Latest news with #ShaydenMorris
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tears, cheers & beers as 100,000 Aberdeen fans greet heroes
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin called it all "a little bit surrealistic". Captain Graeme Shinnie spoke with glistening eyes about taking an open-topped bus down a heaving street where he used to shop as a child. And chairman Dave Cormack wondered whether he might have been "swinging off the chandeliers" in celebration had it happened a few years before now. But perhaps Scottish Cup final game-changer Shayden Morris encapsulated a remarkable afternoon in the Granite City most succinctly. "This is just unreal man," the Englishman said, awestruck at the sight of close to 100,000 Aberdeen fans engulfing the city's streets to welcome home their Hampden heroes. Morris reckons it was "the best day of our lives" and few of his team-mates would disagree, judging by the smiles on their bleary faces as they hung off the slow-moving bus and cavorted on the Town House balcony. A "couple of the boys are hanging", confirmed midfielder Dante Polvara when asked about the riotous celebrations both on the road back north from Glasgow and when Aberdeen party arrived home. Captain Shinnie's crackly voice hinted it had been a big one. He reckoned he might have got "a couple of hours sleep". As a local boy, he already understood what the likes of Morris and Polvara have learned this weekend, but even the Aberdonian was taken aback by what he experienced on Sunday. 'Aberdeen savour the most perfect game ever played' Shinnie 'could retire today and be a happy man' Aberdeen end 35-year Scottish Cup wait after stunning Celtic in shootout "I always knew that this was possible if you won a trophy for this club," the 33-year-old said of the city centre scenes. "But I didn't expect it to be as good as what it is. "This is what I was always desperate to do. It's phenomenal. You've shared it with your team-mates but now you're sharing it with the city. "There are close to 100,000 fans and you can see what it means to all of them. It's a very special weekend." Cormack has been part of crowds hailing Aberdeen trophy successes in the 1980s, so also had an inkling about what Sunday's celebrations would hold. "This is very special," he said. "It's supposed to be raining today and the sun has come out as well. Maybe if I was 40 I might have been swinging off the chandeliers." The chairman also paid tribute to Thelin, whose debut season at the club has been one of the most polarised that anyone could have imagined. Cormack insisted the Swede is at Pittodrie for the long term and is "not a job-hopper", should his success attract interest from elsewhere. Certainly, days like this should help convince Thelin to stay where he is. "It's been unbelievable. Much, much bigger than I thought," he said, looking every inch his a man who had enjoyed his evening. "You imagine what's going to happen but it was much, much bigger than that. It was actually a little bit surrealistic. "I'm so happy for all these people and all the effort they have given us the whole season, travelling and the tough times. They have been there every time and now they can celebrate together." When Aberdeen last won the Scottish Cup in 1990, I was on a bus embarking on a school trip to Germany, listening to it all unfold on my pocket radio. So being at the celebrations really hammered home how long – too long – it has been since the club last won this trophy, and what it means to the city. The Dons fans lined the streets in their thousands - well into the tens of thousands, in fact - as the open-top bus weaved its way through the city centre. They were in fine voice too, with 'Shinnie, he is one of our own' and the now trademark 'Shady Mo' song being among the choruses belted out as the bus crawled through the throng that filled the granite streets. Prior to the final, there was a mood of trepidation, and very little expectation among the Red Army. What a difference a day can make – this was a scene of jubilation and celebration. It was a fitting reception for the Aberdeen players and staff, who now have their names etched in to the club's history books. As they took it in turns to hold the trophy aloft from the balcony at the Town House at the Castlegate end of Union Street, each lift was greeted with delirious joy. Of course, the challenge will be to build on this success. But this was about savouring the moment, one which saw a city and its football team united as one. Fans lined the streets to see the bus go down Union Street, along Union Terrace and Schoolhill before making its way onto Broad Street. Chris Nicholl, 30, who was at the game, said the experience was "amazing". "It was 35 years of emotion held in for my dad," he said. His wife Leah, 30, added: "He didn't even cry for our wedding!" The win was especially sweet for a father and son who travelled from Australia to support Aberdeen. Allan McCarlie, 51, and his 18-year-old son Jamie flew more than 10,000 miles (16,000km) from Sydney for the match on Saturday. They admitted beforehand people thought they were making a pointless long journey as Celtic were heavy favourites. "I was told I was mad," Allan said afterwards. "Spending so much money to travel from Sydney. "But [now] I am the richest man in the world - priceless memories."
