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Press and Journal
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen's Hampden heroes have shaken up the Scottish game, says former Don Phil McGuire
Aberdeen's historic trophy triumph delivered a needed shake-up of the Scottish game, says former Dons defender Phil McGuire. And the ex-Pittodrie centre-back insists the Reds' Hampden heroes must now build on their silverware glory to push for further success. The Dons lifted the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1990 when they overcame Celtic in a penalty shoot-out in the final. Jimmy Thelin's Dons also prevented Celtic from completing a domestic treble. McGuire expects Thelin to raid the summer transfer window to secure signings who will make the cup winners even stronger next season. He said: 'It is really important for Scottish football to have another team win something. 'Aberdeen winning the Scottish Cup is great for Scottish football as Celtic would have won the treble again. 'Celtic have won the treble a number of times. 'For Aberdeen to win the Scottish Cup is a great achievement and fantastic for the club, the city, the fans… and Scottish football. 'You only have to look at England – where Newcastle United (League Cup) and Crystal Palace (FA Cup) have won trophies. 'Aberdeen can now go into pre-season and European competition with a real spring in their step. 'They will look to add in the summer to strengthen and get competition for places. 'Aberdeen will aim to kick on for next season.' Winning the Scottish Cup secured guaranteed European group stage action for the Dons next season. The Reds have qualified for the Europa League play-off, with the draw set to be made on August 4. Qualifying for the Europa League would guarantee Euro league action – with eight fixtures – until January 29, 2026. Should the Dons lose the play-off, there is the safety net of parachuting down into the Conference League. McGuire played for Aberdeen in Europe, including a Uefa Cup first round clash against Hertha Berlin in 2002. The Dons were edged out 1-0 on aggregate by the German club, with the vital goal coming at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. McGuire, 45, said: 'The European structure has been changed and enhanced since I played. 'Competing in the European league format is a huge boost for Aberdeen and Scottish football as a whole as well. 'They will face good European competition, which bodes well for the future. 'Before we played Hertha Berlin, we faced Moldovan side Nistru Otaci in the previous round. 'In Moldova, the stadium wasn't great – and you could see the societal issues and conflict that were there. 'Then in the next round we were in the Olympic Stadium playing Hertha Berlin! 'A stadium that has that history of Jesse Owens winning four Olympic golds (1936). 'That is the massive contrast in European football.' Swede Thelin has delivered trophy glory in his first season at Pittodrie having arrived from Elfsborg last year. He is Aberdeen's second overseas manager as Ebbe Skovdahl led the Dons from 1999 to 2002. Dane Skovdahl guided the Dons to the Scottish Cup and League Cup finals in this debut season (1999-2000) but lost them both. McGuire, who made 181 Aberdeen appearances between 1999 to 2005, played under Skovdahl. He said: 'Every manager will have their own stamp on things, and you see that with the type of football Thelin plays. 'As a player it is about applying yourself and taking on board the concept of how the manager wants to play. 'Aberdeen began the season with that long unbeaten run and then suddenly that flips and they can't win. 'Sometimes it is about other teams catching up to the way you play – it is about adapting and finding the right ways to win. 'I know injuries played a part in that drop in form, but they still finished in the top half and won the Scottish Cup. 'So it has been a positive season and Thelin will be looking at the middle part to see what he can correct. 'There are similarities there between Ebbe and Thelin, but the way the football is played today has totally changed.' McGuire will return to the Granite City on Sunday to star in the Craig Brown Cup charity match. The game will be played at Cove Rangers' Balmoral Stadium on Sunday (3pm) to raise funds for the Russell Anderson Foundation. Also playing are legend Eoin Jess, Andy Considine, Darren Mackie, Zander Diamond, Richie Byrne and Jamie McAllister. Other players confirmed are Derek Young, Tomas Cerny, Andy Roddie, Mark Perry, Gary Dempsey and Hugh Robertson. Still Game star Sanjeev Kohli, who plays Naveed in the legendary comedy, will also play in the charity match McGuire said: 'I've done this for the last few years and it is a really enjoyable day. 'The main focus is the charity and raising some funds for the children. 'It is through Russell's foundation this year, which is a wonderful charity that supports kids. 'It gives them opportunities, structure and life skills within schools and with after school clubs.' Former Aberdeen and Scotland midfielder Gavin Rae will also play in the charity match. Rae said: 'It is good to meet up with former pros again, but the main thing is the Craig Brown Cup is for a really good cause. 'I always had a really good connection with Craig, as he gave me my Scotland debut and signed me for Aberdeen, which was special.'
