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Press and Journal
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Press and Journal
Gordon Reid: Tributes paid to Dons artist and cartoonist loved by Gothenburg Greats
Sometimes, it was two old Dons supporters standing in a bar, chewing the fat like Jack and Victor from Still Game. On other occasions, it was a striking artwork of a sheep on fire or a postcard full of praise for the Aberdeen players who took Europe by storm in the 1980s. Thanks to his many different drawings and cartoons, Gordon Reid, who died on Monday at the age of 76, was part of the cultural link between the Pittodrie club and its legions of fans. One of the Gothenburg Greats, Neil Simpson, has paid tribute to Gordon, describing him as being both 'ahead of his time' and a 'wonderful human being'. And club representatives have spoken about how he could make people laugh, even in tough times, and turn his hand to almost anything around the city he loved. Chris Gavin, of Aberdeen FC Heritage Trust, was constantly amazed at his colleague's prodigious output and the effort he devoted to a unique Pittodrie project. He said: 'Gordon was an early contributor to Aberdeen's first football fanzine The Northern Light and his cartoons went down well with supporters. 'He had a special liking for drawing [the former Dons chairman] Dick Donald. 'When The Northern Light folded, he moved on to found The Red Final and participated in the short-lived Granite Kipper. 'His output was prolific and there was far more material than could ever be used. 'He was a great admirer of the American underground artist Robert Crumb (who produced Keep on Truckin') from whom he took inspiration. 'Famously, when he got access to Pittodrie, he undertook a massive project to add cartoons to a stairwell in the Richard Donald Stand. 'The surface he had to work on was pretty coarse, but he persisted patiently, one stairstep at a time, and it probably did some damage to his knees in the process. 'Much of that work can still be seen today. 'There is no doubting his talent, but it wasn't recognised by the Aberdeen art establishment – something that mattered not a jot to thousands of Dons fans.' Neil Simpson, who was among the players who made history when Aberdeen beat Real Madrid in Gothenburg in 1983, was a long-time aficionado of Gordon's creativity. And he wasn't alone in the Pittodrie dressing room during that halcyon period. He said: 'Gordon was well known in the 80s for the Red Final, which was way ahead of its time, and many laughs were had by the players when we looked at his work. 'He was also devoted to the club and the Dons meant so much to him. 'I met Gordon numerous times and I always enjoyed his company. 'He was a lovely man and he will be sadly missed.' Chris Crighton, the editor of the Red Final and a regular contributor to the P&J, knew that the 'legendary' Gordon had been in poor health for several years. Yet that didn't lessen his sadness at learning about the death of somebody he cherished. He said: 'Gordon's catalogue was extraordinary in its volume, ingenuity and skill. 'And his work was as instantly recognisable as he was himself. 'He was known by many, loved by most, bettered by none.' His long-time friend, David Cheyne, kept in touch with Gordon – and revealed how the pair managed to bring a cherished production to fruition shortly before his death. He said: 'Gordon gave up his work with a clerical post at North East Farmers and spent a lot of time with his caricatures and drawings. 'We also very recently managed to get one of his projects on cinema – Adventures of a Film Buff – put into printed form for him. 'He said it was the last thing that he wanted to get done with regards to his work as it had been sitting waiting to get printed for about 20 years.' There has been talk of a celebration of Gordon's life at some future stage. And already, some people have argued that an exhibition featuring his work would prove very popular among Aberdeen fans. He deserved that while he was still alive. But better late than never.
Press and Journal
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Dons greats Neil Simpson and John McMaster believe Aberdeen can win their first Scottish Cup in 35 years
Neil Simpson has never forgotten the emotions which enveloped him after he won his first Scottish Cup title with Aberdeen in 1982. When the final whistle sounded, he burst into tears of joy and relief as he and his teammates celebrated their 4-1 victory over Rangers at Hampden Park. As he told me: 'It was what I had dreamt about as a kid in Newmachar, creating my own TV commentaries in my garden – and there I was at just 20 and it had come true. 'Getting the opportunity to lift the trophy was another unforgettable memory and gazing out at the fans was a reminder of football's ability to leave you overwhelmed. 'The elation carried on the following day with an open-top bus procession down Union Street and the pavements were packed with thousands of people who cheered us on as we progressed to a full Pittodrie to celebrate with our supporters.' It became a familiar feeling for individuals such as Simpson and John McMaster, as the Dons won the trophy four times in five seasons. But now, the pair want the current generation of Pittodrie players to make history of their own. These Gothenburg Greats – whose team beat Real Madrid to secure the European Cup Winners Cup in 1983 – were nervously watching from the sidelines as Aberdeen's Class of '25 edged past Hearts 1-0 in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup last month. It was a fraught encounter, a contest which was only resolved after extra time and with their opponents reduced to nine men, but Jimmy Thelin's side achieved their objective. Now, though, they have to tackle Celtic on May 25 to win their first Scottish Cup for no less than 35 years; a situation which Simpson describes as 'shocking'. He told me: 'I am always optimistic when it comes to Aberdeen and, although Celtic are the favourites, I fancy the Dons to spring an upset. 'I just have this feeling that their name is on the trophy this year. They've been fortunate with home draws in the tournament and, while the semi-final wasn't pretty, they got the job done and deserved to advance. 'However, it is shocking that a club the size of Aberdeen have not won the Cup since 1990. Obviously, the gap between the Old Firm and the rest in terms of budget is huge. 