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Tears, cheers & beers as 100,000 Aberdeen fans greet heroes
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin called it all "a little bit surrealistic".Captain Graeme Shinnie spoke with glistening eyes about taking an open-topped bus down a heaving street where he used to shop as a child. And chairman Dave Cormack wondered whether he might have been "swinging off the chandeliers" in celebration had it happened a few years before now. But perhaps Scottish Cup final game-changer Shayden Morris encapsulated a remarkable afternoon in the Granite City most succinctly. "This is just unreal man," the Englishman said, awestruck at the sight of close to 100,000 Aberdeen fans engulfing the city's streets to welcome home their Hampden reckons it was "the best day of our lives" and few of his team-mates would disagree, judging by the smiles on their bleary faces as they hung off the slow-moving bus and cavorted on the Town House balcony.A "couple of the boys are hanging" confirmed midfielder Dante Polvara when asked about the riotous celebrations both on the road back north from Glasgow and when Aberdeen party arrived Shinnie's crackly voice hinted it had been a big one. He reckoned he might have got " a couple of hours sleep".As a local boy, he already understood what the likes of Morris and Polvara have learned this weekend, but even the Aberdonian was taken aback by what he experienced on Sunday. "I always knew that this was possible if you won a trophy for this club," the 33-year-old said of the city centre scenes. "But I didn't expect it to be as good as what it is. "This is what I was always desperate to do. It's phenomenal. You've shared it with your team-mates but now you're sharing it with the city. "There are close to 100,000 fans and you can see what it means to all of them. It's a very special weekend."Cormack has been part of crowds hailing Aberdeen trophy successes in the 1980s, so also had an inkling about what Sunday's celebrations would hold."This is very special," he said. "It's supposed to be raining today and the sun has come out as well. Maybe if I was 40 I might have been swinging off the chandeliers."The chairman also paid tribute to manager Jimmy Thelin, whose debut season at the club has been one of the most polarised that anyone could have insisted the Swede is at Pittodrie for the long-term and is "not a job-hopper", should his success attract interest from days like this should help convince Thelin to stay where he is."It's been unbelievable. Much, much bigger than I thought," he said, looking every inch his a man who had enjoyed his evening. "You imagine what's going to happen but it was much, much bigger than that. It was actually a little bit surrealistic. "I'm so happy for all these people and all the effort they have given us the whole season, travelling and the tough times. They have been there every time and now they can celebrate together." Jubilation lights up granite streets When Aberdeen last won the Scottish Cup in 1990, I was on a bus embarking on a school trip to Germany, listening to it all unfold on my pocket being at the celebrations really hammered home how long – too long – it has been since the club last won this trophy, and what it means to the Dons fans lined the streets in their thousands - well into the tens of thousands, in fact - as the open-topped bus weaved its way through the city were in fine voice too, with 'Shinnie, he is one of our own' and the now trademark 'Shady Mo' song being among the choruses belted out as the bus crawled through the throng which filled the granite to the final, there was a mood of trepidation, and very little expectation among the Red a difference a day can make – this was a scene of jubilation and was a fitting reception for the Aberdeen players and staff, who now have their names etched in to the club's history they took it in turns to hold the trophy aloft from the balcony at the Town House at the Castlegate end of Union Street, each lift was greeted with delirious course, the challenge will be to build on this this was about savouring the moment, one which saw a city and its football team united as one. 'Thirty-five years of emotion unleashed' Fans lined the streets to see the bus go down Union Street, along Union Terrace and Schoolhill before making its way onto Broad Nicholl, 30, who was at the game, said the experience was "amazing"."It was 35 years of emotion held in for my dad," he wife Leah, 30, added: "He didn't even cry for our wedding!"The win was especially sweet for a father and son who travelled from Australia to support McCarlie, 51, and his 18-year-old son Jamie flew more than 10,000 miles (16,000km) from Sydney for the match on admitted beforehand people thought they were making a pointless long journey as Celtic were heavy favourites."I was told I was mad," Allan said afterwards. "Spending so much money to travel from Sydney. "But [now] I am the richest man in the world - priceless memories."
