Latest news with #Dandies
Press and Journal
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Press and Journal
Video: Kellands School pupils celebrate Dons victory with football-inspired lesson
A video of pupils and staff at an Inverurie primary school celebrating the Dandy Dons has attracted much attention online. After Aberdeen FC won the Scottish Cup, Kellands School decided to mark the occasion with a red and white day. Pupils from P1 to P7 donned the team colours to create a sea of red and white across the school. Teachers organised a variety of fun activities and even a Dons-inspired lesson, with depute head Alan Souter helping one class expand their knowledge of the squad. A video of the 'daft' lesson now has more than 250,000 views on Facebook. 'A few of us here are quite big Dandies so we obviously wanted to celebrate the game,' Mr Souter told The Press and Journal. 'I teach one of the classes on a Monday so I came in with my full kit on. 'The lesson was to wind up one of the other teachers, who is a Rangers fan. 'I said to the class 'let's play a little joke' and they were all on board. 'What you see in the video is two minutes after we came up with the idea. 'It was just a bit of fun. 'They did have proper spelling words as well!' The staff at Kellands School have been shocked to see how much attention the video has gained online. 'We're in our own little world running a primary school,' Mr Souter said. 'But it's been really nice – and most of the feedback has been very complimentary. 'We have lots of close links with the club, so it felt amazing to celebrate. 'It's mad that it's gone a bit viral.' Deputy head teacher Caroline Brunton added: 'We had a long-term relationship with the Aberdeen FC Community Trust and we've always maintained close links with the club. 'A lot of the kids are football fans, and we really push sport at the school, so it's nice to make a big deal of it with the kids. 'Lots of the children were at the game. 'One of our P5s was even a mascot.' The teachers said the school was 'buzzing' as they celebrated the Dons winning the Scottish Cup for the first time in 35 years. And to end the day, all of the classes came together to enjoy a Dandies Disco in the playground.
Press and Journal
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen fan view: The Dons' humble hero speaks the truth after an unforgettable afternoon
'I'm not the hero. Everybody involved here is a hero.' The first recorded words of the man who completed Aberdeen's staggering Scottish Cup triumph were characteristically humble. Truer ones, though, won't often have been spoken. Dimitar Mitov's impeccably rehearsed goalkeeping – and as inch-perfect a set of shootout penalties as have ever been taken – will be the images replayed throughout eternity. But the towering stopper is correct to establish that they may never have taken place at all without an unstinting, unflinching effort from everyone responsible for carrying out the Dons' gameday plan. On the field, there were those who gave more than they had for longer than they could. Titanic two-hour shifts from Graeme Shinnie, Alexander Jensen, Mats Knoester and, after his brief, unscheduled visit to the bench, Ante Palaversa. Others who went as deep as their legs could withstand, before making way for new legends arriving midway to reinforce the campaign. In the dugout, an extraordinary turn to the pragmatic by the ice-cold Jimmy Thelin and a hard-working staff who staged a revolution in less than a week. In the background, those who pressed the case for so many Dandies to be able to experience the moment; and those fans themselves for creating a seething, surging wall of scarlet noise both in the stadium and in the city to see their winners home. Above it all, those who implemented and funded the project. And even those who designed and selected the team's kit, its chessboard pattern, mirroring the iconic strip of 1990, foreshadowing both the victorious end to the season and the nationality of the man who smashed in its final, decisive goal. Though nobody else in the land could see, it was hidden in plain sight. Aberdeen's fabulous fate, literally woven into the very fabric of the club. What a game. What a day. What a club.
Scotsman
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Aberdeen's big Scottish Cup parade: 'Carnage' journey home, free drinks and traffic-light climbers
Aberdeen parties after Thelin's team land Scottish Cup Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Pittodrie Stadium, Sunday 9.45am, the morning after the night before, the biggest party in central Aberdeen for 35 years. A gaggle of pressmen and camera crews assembled outside this famous stadium. Taxis started to filter into the car park. Heroes emerged – some sprightly, some a little worse for wear. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Defender Mats Knoester, the man of the match in Aberdeen's Scottish Cup triumph over Celtic, was one of the first to arrive. He was met by a couple of adoring fans desperate for a photo. The rest soon followed. Striker Kevin Nisbet was asked to describe his night. 'Amazing,' he smiled through sunglasses. It would be fair to surmise a few beverages had been consumed. Aberdeen's open-top bus goes through the city. | SNS Group Manager Jimmy Thelin stopped for a quick chat. 'That was quite good,' said the suave yet stoic Swede, who still looked pretty pristine in his suit. He reported that his own celebrations had been mellow – certainly compared to some of his players. Nicky Devlin arrived with his family, a scarf wrapped around his like a bandana, before now two Aberdeen legends – captain Graeme Shinnie and penalty-saving goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov – pulled up together. 'The night was as good as expected – my voice proves that,' a hoarse Shinnie reported. 'I didn't have to buy a drink all night – and that keeps an Aberdonian happy! The scenes in the city were incredible, these were the moments I told the players we could enjoy. The city was bouncing, everything I thought it would be. The Scottish Cup hasn't been in Aberdeen for so long, it means so much to the punters and everyone who backs us. These are memories which will last a lifetime.' Bacon rolls after 'crazy' journey home The Aberdeen squad convened inside Pittodrie before boarding the team bus. Bacon rolls were on offer for those in need of nourishment. 'Crazy,' was the word the coach driver used to describe the bus journey back to the north-east from Hampden on Saturday evening. 'Carnage, as you would expect,' smiled Shinnie. 'There was a lot of singing, champagne everywhere. I felt bad for the driver.