'But that can't be an excuse when you see that the likes of Caley Thistle, Ross Country and St Johnstone have won the trophy in the intervening period. 'This, though, is the perfect opportunity to address that and put it right. 'I would urge the Dons to stick their chests out, believe in their abilities and send the message to their opponents they have to come to Hampden on a mission. 'They have to set the tone right from the start, win their individual and collective battles, and remember that the rewards of winning will be massive. 'They will be in the record books forever and they'll get their own bus parade.' McMaster, for his part, has been impressed with Thelin's maiden campaign, even if it has contained more ups and downs than a trampoline park. But he didn't pull his punches when it came to addressing his perception of the lack of leaders in the current Aberdeen line-up. As he said: 'They have plenty of leaders off the pitch and the supporters have been phenomenal this season, so I'm really hoping the players seize this chance. 'Graeme Shinnie has done an excellent job in terms of providing leadership, but we need four or five players with that ability to impose themselves on a big match. 'I think Jimmy needs a 'screaming room' at Pittodrie to gee up his guys [Simpson and McMaster were often given the hairdryer treatment by Sir Alex Ferguson], but Aberdeen proved earlier this year they can cause the Celtic defence problems. 'They have to go out on the pitch with the attitude: 'We deserve to be here, but we can't be satisfied with that' and leave nothing out there during the final. 'This isn't just about the team, this is about lifting the whole city and realising they can become legends and they are potentially 90 minutes away from history. 'That should inspire them to express themselves and get out of the blocks quickly. Nobody remembers how you reached a final if you win it.' It's a long time since McMaster and his brother, Andrew rolled up socks into the shape of a football and 'kicked lumps out of one another', playing indoors at home. He was nicknamed Spammer, because his family grew up in a community where the people were so poor they had to survive on tins of the processed meat. But there was never any sense he was missing out on a household filled with laughter. Yet these early experiences had a significant impact on his career. He and Simpson pushed themselves to the nth degree, relentlessly pursuing their ambitions. McMaster said: 'Footballers in those days weren't the multi-millionaires that a lot of them are now in the modern era. 'Our basic wage was OK in the grand scheme, but the bonus payments we received for playing in and winning games made a huge difference. 'So we aimed to give 100% every single time. Yes, we were pushed hard by Fergie, but we had our own hunger. We knew runners-up medals weren't enough. We had to win. 'That's one of the messages which has hopefully been driven into the current players.' Aberdeen will have to improve on their previous Cup performances this season, but there's no shortage of motivation. Success will open the door to European competition. And, who knows, there might even be a tinge of Hollywood if they attain their goal. Simpson told me, reflecting on the aftermath of the 1982 victory: 'We were drinking champagne on the bus as we drove to Gleneagles for a party and it was a wonderful evening of food, drinks, banter, shared joy and pride in what we had done. 'And that was even before we were introduced to a genuine Hollywood legend. 'Stuart Kennedy had watched Burt Lancaster in all his classic movies from The Killers to Birdman of Alcatraz and From Here to Eternity and Atlantic City. 'And now, Burt was in Scotland to make a new movie. 'There was a photograph of Stuart and Burt together and the look on his face was like: 'Is this the icing on the cake or what?!' 'It summed up that Saturday. We were in our own Tinseltown production.' Hopefully, Thelin's team will all be Local Heroes when it matters next weekend. If you enjoyed this story, you may also like: Exclusive: Gothenburg Great Neil Simpson on 'wrench' of leaving Aberdeen after more than 35 years
Press and Journal
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Press and Journal
Thainstone Centre: From top-class cattle to classic cars
It's not just livestock that goes under the hammer at Thainstone Centre, near Inverurie. Thainstone Specialist Auctions (TSA), a division of ANM Group recently hosted a timed online auction of classic and collectable vehicles. And there were some splendid-looking lots up for grabs. Top-selling prices included a 2001 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Auto, which fetched £16,750. Despite its advanced age, the well-loved car – similar to the Aston Martins famously driven by secret agent James Bond – had only 30,247 miles on the clock. Also in the five-figure bracket in the online auction was a vintage 1964 Ford Thames Trader truck, which sold for £10,750. An even older vehicle, a 1962 Ford Zephyr, had plenty of classic car appeal. The successful bidder paid £9,400. Meanwhile, a 2000 Bentley Arnage Red Label Auto fetched £8,000. And a 2003 Mini Cooper with just 27,742 miles on the clock sold for £3,500. Elsewhere in the auction, a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle TDI converted pick-up went for £3,200. Neil Simpson, head of business development and strategy, TSA, said 'Interest from across the UK and a strong presence of buyers in the north-east highlights continued demand for good quality, clean classics.' All but one of the lots sold on the day, with many exceeding their reserves. Neil added: 'By utilising our online bidding platform and marketing channels we were able to reach the right audience and deliver a successful sale.' TSA is one of the UK's leading commercial auctioneers. Thainstone-based ANM is one of Scotland's largest producer-owned co-operatives. Its auction venues are best known for sales of top-class cattle and sheep. One of the group's key achievements in recent years has been to diversify long-established livestock operations into an organisation spanning multiple business activities. ANM's portfolio also includes livestock marketing, plant, machinery and equipment auctions and valuations, rural and commercial property interests, hospitality and events. Regular online vehicle auctions are held fortnightly on Thursday evenings from 6pm.
