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Press and Journal
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Everything you need to know about open-top bus parade to celebrate Aberdeen's Scottish Cup glory
Aberdeen Football Club will celebrate their sensational Scottish Cup triumph with a historic open-top bus parade through the Granite City tomorrow (Sunday). The Dons clinched the trophy with a thrilling penalty shoot-out victory over Celtic at Hampden, and the club are now inviting fans to join in the celebrations and mark one of the most memorable moments in recent club history. The parade will begin at noon from Albyn Place, where thousands of supporters are expected to gather early to catch a glimpse of their heroes boarding the open-top bus. From there, the route will take the team and coaching staff through key city landmarks, offering fans plenty of chances to see the cup and cheer on the squad. It will travel down Union Street, turning left at Union Terrace, then right at Schoolhill, before turning on to Broad Street. Aberdeen will then disembark for a civic reception at the city's Townhouse. City centre roads are expected to be closed temporarily to accommodate the festivities – and the council has advised residents and visitors to plan ahead. Club captain Graeme Shinnie, who lifted the trophy at Hampden Park, said the team were overwhelmed by the support in Glasgow and were excited to share the moment with the people of Aberdeen. He said: 'This victory was for everyone associated with the club — the fans, the staff, the city,' he said. 'We can't wait to celebrate together.' Aberdeen's Scottish Cup victory marks their first major silverware in nearly a decade – and their first Scottish Cup in 35 years – and has reignited excitement across the north-east. The team's spirited performance in the final has been widely praised, with manager Jimmy Thelin hailing his squad's determination and resilience. Local businesses are also joining in the celebrations, with shops and cafes along the parade route decorating their windows in red and white. Many are expected to open early or extend their hours to accommodate the influx of fans. The club has encouraged supporters to wear red and bring flags and banners to create a sea of colour throughout the city. They have also urged everyone attending to respect public spaces and follow guidance from event stewards and police. Tomorrow's parade promises to be a landmark moment for Aberdeen FC and supporters — a celebration of football, community and shared pride in a team that brought glory back to the city. Aberdeen City Council said: 'Following Aberdeen Football Club's win over Celtic in the Scottish Cup Final on Saturday 24 May, a victory parade will take place on Sunday 25 May. 'Supporters will be able to watch the open-top bus parade as it makes its way to Aberdeen Town House, led by Texo Deeside Caledonia pipe band. 'The parade will begin at 12noon at Albyn Place, following Union Street, Union Terrace, Schoolhill and Broad Street, and will finish at Aberdeen Town House, where the first team players will make a balcony appearance with Aberdeen Lord Provost, Dr David Cameron. 'Please remember to remain on the pavements at all times to allow the parade to pass safely. Do not climb on structures or put yourself or others in danger.'
The Herald Scotland
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Gove says second indyref will happen if Scots 'desire'
READ MORE Asked for his assessment of the current state of the union, Mr Gove said he did not believe Scottish independence was on the agenda at present. 'But I do not think for a moment that anyone should assume any degree of complacency about the union,' he said. 'The union is a living thing. It is not a historical artefact, and every day politicians and society generally have to work—if we believe that we are better together—in order to demonstrate that.' Asked if he thought there would be a second referendum, Mr Gove said: 'I do not believe that it is necessary at the moment. I think if there is an overwhelming desire on the part of the Scottish people for one, then we would have to review the situation.' Pressed on how he would define that 'overwhelming desire', he said it would be for the UK Government to decide. Mr Gove was also asked about the refusal of successive Conservative governments — of which he was part — to grant a Section 30 order, which would devolve the powers for a second referendum to Holyrood. 'I did not think it was anti-democratic,' he said. 'I think it was the case that, with the referendum in 2014, people had made the point that it was a decision that was there for a generation. 'But more than that, as I have argued, there are urgent questions that need to be addressed—urgent questions about the economic regeneration of the whole country, and urgent questions about improving public services in Scotland—that, to me, are more important than some of these constitutional questions.' Kevin Nisbet scored twice for Aberdeen to snatch a point against Dundee United (Image: SNS) The soon-to-be Torry baron also drew a comparison between the Scottish Conservatives and Aberdeen Football Club. Polls suggest Russell Findlay's party could be pushed into fourth place at next year's Holyrood election, with Nigel Farage's Reform party set to overtake them as the principal opposition. Meanwhile, Aberdeen have endured a turbulent season, finishing fifth in the league but still heading to Hampden next week to face Celtic in the Scottish Cup final. 