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Daily Record
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Jack Milne on his Celtic feeling before completing Aberdeen rise from proud fan to Scottish Cup winner
The Dons' academy graduate was in the crowd as the triumphant Dons' team paraded the League Cup in 2014 Local lad Jack Milne admitted lifting the Scottish Cup and making history with Aberdeen made it the best day of his life. It was a dream come true for the lifelong supporter who progressed through the academy and straight into the Pittodrie history books. The 22-year-old was also an unlikely hero as he came in for his first start since December and played a key part as Jimmy Thelin went with a 3-5-2 formation for the first time that nullified Treble-chasing Celtic. Milne said: 'I honestly can't put it into words. I've said already, it's the best day of my life. It's the club my family and I, all my friends, have grown up supporting. To go and win this, it's just incredible. 'It means everything to all of us. We know the history of the club. It's a massive club and that comes with responsibility and pressure. 'But pressure is a privilege – and we've turned up and made history.' The versatile defender, who signed a new deal earlier this season, didn't know he was starting until a few hours before kick-off. But since then he has seen his friends and family savour Aberdeen's first Scottish Cup win in 35 years on a weekend that culminated in the squad going down Union Street on an open-top bus on Sunday. Milne had been on the streets as a fan and aspiring Dons youngster after Derek McInnes' side lifted the club's last trophy, the League Cup, in 2014. He revealed: 'Yes, I was there. I would have been in the academy. I was at the bus parade but I can't remember too much about it. 'I officially knew I was starting on Saturday but I had a feeling all week. We did a lot of stuff on the shape, tactical stuff, and I was doing a lot of that so I had a bit of an inkling. 'We practised on it (a three-man defence) all week. He (the manager) said in the (earlier) meeting that we're going to change it. 'I just saw the teamsheet. The feeling was just excitement. I just wanted to go and win the game, that was the most important thing. But putting on a good performance and to come away with the trophy, that was the best.' Aberdeen were written off in most quarters but Milne's hotel room was 100 per cent sure the Cup was going back to the Granite City. He said :'I was sharing my room with Dante (Polvara) and I was just saying, 'Look, this is our moment.' All of us, every single player in there believed we could go and win. 'I know a lot of people didn't, outside noise, thinking we were going to get turned over but we turned up and proved a point. 'It's been an up-and-down season and we've taken some heavy defeats from Celtic. But even the heavy defeats, if you watch the game early, they could have gone either way. 'I remember the game at Celtic Park and we missed two, three golden chances early on and then we found ourselves 3-0 down. 'But it was one of those where we would soak up pressure, try to hit them on the counter and just take our chances.' Milne was unable to see out the game because of cramp and didn't want to be the villain of the piece. He said: 'Yes, cramp. It tends to happen. I haven't played as much football recently and I was completely gone by the 90th minute. 'It was one of those, I kind of had to make a decision. I was thinking, 'I'm not moving very quickly here.' I was running like I was in quicksand So I just knew that was me done.' It meant he had to watch the extra-time and penalties from the bench, struggling to see it out until Dimitar Mitov's final save. He laughed and said: 'Horrible. I couldn't stomach it. I felt sick. I couldn't watch the penalties. I was looking at the floor, looking everywhere but the goal. I did see Dimi's final save... between my fingers. 'It was a bit funny, trying to block my eyes, but I saw both of them. I think with him saving that first one it gave us a real boost and that was brilliant.' There was the glory and a medal but also the added bonus of European group stage football to look forward to next season. Milne got a taste of it two seasons ago, playing against sides such as Eintracht Frankfurt, and is keen for another go at it. He said: 'Delighted. It was our objective at the start of the season. I know we technically got European football with fifth place in the qualifiers. 'But to go and make sure we're guaranteed Europe is special, that was our objective.'
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.
