Stunning Celtic is possible insists Aberdeen 1990 hero as he relives penalty drama and Edith Bowman joining the party
Irvine was the unlikeliest of spot kick heroes for the Dons the last time they lifted the cup - and while a repeat against Celtic next weekend looks an even longer shot the Pittodrie Hall of Famer isn't writing his old side off.
If you're only going to hit one penalty in a 21-year professional football career then it might as well be one to win the Scottish Cup.
Brian Irvine isn't wrong. The big defender became the most unlikely of spot kick heroes for Aberdeen in 1990 when his penalty - the 20th of a mentally exhausting shoot out - flew past Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner to seal the Dons' seventh triumph in the competition.
Incredibly, 35 years later, he is still the last player to net a winner for the Pittodrie club in the cup they won five times between 1982 and 90.
Dons Hall of Famer Irvine will turn 60 next Saturday, the same day that Aberdeen will again look to dump the Hoops in the Hampden showpiece.
No matter what he has in store for his big birthday it's unlikely to match the party he sparked with the most famous strike of his life.
A shindig that journeyed from Mount Florida to Union Street - via Fife where a school-aged Edith Bowman took centre stage in the celebrations. Yes, that Edith Bowman.
Maybe it's written in the stars that Irvine should mark his 60th with a dose of history repeating itself.
Not for one minute is he writing off Jimmy Thelin 's side as they look to emulate the class of 90, despite the odds being stacked heavily against them.
Fate certainly was on his side on that roasting hot afternoon on May 12, 1990. Irvine has no shame admitting he was the last outfielder left to step up for Alex Smith's side for a reason.
But after Theo Snelders dived to his left to save Celtic's 10th kick from Anton Rogan it was teed up for the big centre half to win the cup for the team he's supported his whole life.
And recalling the moment that ended the first ever Scottish Cup Final penalty shoot out, Irvine told Mail Sport: 'I never took penalties. History will show that in 21 years I took one and scored one. It just so happened to be the one to win the Scottish Cup. Not bad!
'I didn't have the confidence because as a school boy I missed a few. Even young Graeme Watson went before me. I spoke to him on the halfway line that afternoon and he said he was confident because he took them all the time in training at Seaton Park.
'I said, well this is a big difference from Seaton Park.. but on you go. Of course the penalties kept going in. The players before me had real pressure because they were all scoring to keep us in the cup.
'To be honest, if Rogan had scored his meaning I had to score to avoid defeat, then I could have missed. The nerves would have got to me.
'Big Theo made an unbelievable save and then I had the privilege of hitting the winning kick. But Theo's save won it for us.
'Was I an unlikely hero? That's totally fair, I would agree with that.
'I thought I'd done my job by keeping a clean sheet It was about someone like Charlie Nicholas to score a goal and win the game.
'When it went to sudden death in penalties, that's when you realise 'oh, I could still be involved here'.
'Big Alex McLeish took one, Stuart McKimmie next, then Davie Robertson, young Graham.. then it was me.
'When I saw Pat Bonner diving the wrong way it was brilliant.
'I looked up and saw all the Aberdeen fans celebrating.
'I was just a one of them on the pitch. To get the opportunity to be a fan on the pitch wearing the strip and then score a cup winning penalty was special. The emotion that day was through the roof.
'I turn 60 next Saturday and I've still no idea if I will go to the game or if we will do something at home. But it would be nice to see Aberdeen end the wait to bring the cup back up the road.'
Irvine now splits his working week between his job as a stock room operations assistant for Marks and Spencer in Inverness, a care support worker and an ambassadorial role for the Dons.
Thirty five years ago he was the pride of Pittodrie.
He said: 'We went back overnight to the Craw's Nest in Anstruther. The wives and players stayed overnight and had a celebration.
'I always remember the owners were Edith Bowman's mum and dad.
'She was just a young girl. But she was confident because she was up on the stage singing and leading the band and the dance.
'We should have known then that she would go on to become a famous DJ!
'The next day was an open top bus parade down Union Street.
'The fantastic thing is that I went to the street parade in 2014 when they were coming back with the League Cup and it just felt as special standing in the street waving at the bus as a fan.'
Should Thelin's side deny Celtic a Treble next weekend it would go down as a far bigger upset than 1990.
Brendan Rodgers' champions are 1/7 on with some bookies.
But Irvine said: 'It's a cliche but on paper they might not have much of a chance but football is not played on paper.
'On the day if Celtic play well, you'd expect Celtic to win. But there is always a chance. Aberdeen took them to penalties in last season's semi final and drew again at Parkhead this season.
'Aberdeen have come close a few times in finals against the Old Firm.
'The great thing in the build up is you get the same right to think you're going to win it as any Celtic fan.
'Maybe this is the year somebody takes my honour of being the last Aberdeen player to score the winning goal in as Scottish Cup Final. I'd like that.'
1990 teams:
Aberdeen: Snelders, McKimmie, McLeish, Irvine, Robertson, Mason (Watson), Grant, Bett, Connor, Nicholas, Gillhaus. Unused sub: Jess.
Celtic: Bonner, Wdowczyk, Elliott, Whyte, Rogan, Stark (Galloway), Grant, McStay, Miller, Walker (Coyne), Dziekanowski.
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