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