Daily Record
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Graeme Shinnie announces his own amazing Scottish Cup history and names person who deserves Aberdeen success most
After his captain success with Inverness, he claims a little slice of history by skippering two teams to Cup glory Graeme Shinnie has no intention of calling it quits at Aberdeen anytime soon. But if the curtain was to come down on his career today, the Dons' courageous captain insists he could walk away a happy man. After four failed final attempts in a red jersey, of course it would have been easy for him to give up, to hide away from the hurt he'd experienced trudging up the Hampden steps so many times before. But having forced himself to go through the emotional roller-coaster one more time, it was finally fifth time lucky for Shinnie and his Aberdeen side. Now for a man who previously led Inverness to Scottish Cup triumph back 2015, he claims a little slice of history as he becomes the first man to skipper two different teams to tournament glory. Shinnie will be back for more next term. But whatever happens, he will go on wearing the same smile that was plastered across his face last night. 'It always takes a little while to sink in,' said the grinning midfield man after his 300th Aberdeen appearance. I'm just enjoying the celebrations really. 'We've been so close so many times before. I don't know if it's so much about losing belief. It's more that chances become fewer and fewer. Coming into this one, I thought it could be my last, so I had to make it work. 'Now I don't have to worry anymore about winning in the future. I still want more — but I could retire tonight and be happy. 'It's what you want in football. To leave a legacy. I've had a lot of opportunities to win silverware and I haven't managed to do it. I've never shied away from it, it's what I want. I've been close but not close enough. 'I knew if I did it today, I'd be the first captain to do it with two clubs. To make this sort of history, it's a very overwhelming feeling.' There's no chance of Shinnie quitting now, though, not when there is no the prize of guaranteed European group stage action to be savoured. 'I can keep going,' he said. 'Getting into the Europa League play-offs was massive. It was vitally important. Let's not beat around the bush: we had a really up and down season and we had a really poor end to the season, which put us to fifth. "That's not the end of the world but it's not where we felt we should have been. 'After playing Hibs and being in the fight for third to then finish fifth was disappointing. 'But in football you always get another chance and this was our last chance of the season to make it work. And we've won it.' That was an outcome that nobody outside of the limits of the Granite City gave Thelin's men. Widely dismissed after a succession of heavy beatings at the hands of Brendan Rodgers' Treble-chasers, the only question among the neutrals was how many the Hoops would win by. 'Everyone wrote us off and maybe rightly so,' admitted Shinnie. 'The games this season against Celtic, we've tried to play our own way and it hasn't worked. 'The manager's got a style of playing. But we knew in this game we had to do something different. We've did that - we gave ourselves a chance and it's paid off.' Thelin took the bold call of ditching the 4-2-3-1 system he's stuck rigidly to all season, moving to a five-man backline designed to suffocate Celtic's space. And it worked a treat as the Hoops became bogged down in a swamp of red jerseys. 'It was very brave,' said Shinnie. 'But I think it's good management. It's what we needed. 'It's what a lot of people probably thought was needed. 'We needed to be harder to beat because some of the games against Celtic, we've had some good chances in the game and played alright but you get beat 5-1. But today we wanted to make it hard for them. 'The first half was disappointing because we defended so well. 'We didn't have a shot but they didn't have much either and then you concede from a set-piece, which is disappointing. But when you win you don't care how the game's gone or how you played.' Shinnie led from the front all game, crunching into tackle after tackle. And when it came to spot-kicks, he was first up for Aberdeen too to sweep home emphatically before Dimitar Mitov's double stop sealed victory. 'In the [2014] League Cup [with Inverness] I took a knock in extra time and I didn't take a pen, ever since then, I've regretted that,' he admitted. 'Every time there's been a penalty shootout, I've wanted to go first. "I'm the captain of the club. I want to lead. I want to be the one that sets the tune. 'My legs were a bit tired, so I don't know how I found the top corner. But I felt confident going up. "I actually had a go at Dimi yesterday because he didn't save a pen while we were practising them. He's been the hero today.' There were hugs for everyone at full-time. Chairman Dave Cormack was embraced warmly - but not quite as tightly as Shinnie's daughters Penelope and Verity. 'Ten years ago when I won it with Inverness, my eldest daughter was about four months old and my youngest obviously wasn't born, so I wanted to sort of renew the memories and them being on the pitch is perfect,' he explained. 'As for Dave, he deserves it. He's an Aberdeen fan. He lives for the club. He wants the best for the club. He's invested a lot of money into the club and he deserves this more than anyone. 'The city will be bouncing too. They've waited a long time for the Scottish Cup, 35 years or whatever it is. They deserve it. 'They've backed us through a rocky season. An unbelievable start, a very bad middle. Then we got back on course and had a bad end to the season. 'To have 25,000 here supporting us again… when everyone thought Celtic were going to win, they backed us. Dave backed us by getting the 50-50 [ticket] split. 'The fans backed us and then the players rewarded them."