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Their celebratory chauffeur reported it took an hour-and-a-half to clean it – the players needed a little longer to win the Scottish Cup. After 120 minutes of football and penalties, Aberdeen had their hands on the trophy. The Red Army exploded, a joyous sea of red and emotion cascading towards the players. This is the first time a generation of Dandies have witnessed the Scottish Cup with red-and-white ribbons on it. Graeme Shinnie shows off the Scottish Cup from the Aberdeen town hall. | SNS Group The Aberdeen players and their families emerged from the stadium to be transported to the top of Union Street for their parade. Thousands of Dons supporters lined the streets to greet them. 'Shady Mo, Shady Mo, Shady MO MO MO,' rang out as the revelry began. Morris was the one whose cross-shot forced Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel to put the ball through his own net and level the score at 1-1. The winger has become a firm favourite with the fans. The open-top bus meandered from the Albyn Place end of Union Street down to Broad Street, with tens of thousands of supporters bedecked in red and while cheering them. Shinnie was front and centre, as he rightly should be. The skipper has experienced some heartache with Aberdeen in previous finals but his talismanic performance drove Aberdeen on as they chased down Celtic. Chairman's confidence Chairman Dave Cormack and chief executive Alan Burrows were at the Town House to greet the players before their civic reception. This was an emotional day for Cormack, who has ploughed so much money and effort into Aberdeen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I was confident during the week,' said Cormack. 'I had a feeling during the week that if we could put things together for 90 or 120 minutes, we'd do it. If we'd lost the penalty shootout, we'd come back and dust ourselves off then get ready for next season. As soon as the first one is saved, you think 'oh, here we go' and that's the way it turned out. Fantastic. 'The way I'm wired, I'll enjoy this for a day then start looking to the future. Life doesn't promise you a bed of roses, you have to work hard and be strong-willed. It's not about me, I want to be an ambassador for the city and the football club. It's special, it's been such a long time. I'm delighted for the city and our supporters worldwide, you can see what it means to people. The fans were unbelievable on Saturday. When the SFA said they'd give us 15,000 tickets or whatever it was, or buy 20,000 we had no hesitation. It showed you what it meant to them yesterday and the fans played their part.' Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack waves to supporters. | SNS Group The Aberdeen players, replenished by more beer and bubbly, disembarked the bus to more salutes. Supporters scaled traffic lights to catch a glimpse of them. It is not just the Scottish Cup Aberdeen have secured – they are guaranteed at the very least main-phase Conference League football next season. 'What we've done will sink in,' said Shinnie. 'It still feels a bit surreal to say I've won the Scottish Cup with Aberdeen to be honest. But when it does start sinking in, we'll think about Europe because that's a massive thing for this club as well. European group stage football is where we want to be and we have that to look forward to now. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The last time, we had great games like Eintracht Frankfurt away and PAOK away, which were brilliant games to be involved in. The fans love those trips and I'm sure they'll be ready to travel in big numbers with us again like they always do.'
Press and Journal
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen legend joins Dons fans for Scottish Cup final in the sun
Two Aberdeen supporters' clubs will celebrate this weekend's Scottish Cup final against Celtic in the sunny surroundings of Tenerife. Both the Tenerife Dons and the Zizzi Dons will mark the occasion at their respective bars which are located just a stone's throw away from each other. Those at Zizzi's Bar will be joined by a very special guest to watch the big game – Aberdeen legend Joe Harper. With shirt giveaways, sweepstakes, and free shots on arrival, both of the bars are expecting a good turnout from Dandies on the island. Record goalscorer Joe Harper, who has been to Zizzi's several times, will be watching the game from the Los Cristianos bar. Harper, who hit 199 goals for the club, doesn't think Aberdeen has the best chance against the league champions. 'I'd be lying if I said I thought we would win, but you never know,' he said. 'Jimmy Thelin has a real challenge on his hands. 'Back in 1970 when we played Celtic in the final, no one gave us a chance, and we were totally written off. 'I remember Celtic had ordered crates of champagne that we had to walk past. 'That fuelled us on, and hopefully being underdogs will have a similar effect for the lads on Saturday.' Whatever the result will be, Joe is in the ideal setting for the game. 'Tenerife is definitely a happy place for me,' he shared. 'It's been booked for a while, I didn't realise it was Cup Final weekend. 'I've been heading over to Zizzi's for years, and have a lot of friends there. 'Whether it's a great win or a disappointing defeat, I think I'll be in a great spot surrounded by a brilliant crowd.' Zizzi's has been a popular spot for Aberdeen fans on the Canary Islands for years. And Joe Harper is one of many former Dons who have stopped by the bar. Owner Willie Bruce said: 'King Joey is coming along on Saturday, which is always great for the supporters. 'He's a good friend and knows the staff well. 'We'll have a raffle going for a signed shirt, and then hopefully we'll be getting our signature shots out after we win!' Victory Bar is the new home of the original Tenerife supporters club, the Tenerife Dons. The club moved into its new surroundings at the beginning of March. Founding member Martyn Mackie says things have been going well for the group since finding their new home. He said: 'We've had a great response so far. It's proving really popular. 'It catches the sun really well. 'So when the guys want to watch the game and they bring their wives or girlfriends who aren't into football, there's never much complaining because they get a good tan.' There's expected to be a great turnout at Victory Bar for the Hampden clash. 'We've got a really good day planned. We've got a correct goal sweepstake, as well as activities for the kids,' Martyn added. 'There will be free shots for everyone, given it's the Cup Final. 'We have our new Tenerife Dons T-shirts on sale, as well as the usual collection for the community fund. 'Following the last league game, our total raised for the fund has reached over £8,000 for the season. 'A few of us are heading back home for the game, but our Tenerife Dons members will still be there to look after the tourists.'