Press and Journal
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Joe Harper: The transfer market Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin must focus on this summer
Aberdeen should look towards the Scottish market for exciting emerging talent during the summer transfer window. Manager Jimmy Thelin and his recruitment team are scouring the European leagues and beyond to strengthen the squad for next season. In the previous two transfer windows Thelin has bolstered his team with a host of impressive signings from overseas. However, the Dons must also look at Scotland because there are many hungry, ambitious young players ready to jump up and excel at the next level. A standout example of how looking to Scotland for talent can pay off there is Aberdeen's signing of Lewis Ferguson from Hamilton in 2018. Ferguson was only 18-years-old when the Dons secured him on a pre-contract in May 2018 as his deal with Hamilton was set to expire. The midfielder was sensational for Aberdeen across four seasons before moving to Italian top flight Bologna for £3million in summer 2022. Ferguson captained Bologna to Coppa Italia glory earlier this month, their first major trophy in more than 50 years. He was also named the best midfielder in Serie A in the 2023-24 season, which is a phenomenal accolade. A host of clubs have Ferguson on their radar with the view to a potential summer transfer window swoop with the midfielder valued at more than £20m. The meteoric rise of Ferguson is proof that the Scottish market can deliver gems. I signed for Aberdeen after chief scout Bobby Calder watched me score a lot of goals from the right-wing position with Morton. Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack has already said he will back Thelin to further strengthen the Scottish Cup winning team in the summer. As part of discussions to sign a target the Dons should play a video of the triumphant Scottish Cup win and the sensational homecoming parade. And say this is what you can experience if you sign on at Aberdeen. Aberdeen's Scottish Cup winning side have written their name in the club's history books and that of the national game with a sensational win. The Dons thoroughly deserved the silverware with a superb, disciplined performance full of passion and commitment. Boss Thelin's call to switch tactics from his preferred 4-2-3-1 to a 5-3-2 was a masterstroke that paid off. Celtic were restricted to only a couple of chances and although they had a lot of possession the Hoops were never allowed to do much with it. All four penalty-kicks taken by Aberdeen in the shoot-out were also amazing. After a 35-year wait the Red Army finally got to see their club crowned Scottish Cup champions at Hampden. It means so much to the supporters and there were many tears shed at the final and also the open-top bus parade through the city centre. I am so proud of not only the Aberdeen team but also the supporters. The Dons fans were magnificent at Hampden and decked their half of the stadium in a sea of red. They also out-sang the Celtic fans for the duration of the final and really drove on and inspired Aberdeen. Reward for Aberdeen is not only that beautiful trophy now proudly displayed at Pittodrie. The Reds also secured guaranteed European group stage action next action, which will come with a Uefa cash boost of around £5million. That glorious day when Aberdeen lifted the Scottish Cup will hopefully be the springboard to further success.
