Dons greats Neil Simpson and John McMaster believe Aberdeen can win their first Scottish Cup in 35 years

Press and Journal

17-05-2025

Neil Simpson has never forgotten the emotions which enveloped him after he won his first Scottish Cup title with Aberdeen in 1982.
When the final whistle sounded, he burst into tears of joy and relief as he and his teammates celebrated their 4-1 victory over Rangers at Hampden Park.
As he told me: 'It was what I had dreamt about as a kid in Newmachar, creating my own TV commentaries in my garden – and there I was at just 20 and it had come true.
'Getting the opportunity to lift the trophy was another unforgettable memory and gazing out at the fans was a reminder of football's ability to leave you overwhelmed.
'The elation carried on the following day with an open-top bus procession down Union Street and the pavements were packed with thousands of people who cheered us on as we progressed to a full Pittodrie to celebrate with our supporters.'
It became a familiar feeling for individuals such as Simpson and John McMaster, as the Dons won the trophy four times in five seasons. But now, the pair want the current generation of Pittodrie players to make history of their own.
These Gothenburg Greats – whose team beat Real Madrid to secure the European Cup Winners Cup in 1983 – were nervously watching from the sidelines as Aberdeen's Class of '25 edged past Hearts 1-0 in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup last month.
It was a fraught encounter, a contest which was only resolved after extra time and with their opponents reduced to nine men, but Jimmy Thelin's side achieved their objective.
Now, though, they have to tackle Celtic on May 25 to win their first Scottish Cup for no less than 35 years; a situation which Simpson describes as 'shocking'.
He told me: 'I am always optimistic when it comes to Aberdeen and, although Celtic are the favourites, I fancy the Dons to spring an upset.
'I just have this feeling that their name is on the trophy this year. They've been fortunate with home draws in the tournament and, while the semi-final wasn't pretty, they got the job done and deserved to advance.
'However, it is shocking that a club the size of Aberdeen have not won the Cup since 1990. Obviously, the gap between the Old Firm and the rest in terms of budget is huge.
'But that can't be an excuse when you see that the likes of Caley Thistle, Ross Country and St Johnstone have won the trophy in the intervening period.
'This, though, is the perfect opportunity to address that and put it right.
'I would urge the Dons to stick their chests out, believe in their abilities and send the message to their opponents they have to come to Hampden on a mission.
'They have to set the tone right from the start, win their individual and collective battles, and remember that the rewards of winning will be massive.
'They will be in the record books forever and they'll get their own bus parade.'
McMaster, for his part, has been impressed with Thelin's maiden campaign, even if it has contained more ups and downs than a trampoline park.
But he didn't pull his punches when it came to addressing his perception of the lack of leaders in the current Aberdeen line-up.
As he said: 'They have plenty of leaders off the pitch and the supporters have been phenomenal this season, so I'm really hoping the players seize this chance.
'Graeme Shinnie has done an excellent job in terms of providing leadership, but we need four or five players with that ability to impose themselves on a big match.
'I think Jimmy needs a 'screaming room' at Pittodrie to gee up his guys [Simpson and McMaster were often given the hairdryer treatment by Sir Alex Ferguson], but Aberdeen proved earlier this year they can cause the Celtic defence problems.
'They have to go out on the pitch with the attitude: 'We deserve to be here, but we can't be satisfied with that' and leave nothing out there during the final.
'This isn't just about the team, this is about lifting the whole city and realising they can become legends and they are potentially 90 minutes away from history.
'That should inspire them to express themselves and get out of the blocks quickly. Nobody remembers how you reached a final if you win it.'
It's a long time since McMaster and his brother, Andrew rolled up socks into the shape of a football and 'kicked lumps out of one another', playing indoors at home.
He was nicknamed Spammer, because his family grew up in a community where the people were so poor they had to survive on tins of the processed meat.
But there was never any sense he was missing out on a household filled with laughter.
Yet these early experiences had a significant impact on his career. He and Simpson pushed themselves to the nth degree, relentlessly pursuing their ambitions.
McMaster said: 'Footballers in those days weren't the multi-millionaires that a lot of them are now in the modern era.
'Our basic wage was OK in the grand scheme, but the bonus payments we received for playing in and winning games made a huge difference.
'So we aimed to give 100% every single time. Yes, we were pushed hard by Fergie, but we had our own hunger. We knew runners-up medals weren't enough. We had to win.
'That's one of the messages which has hopefully been driven into the current players.'
Aberdeen will have to improve on their previous Cup performances this season, but there's no shortage of motivation. Success will open the door to European competition.
And, who knows, there might even be a tinge of Hollywood if they attain their goal.
Simpson told me, reflecting on the aftermath of the 1982 victory: 'We were drinking champagne on the bus as we drove to Gleneagles for a party and it was a wonderful evening of food, drinks, banter, shared joy and pride in what we had done.
'And that was even before we were introduced to a genuine Hollywood legend.
'Stuart Kennedy had watched Burt Lancaster in all his classic movies from The Killers to Birdman of Alcatraz and From Here to Eternity and Atlantic City.
'And now, Burt was in Scotland to make a new movie.
'There was a photograph of Stuart and Burt together and the look on his face was like: 'Is this the icing on the cake or what?!'
'It summed up that Saturday. We were in our own Tinseltown production.'
Hopefully, Thelin's team will all be Local Heroes when it matters next weekend.
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