Press and Journal
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Press and Journal
Freebies, fan zones and 'win or lose we're on the booze': Best Aberdeen pubs to watch Scottish Cup final
With potential freebies, fan zones, and Dons-themed cocktails, bars in Aberdeen are going all out ahead of the Scottish Cup final. The Granite City is expected to be buzzing with fans on Saturday ahead of Aberdeen's clash against Celtic at Hampden. The Dons head into the fixture after a disappointing end to the season but fans will still be out in numbers. Most pubs that show live sports will showcase the game for supporters not making the trip to Hampden. Some will even be going the extra mile for the day, with several events on the day. These range from raffles and giveaways to DJ sets. Here is the Press and Journal's guide to the best Aberdeen pubs to watch Scottish Cup final in. Possibly one of the best-known Aberdeen supporters bars is the Foundry. With multiple buses leaving from the pub to take Dandies down to the national stadium, it's a hotspot for Dons fans. The pub is set to be decked out in club colours (even more so than usual), making for an ideal setting to watch the game. Tables are fully booked for the game before fans arrive back from the buses. Supporters on the day could be tempted with an Angus on the Beach cocktail or a Donny the Sheep bomb. Deputy manager Kieran Joseph said: 'You will never have seen as much red and white as this. 'Win or lose, we'll be on the booze! 'The place will be bouncing, we'll have the DJ on following the game.' The popular Little Belmont Street pub will be showcasing the game on its screens. With tables fully booked, a great turnout is expected for the game. The pub usually offers a 10% discount on food and drink for Dons fans and for this occasion, everyone in the pub will get a if Jimmy Thelin's men pick up the win. Throughout the day, they will also be raffle tickets on sale, with plenty of prizes on offer for Dons fans. The function room at The Holburn is set to be transformed into an . Staff will begin work on the function room early in the morning following an event on Friday night. With commentary played aloud and the match shown on all the screens in the room, it could be the place to be for Dons fans. For fans wanting a table for the day, they are still available for booking in the main section of the pub. For those wishing to attend the fan zone, walk-ins are encouraged. Why not enjoy a Big Mannys Pizza while watching Aberdeen battle it out for the cup? The Holburn Street bar has cemented itself as a top destination for watching sport in Aberdeen. The Aberdeen pizza chain is available for ordering in the Adam Lounge. The pub has a great selection of pints that would make for a fine accompaniment to a slice. Or if you're not feeling pizza, Big Mannys smash burgers are also available. With several big screens in the pub, you'll be able to see the game wherever you are sitting or standing in the bar. The Bobbin has cemented itself as a popular pre-match joint given its proximity to Pittodrie. A popular spot for university students, many will likely flock to the Bobbin for the 3pm kick-off. The King Street bar has extensive seating and a great choice of TVs to choose from. The Bobbin has been running a raffle in the lead up to the game, with the lucky winner being selected during the game. An Aberdeen-affiliated pub, Old School House, is one of the most common spots to find a Dons fan on a matchday. With big screens and seating spread across two floors, you'll never be too far away from the action. Like Ma Camerons, Old School House offers 10% discount to Dons fans across food and drink. So be sure to be decked out in your Aberdeen colours to make sure you get use of the deal. Perhaps more appealing for fans of Aberdeen's opposition on Saturday, you still can't really go wrong with an Irish pub. Supporters of both teams are welcome and expected to come along and indulge in some friendly rivalry. Both Malones and Molly Malones will be showcasing the fixture on large screens, with commentary. With Molly's having deals on burgers and fries, it could be ideal for a pre-match meal. Following the game, both pubs will have live music on for fans to dance the night away or to raise spirits after a crushing defeat. Scottish Cup Final: Travel guide for Aberdeen fans as all roads lead to Hampden Would you charter a private helicopter to Aberdeen's Scottish Cup Final at Hampden? How Aberdeen's Scottish Cup triumph in 1990 led to an MP questioning the competence of the SFA