Press and Journal
a day ago
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Moreen Simpson: From childhood days at Pittodrie to parade day, fit a weekend to be an Aberdonian
Canna believe it's about 70 years since my dad – a lifelong Dons supporter – sometimes took me to Pittodrie. I've no memory of the matches. I wonder if Little Mo actually saw onything ava, surrounded by towering adults. We went again when I was a teenager and fair scunnert by the sight of mannies wie their backs to me tiddling against a fence. On to my student days when, to mark AFC being in a Scottish Cup semi-final, I covered masellie with beautiful red-and-white rosettes made by mum, a replica cup on my back courtesy of dad. However, while I was rattlin' ma tin at the Torcher, young footballs fans stripped me of the lot, including the cup. Dad was fumin'. Spookily appropriately, the Gothenberg triumph happened on my quine's sixth birthday; spooky because the Dons would go on to shape her adult life. As a teenager she and her friends joined a club attached to a bar, when going to matches home and away became hub of her social life. Sure enough, she fell for one of the gadgies who was a regular on the bus and the rest is their happy family history. A girl and boy on, almost inevitably their 11-year-old loon is as football mad as his mum and dad. Whenever he comes to my hoose, he's straight oot the back door, into the garden, to practise his penalties, free kicks and dribbling. He's bravely bounced back from some of the heart-breaking games he's been to recently, so when the cup final started on Saturday, all I could think of was him there in the stand. When it looked like Celtic would keep their one-goal lead, I could imagine his bonnie, increasingly disappointed face. Then the dramatic turnaround. When Mitov saved that last penalty, someone a pucklie gardens from me let off a triumphant rocket as I and my peer hairtie leapt with joy for the wee man. Minties later, a text pinged through from my quine with the most wonderful pic of him revelling in the triumph. And guess fit? He was holding a replica silver cup on his head. The years rolled back and I could almost see my dad looking at the photie ower my shoulder, beaming for his great-grandson holding the cup. My quine texted: 'He says it's the best day of his life. His heart was beating out of his chest during the penalties!' Yes, I had a weepie to masellie. That feeling must have been exactly the same for all Dons supporters at the game or watching elsewhere; the ecstasy of winning and dear memories of beloved fans no longer with us. As for the mass turn-out at the parade the next day, in all my 77 years there's never been such an astounding show of people and pride in the city. The 100,000-plus crowds dwarfed even the turn-out for the Gothenberg heroes. I half-thought about going with the family, but reckoned I was just too al'. Regretted it when I saw a lovely, affa happy mannie being interviewed on the telly aged 85. Mind you, I did have a impromptu celebration. During my morning walk, on the other side of the road I passed a huge bus queue of red-bedecked adults and kids heading for the parade. I gave them a cheery thumbs-up and shouted: 'Enjoy.' Next thing, they broke into a rousing chorus of The Northern Lights. I was fair chuffed. And, yup, there was tear in my eye yet again. Fit a weekend to be an Aberdonian! Moreen Simpson is a former assistant editor of the Evening Express and The Press and Journal and started her journalism career in 1970.
Daily Record
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Jimmy Thelin brought Aberdeen calm when needed most as Alan Burrows offers honest assessment of Swede
The former Elfsborg boss guided the Dons to their first Scottish Cup triumph in 35 years by beating Celtic at Hampden last week Alan Burrows reckons Jimmy Thelin hasn't just delivered silverware – he's brought a sense of calm to Aberdeen when they needed it most. The Swede sealed his place in Dons history at the weekend by leading them to victory over Celtic at Hampden – ending an 11-year wait for a trophy and landing their first Scottish Cup in 35 years. Thelin let his emotions really show for arguably the first time since the season began, soaking up the jubilant scenes across the Granite City. Aberdeen chief executive Burrows said: 'We need him to be calm, because he's one of the few people who are calm. When you take me, the chairman and others – all very emotional! 'It's an emotional club because it's got such a rich history, and such big expectation because it's a big city. When you've got that, people like Jimmy – who are calm in there – ensure everyone is on the straight and narrow. 'He's very, very good. Not only for around the club, but managing upwards, sideways and downwards. He's a really good guy.' Thelin was headhunted from Elfsborg by Dons chairman Dave Cormack, who refused to take 'no' for an answer from the Swedes. The club chief wanted to get away from the regular turnover of managers and insisted that his new boss would be given time and it was a long-term project. Burrows said: 'He's done remarkably well. Listen, we were saying when we appointed him – 'this is a long project. 'Aberdeen are trying to get away from this churn of managers that we've had over the previous four or five seasons' and we were saying to everybody at the start, 'this is going to require patience, it's going to require a bit of time'. 'Then we go and win 11 games out of 12 and completely blew that up! 'That takes everybody's expectations up really, really quickly, but we always knew that in the first season – as he was getting used to Scottish football and building his team – that it would take a bit of time and effort. 'That manifested itself through the middle of the season but the mark of anyone is to try and keep calm, keep doing the things you're doing, not abandon your principles. That's the ultimate credit. 'He's remained the same guy from day one. That's a mark of a really good manager, who can keep on that straight line.' Cormack has vowed to back Thelin again, with the majority of the riches from their European campaign. Burrows said: 'It's crazy. John Boyle once said, very poetically, 'in football one minute you're a peacock, the next you're a feather duster'. Don't get too high and try not to get too low. 'Hopefully, what we've demonstrated through the course of this season was a resoluteness about this project, about this manager and we'll continue to try and back him.'
