderwood can be quite entertaining to watch during matches as he hops about in increasing agitation on the sidelines. Jimmy C denies an addiction to sunbeds, claiming he is naturally orange... hmm. He was memorably dubbed a “fat Judas Tango man” by disgruntled Dunfermline supporters following his departure.

Unlike certain other clubs Aberdeen does have a fairly high percentage of Scottish players, some of them – including club captain Russell Anderson, first-choice goalkeeper Ryan Esson and last season’s top scorer Darren Mackie – even hailing from the local area. Other players of note include recent signing Jamie Smith, Scott Severin and Kevin McNaughton, however most have disappointed so far this season.

Club legends include, among others, Joe Harper, Steve Archibald, Charlie Nicholas, Willie Miller (presently Director of Football at the club), veteran goalkeeper Jim Leighton (now goalkeeping coach), Alex McLeish (now beleaguered Rangers manager) and Gordon Strachan (now ginger Celtic manager).

~Fans~

Aberdeen has a healthy fan base, partly due to the fact that unlike Dundee, for instance, it is a one-club city. There is also a large contingent who travel to away games. Although as with any club there are a few idiots who like to cause trouble, there is rarely a bad atmosphere at games... except when Rangers are playing. Animosity between the two clubs runs deeply, for reasons which are not really worth going into. While there is not usually trouble at these games, there is invariably a significant police presence and on one occasion in 2002, riot police had to be called in and the game halted when uproar erupted after Aberdeen player Robbie Winters was struck by coins thrown by Rangers supporters while he was trying to take a corner.

Aberdeen fans do have a certain humour and resilience, probably born out of necessity! On the wrong end of a 5-0 thrashing some years ago, fans set up a chorus of “6-5, we’re gonna win 6-5”. (Needless to say we didn’t.) Jeers (usually from Rangers supporters it must be said, clearly a witty lot) of “You’re only sheep-shagging b*****ds” are often countered with, “We’re only sheep-shagging b******ds….” (Inflatable sheep have been known to be brandished in both the home and away sections, although as one Dons fan commented, “It’s the ones who bring in the real sheep who you have to worry about”.)

Fans do have a lot of loyalty even to some ex-players – witness for instance the tributes paid to ex-Don Hicham Zerouali, recently killed in a car crash in his native Morocco. I also always remember one occasion when popular ex-Aberdeen player Eugene Dadi, who was known to have recently suffered a personal tragedy, returned to Pittodrie as a Livingston player and received a standing ovation from the Aberdeen fans. It was a genuinely touching moment which I think was appreciated by the player.

~Trivia~

- Goalkeeper Mark De Clerk scored on his debut versus Berwick Rangers.
- With no substitute goalkeeper on the bench, striker Robbie Winters had to play in goal for almost 90 minutes in the 2000 Scottish Cup Final (against Rangers, who else?) after goalkeeper Jim Leighton was stretchered off in the second minute following a collision with Rangers’ Rod Wallace. (Rangers won 4-0)
- “Pittodrie” is apparently Gaelic for “dung-heap”. Some fans and non-fans may find this strangely appropriate to some of the performances we have witnessed there in recent years