Press and Journal
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen fans paint Glasgow red as thousands make way to Hampden for Scottish Cup final showdown v Celtic
More than 20,000 Aberdeen fans have travelled to Glasgow to paint the city red ahead of the Dons' Scottish Cup final match versus Celtic. Legions of hopeful fans dressed in their team's colours could be seen in Glasgow's city centre this afternoon eagerly awaiting kick-off. Train lines, buses and roads southwards were all jam-packed early this morning ahead of the long journey to Hampden. But by 12pm this afternoon, red flags, clothing and football shirts could be seen all over Glasgow, in George Square and outside the cup final venue – Hampden. It was made possible after Dons bosses made a bid to secure a 50/50 ticket split for the cup final last month, which paid off with fans snapping up every ticket in a matter of hours. They have travelled in their numbers to see the Dons' hopefully clinch Scottish Cup glory versus Scottish Premiership and League Cup champions Celtic. A victory would mean Aberdeen's first Scottish Cup triumph since 1990.
Daily Record
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Alex McLeish reveals Aberdeen Scottish Cup trophy lift warning from Willie Miller as he delivers message to Thelin's men
The Dons head to Hampden on Saturday looking to end their long way to get their hands on the famous old trophy Alex McLeish was warned off the iconic Willie Miller trophy lift the last time Aberdeen got their hands on the Scottish Cup. Jimmy Thelin 's side head to Hampden to take on Celtic next weekend, looking to end the Dons' 35 year wait to get their hands back on the cup. McLeish was the last Aberdeen skipper to get his hands on it when he led Alex Smith and Jocky Scott's team to a dramatic penalty shootout win over Celtic. 'Big Eck' revealed that his former captain and legendary Dons' defensive partner, Miller, had warned him off copying his now famous, one-handed trophy celebration. McLeish said: 'I couldn't have copied Willie and put the outstretched arms because he'd claimed he had copyrighted it. Willie was down my throat telling me I'd better not steal his celebration. 'So I just went with a kind of two-hander and kind of par for the course type cup celebration. "There wasn't anything that I did that different from the normal trophy lift.' McLeish won 12 major trophies in his time at Aberdeen but Miller had been the captain for pretty much all those successes. The 66-year-old will join some of his fellow Scottish Cup-winning heroes next week when they return to Aberdeen for the '1990: The Legends Return' event in the Music Hall. Hans Gillhaus, Theo Snelders, Brian Irvine and Charlie Nicholas will all be part of the event. "I am really looking forward to coming back for the celebrations,' McLeish admitted. 'I am still in regular contact with the boys but it has been a couple of years since I have seen some of them. 'It will be good to catch up and share our memories with the Aberdeen fans. It is hard to believe it has been 35 years and that was the last time Aberdeen last won the Scottish Cup. 'Its incredible. We had that golden era under Sir Alex Ferguson and then Alex and Jocky came in and we won both cups in that 1989-90 season but after that it became difficult when Rangers started throwing money at it and then Celtic got their house in order.' McLeish admitted that the 1990 final won't go down as a Hampden classic and he almost caused Jocky Scott heart failure during the penalty shootout. The former Scotland star recalled: 'My memories are that it wasn't the greatest of games and it went to penalties. We had gone through the first five takers and then Alex and Jocky asked who was taking the sixth? 'I put my hand up and Jocky asked if I was confident I would score? I frightened the life out of him by saying: 'No, but I will put it in my chosen corner with my right foot and if the goalkeeper goes the right way he isn't saving it anyway'. 'I insisted I was the captain and I'm taking responsibility on the sixth penalty. It was a long walk but thankfully I managed to put it away.' Snelders saved from Anton Rogan and allowed Irvine the glory of netting the winning penalty and sinking to his knees in celebration. McLeish recalled: 'Big Brian, to see him putting the ball, the winner, in the net and instantly celebrating the way he did was absolute joy. 'It was a privilege to watch as captain of Aberdeen that day. There is nothing like it. You've still got to treasure and cherish what we've done in that cup final in 1990, against a good Celtic team. "It would be great if the current Aberdeen side could do the same again in this year's final, although it will be tough because Celtic under Brendan Rodgers have proved what a top team they are." 1990: The Legends Return' event is at the Aberdeen Music Hall on Thursday, May 22. McLeish will be joined by Hans Gillhaus, Charlie Nicholas, Brian Irvine and Theo Snelders. Tickets are available at