Press and Journal
a day ago
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Alan Burrows: Jimmy Thelin has shown why he is the right man for Aberdeen
Aberdeen chief executive Alan Burrows insists manager Jimmy Thelin has proven he is the man for the Dons. Thelin capped a remarkable first season in Scottish football by guiding the club to Scottish Cup glory at Hampden last weekend. The penalty shootout win against Celtic ended the Dons' 35-year wait to bring the trophy back to the Granite City. Following the disappointment of finishing fifth in the Premiership, the cup win also guaranteed the club group stage football in Europe next season in the process. A glorious finale to an emotional wringer of a season for the club has ensured the Dons head into the summer on a high. But for Burrows, the success of the club's manager, and the patience afforded to Thelin during a difficult mid-season slump, shows why he is the right man for the club. The Dons chief executive said: 'It's crazy, my former chairman once said very poetically in football that one minute you're a peacock, the next you're a feather duster. 'I suppose the same is true in the opposite way. 'That's the nature of football, that's a lesson. You don't get too high and you try not to get too low when things aren't going as well. 'Try to maintain that all the time, particularly when you are working towards a project, when you are bringing someone in on the idea of a three-to-five year plan. 'You've got to accept that there will be bumps along the way. 'In modern football now, people aren't prepared to put up with bumps – they just want constant success. 'Hopefully what we've demonstrated through the season was a resoluteness about this project, a resoluteness about this manager and we'll continue to try and back him going into the future.' Aberdeen are determined to develop a long-term vision for the club after several years of constant changes at Pittodrie. The Dons have started the last five seasons with a different manager in the dugout and Burrows believes a period of stability is long overdue at the club. He said: 'We said when we appointed Jimmy, this is a long project. 'Aberdeen are trying to get away from this churn of managers that we've had over the previous four or five seasons and we were saying to everybody at the start, 'this is going to require patience, this is going to require a bit of time'. 'And then we go and win 11 games out of 12 and completely blow that up. 'I think what that does is that it takes everybody's expectations up really, really quickly, but we always knew that in the first season – as he was getting used to Scottish football and building his team – that it would take a bit of time and effort. 'That manifested itself through the middle of the season, but I think the mark of anyone is to try and keep calm, keep doing the things that you are doing, not abandon your principles. 'To me, that's the ultimate credit. He's remained the same guy from day one until the cup final. 'That's a mark of a really good manager, who can keep on that straight line. 'Jimmy has done remarkably well.' In the ultra-competitive and emotionally charged environment of football, Thelin's ice-cool persona has set him apart from many of his peers – and his work colleagues at Pittodrie. The fist pump and roar of jubilation following the Dons' Scottish Cup win last weekend was a rare but totally understandable show of emotion from the Swede. Burrows believes the measured and composed approach is the perfect foil at a club like Aberdeen. The chief executive said: 'I think we need him to be calm, because he's one of the few people who is calm, when you take me, the chairman and others – all very emotional. 'It's an emotional football club because it's got such a rich history, it's got such a big expectation because it's a big city. 'When you've got that, people like Jimmy who are calm in there ensures everyone is on the straight and narrow. 'He's very, very good. Not only for around about the club, but managing upwards, sideways and downwards. He's a really good guy.'
