Gordon Reid: Tributes paid to Dons artist and cartoonist loved by Gothenburg Greats

Press and Journal

2 days ago

Sometimes, it was two old Dons supporters standing in a bar, chewing the fat like Jack and Victor from Still Game.
On other occasions, it was a striking artwork of a sheep on fire or a postcard full of praise for the Aberdeen players who took Europe by storm in the 1980s.
Thanks to his many different drawings and cartoons, Gordon Reid, who died on Monday at the age of 76, was part of the cultural link between the Pittodrie club and its legions of fans.
One of the Gothenburg Greats, Neil Simpson, has paid tribute to Gordon, describing him as being both 'ahead of his time' and a 'wonderful human being'.
And club representatives have spoken about how he could make people laugh, even in tough times, and turn his hand to almost anything around the city he loved.
Chris Gavin, of Aberdeen FC Heritage Trust, was constantly amazed at his colleague's prodigious output and the effort he devoted to a unique Pittodrie project.
He said: 'Gordon was an early contributor to Aberdeen's first football fanzine The Northern Light and his cartoons went down well with supporters.
'He had a special liking for drawing [the former Dons chairman] Dick Donald.
'When The Northern Light folded, he moved on to found The Red Final and participated in the short-lived Granite Kipper.
'His output was prolific and there was far more material than could ever be used.
'He was a great admirer of the American underground artist Robert Crumb (who produced Keep on Truckin') from whom he took inspiration.
'Famously, when he got access to Pittodrie, he undertook a massive project to add cartoons to a stairwell in the Richard Donald Stand.
'The surface he had to work on was pretty coarse, but he persisted patiently, one stairstep at a time, and it probably did some damage to his knees in the process.
'Much of that work can still be seen today.
'There is no doubting his talent, but it wasn't recognised by the Aberdeen art establishment – something that mattered not a jot to thousands of Dons fans.'
Neil Simpson, who was among the players who made history when Aberdeen beat Real Madrid in Gothenburg in 1983, was a long-time aficionado of Gordon's creativity.
And he wasn't alone in the Pittodrie dressing room during that halcyon period.
He said: 'Gordon was well known in the 80s for the Red Final, which was way ahead of its time, and many laughs were had by the players when we looked at his work.
'He was also devoted to the club and the Dons meant so much to him.
'I met Gordon numerous times and I always enjoyed his company.
'He was a lovely man and he will be sadly missed.'
Chris Crighton, the editor of the Red Final and a regular contributor to the P&J, knew that the 'legendary' Gordon had been in poor health for several years.
Yet that didn't lessen his sadness at learning about the death of somebody he cherished.
He said: 'Gordon's catalogue was extraordinary in its volume, ingenuity and skill.
'And his work was as instantly recognisable as he was himself.
'He was known by many, loved by most, bettered by none.'
His long-time friend, David Cheyne, kept in touch with Gordon – and revealed how the pair managed to bring a cherished production to fruition shortly before his death.
He said: 'Gordon gave up his work with a clerical post at North East Farmers and spent a lot of time with his caricatures and drawings.
'We also very recently managed to get one of his projects on cinema – Adventures of a Film Buff – put into printed form for him.
'He said it was the last thing that he wanted to get done with regards to his work as it had been sitting waiting to get printed for about 20 years.'
There has been talk of a celebration of Gordon's life at some future stage.
And already, some people have argued that an exhibition featuring his work would prove very popular among Aberdeen fans.
He deserved that while he was still alive. But better late than never.