'I think if you have been in politics for a wee while, which I have, you know that the opinion poll numbers in between elections can fluctuate,' Mr Gove said. 'Within a few years, you saw the party under someone like Ruth Davidson as the dominant and rising force—the principal opposition in Scotland.' Asked whether Mr Findlay should be concerned, he replied: 'No, do not panic. If you are a fan of Aberdeen Football Club, you know that sometimes you will have a very good run, sometimes you will have a very difficult run, but in the end, you might end up in the top two come the Scottish Cup final. 'So the important thing to do is not to change the manager, but to stick together as a team and show the fighting spirit necessary to battle through.' When it was put to him Aberdeen could end the season without any silverware, Mr Gove replied: 'Well, they had a much, much more difficult patch a few months ago.' He also spoke about the previous UK Government's use of a Section 35 order to block Scotland's gender recognition reforms from becoming law. Mr Gove chaired the Cabinet sub-committee that recommended the use of the then little-known section of the Scotland Act to veto the Holyrood legislation. 'Alister Jack was ultimately the individual who had to take that decision and give effect to it,' he said. 'I think it was absolutely the right decision, and I think it has been vindicated by subsequent events.'
STV News
09-05-2025
- Sport
- STV News
Aberdeen promised 35k parade if they win Scottish Cup
Aberdeen Football Club has been promised a city celebration and parade if they defeat Celtic and lift the Scottish Cup later this month. The Dons will face Celtic in the Scottish Cup final on May 24 at Hampden Park in Glasgow. If Aberdeen win, the city centre could be transformed into a sea of red as thousands are expected to come out and cheer on the team. But this isn't the first time the council has voiced its support for a city celebration dedicated to the Dons. Councillors approved plans to give the club a victory parade through the city centre back in November 2023 if they won the Viaplay Cup. But sadly, the team was beaten 1-0 by Rangers at Scotland's national stadium. Committee convener Alex McLellan put forward the suggestion to hail the potential cup win. He said: 'It would be tradition that if Aberdeen Football Club were successful in the Scottish Cup final that we would want to celebrate that in an appropriate way.' The finance boss proposed that £35,000 would be taken from the Common Good Fund for a parade and accompanying celebrations. 'We would want to wish AFC every success with the cup final in Glasgow in the weeks to come,' he added. Labour councillor M. Tauqeer Malik backed the proposal but asked where the planned celebration would be held. He explained: 'Usually Union Street would be ideal but it's a complete mess.' However, the Lower Deeside member wished the team every success and said he was 'optimistic' there would be a celebration in the Granite City. Meanwhile, Dons fan councillor Dell Henrickson didn't wish the team luck out of fear he would jinx them and destroy their chance at cup success. But, he revealed he was lucky enough to obtain one of the 20,000 allocated tickets for the match. Aberdeen FC last received a city parade to celebrate their Scottish League Cup win back in March 2014. The team took to an open top bus to show off the legendary trophy as they made their way down Union Street. It is estimated that more than 50,000 fans came out to show their support for the Dons. An open top bus parade was also held in 1983 after the team won the European Cup against Real Madrid. The team, led by Alex Ferguson at the time, was cheered on by fans as they made their way down Union Street before arriving at Pittodrie. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Press and Journal
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Debate: Who deserves to be named Aberdeen's player of the year?
Who should be named Aberdeen Football Club's player of the year for what has been a up, down, and back up again 2024/25 season so far? On Thursday night, the winners of Aberdeen's official fans-voted awards for the campaign will be revealed, but before this, we want to hear who The Press and Journal readers think has been the star-man in red. Dons boss Jimmy Thelin's team are still battling for a potentially lucrative European place for next term – either by fighting their way to third place in the Premiership and/or by beating Celtic in the Scottish Cup final at the end of May. While there could be glory to come, it has certainly been an entertaining eight months to this point, with a record winning run to begin the campaign, followed by a record winless run, before the ongoing rejuvenation in the Reds' fortunes. But which player has stood above all of their Pittodrie team-mates with their performances this term? Keep an eye out for our debates published each week. Our journalist will be in the comments from 10-11am each Thursday, responding to your opinions.