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Morris relishing recognition from Dons support
Aberdeen winger Shayden Morris has described being named as Aberdeen's Player of the Season as "the biggest achievement" of his career so far and has vowed that the best is yet to come from him. Morris, 23, received the accolade, voted for by the Dons' fans, at the club awards night on Thursday. "It is a massive moment for me and my family," he said. "'For it to be voted by the fans is a massive feeling, because I know it hasn't always been easy times, so to be in this position, to be voted Player of the Season, I am really happy. "I do feel like I have had to be patient this season at times and I have always trusted in myself in what the coaches say to me. "I have just wanted to work hard, give everything I can every time I do step on the pitch and for it to be rewarded like that is such a massive achievement." Morris has been a key player for the Dons who are currently fourth in the Premiership and who also have a Scottish Cup final against Celtic to look forward to. And he believes he has gone some way to showing he can make his mark from the start of games, rather than as a super sub coming off the bench. "I definitely do think I have shown I can do it from the start as well," Morris added. "For me this season, I have had a lot of people watching closely, game by game 'is he going to do it?' but as a footballer you can't do it every single game and that is one thing I have had to realise, even for me, I get a bit down when I don't have an exciting game because that is the type of player I am. "But I think as a starter or coming on as a sub, players do go through games where they are not always at their 100% best and I feel like it is all about belief and if you can play one, two, three games, I am sure by the fourth one you can get that performance. "It is all about belief, and I know I can do it if I am given a run."
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Morris relishing recognition from Dons support
Aberdeen winger Shayden Morris has described being named as Aberdeen's Player of the Season as "the biggest achievement" of his career so far and has vowed that the best is yet to come from 23, received the accolade, voted for by the Dons' fans, at the club awards night on Thursday."It is a massive moment for me and my family," he said. "'For it to be voted by the fans is a massive feeling, because I know it hasn't always been easy times, so to be in this position, to be voted Player of the Season, I am really happy."I do feel like I have had to be patient this season at times and I have always trusted in myself in what the coaches say to me. "I have just wanted to work hard, give everything I can every time I do step on the pitch and for it to be rewarded like that is such a massive achievement."Morris has been a key player for the Dons who are currently fourth in the Premiership and who also have a Scottish Cup final against Celtic to look forward he believes he has gone some way to showing he can make his mark from the start of games, rather than as a super sub coming off the bench."I definitely do think I have shown I can do it from the start as well," Morris added."For me this season, I have had a lot of people watching closely, game by game 'is he going to do it?' but as a footballer you can't do it every single game and that is one thing I have had to realise, even for me, I get a bit down when I don't have an exciting game because that is the type of player I am."But I think as a starter or coming on as a sub, players do go through games where they are not always at their 100% best and I feel like it is all about belief and if you can play one, two, three games, I am sure by the fourth one you can get that performance."It is all about belief, and I know I can do it if I am given a run."
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Thelin to decide on players' futures before cup final
Jimmy Thelin will make decisions about Aberdeen players' futures in the week running up to the Scottish Cup final with Celtic. (Press and Journal - subscription required), externalAberdeen's player of the year Shayden Morris, 23, has bigger prizes in mind with the Dons in contention to finish third in the Premiership and into the Scottish Cup final. (Record), externalRead Saturday's Scottish gossip
