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Press and Journal
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Duncan Shearer: Weekend of a lifetime is just the start for Aberdeen
It has been an amazing weekend for Aberdeen after the Dons beat Celtic on penalties to win the Scottish Cup. The drama on Saturday at Hampden was incredible but the joyous scenes of the open top bus parade through the Granite City on Sunday was equally spectacular. It's moments like that which show you just how much the football club means to the city and its people. I watched the game in a pub in Fort William with some friends. I grew up a Celtic fan and the place was full of Hoops supporters, but when the Dons scored their equaliser I jumped up to roar in celebration. 'Oh aye, it's like that now is it?' was one of the more printable responses which came my way, but what can I say? When you play for Aberdeen it leaves a mark on you. That's why I was delighted for Dons captain Graeme Shinnie. To win the Scottish Cup with two different teams is special. To skipper two different clubs to cup glory, however, puts Shinnie in a class of his own. I know Graeme well from his time at Caley Thistle. He's an Aberdeen lad, a great guy and the consummate professional. To win the cup for a second time, after being the nearly man on a few occasions, on his 300th appearance for the Dons no less, is incredible. It's almost as if it was meant to be. I was delighted to Dons boss Jimmy Thelin too. He looked like a man in need of a holiday by the end of it all and it comes as no surprise. The Swede has been through an emotional wringer of a first season in Scottish football but has ended it with the prize of the Scottish Cup and qualification for Europe. Not bad for a first season, not bad at all. I have to hand it to the Aberdeen manager, he showed nerves of steel with his team selection, formation and approach at Hampden. To rip up the playbook for the final game of the season, and set his team out the way he did was bold. But seeing his players execute the gameplan perfectly must have given him enormous satisfaction. His three-man defence was outstanding with Jack Milne showing maturity beyond his 22 years with an accomplished display on his first start in the Scottish Cup. Nicky Devlin, a surprise choice at left back, ran himself into the ground for the cause as he shackled Nicolas Kuhn brilliantly. For the rest of the team it was a day of sheer graft, organisation, and total commitment. Thankfully, Aberdeen had all of those qualities in abundance. When the time came for the substitutes to play their part it was the men in red who had the greater impact off the bench. Shayden Morris' pace terrified Celtic while the unorthodox Pape Gueye gave the Dons a physical presence in the final third as the legs in the closing stages and during extra-time. Capping it off was Dimitar Mitov's crucial late save to deny Daizen Maeda a winner before pulling off two further saves in the penalty shootout. A special word too for chairman Dave Cormack and his board of directors at the club. They fought hard for a 50-50 split of the tickets for the final, even coughing up the money upfront to ensure they got their way – and it paid off big time. Facing Celtic or Rangers at Hampden in a cup final is hard enough as it is. They have the financial advantage and their fans just have to roll out of bed and they've arrived at the National Stadium. Giving them, or Rangers for that matter, another advantage of more tickets for the game has always struck me as unfair. But the sight of the red and green split perfectly on the halfway line, and the incredible backing of the underdogs on the big stage showed Cormack's fight on behalf of his club was justified. I hope it has also convinced the SFA has to make an equal allocation of cup final tickets the precedent for future finals. It's a cup final, the meeting of two teams on equal footing in a one-off game. Let's treat it as such. The big question is what comes next for the Dons and their manager? Well, Europe awaits, and as the chairman stated at the parade on Sunday, the Dons need to be stronger to cope with the demands of European football alongside domestic competition. The travel, the Thursday-Sunday fixtures and the lack of recovery time will put a strain on the Dons squad. They struggled with it last season and will look to handle it much better in the next campaign. That will mean further backing for the manager to build a stronger squad but Thelin has shown he deserves that backing after ending the 35 year wait to bring the Scottish Cup back to Pittodrie. Finishing fifth in the league felt disappointing given how good the start to the season was. But if you had asked an Aberdeen fan at the start of the season if winning the Scottish Cup, qualifying for Europe, and finishing fifth would the outcome, I'm sure they'd all have taken it. Anyway, that fifth place finish now leaves room for improvement – and the holders have a cup to try to defend next season.
Press and Journal
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie an emotional wreck following Scottish Cup win
Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie makes no apologies for letting his emotions get the better of him after leading the Dons to Scottish Cup glory – even if it has put him in the doghouse with his wife Jodie. The Dons skipper slumped to his knees in tears of joy on the Hampden turf after finally lifting silverware with his home town club following the penalty shootout victory against Celtic. He was joined on the Hampden pitch by his daughters Penelope and Verity for the celebrations and he was delighted to make the moment a family affair. Shinnie said: 'I'm not really an emotional person so I got a telling off from my wife because I didn't get emotional on my wedding day. 'But when Dimi (Mitov) saved that penalty to win the Scottish Cup I couldn't stop greeting. 'It was a really, really special day. 'Ten years ago (when Shinnie won the Scottish Cup with Caley Thistle) my youngest wasn't born and my eldest was four months, so she won't remember it. 'I promised them we'd make those memories and it was wonderful. 'My youngest didn't really care all that much but my eldest took it all in and really enjoyed the day. 'She likes the attention she was getting, it was special to share it with my family.' The captain has made no secret of his desire to lead the Dons to cup glory and as he reflected on a momentous weekend which included an open top bus parade through the city, the smile was still etched on his face. The scenes of joy among the Dons supporters were soon followed by the post-final celebrations back in the Granite City. For the Dons captain and his team-mates it's fair to say Saturday was a night none of them will forget – even if they are still nursing the sore heads to go with it. A hoarse Shinnie said: 'The night was as good as expected – my voice proves that. 'I didn't have to buy a drink all night – and that keeps an Aberdonian happy. 'The scenes in the city were incredible, these were the moments I told the players we could enjoy. 'The city was bouncing, everything I thought it would be. 'The Scottish Cup hasn't been in Aberdeen for so long, it means so much to the punters and everyone who backs us. 'These are memories which will last a lifetime. We've achieved it and we're enjoying it. 'The bus journey back up from Glasgow on Saturday night was carnage, as you would expect. 'There was a lot of singing, champagne everywhere. I felt bad for the driver because he would have had to clean it. 'We came back to Pittodrie and the cup stayed there, I don't think the club would have trusted me with it. I doubt it would have been here today.' Scottish Cup glory was the aim for the Dons and their manager Jimmy Thelin but the added reward of guaranteed group stage football in Europe next season also comes with the victory over Celtic on Saturday. Europe had not been a motivating factor for Shinnie as the cup itself was more than enough. But that does not mean he is not looking forward to the fruits of his side's labour at the National Stadium next season. He said: 'What we've done will sink in, it still feels a bit surreal to say I've won the Scottish Cup with Aberdeen to be honest. 'But when it does start sinking in, we'll think about Europe because that's a massive thing or this club as well. 'European group stage football is where we want to be and we have that to look forward to now. 'The last time, we had great games like Eintracht Frankfurt away and PAOK away, which were brilliant games to be involved in. 'The fans love those trips and I'm sure they'll be ready to travel in big numbers with us again like they always do.'
Scotsman
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Aberdeen's big Scottish Cup parade: 'Carnage' journey home, free drinks and traffic-light climbers
Aberdeen parties after Thelin's team land Scottish Cup Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Pittodrie Stadium, Sunday 9.45am, the morning after the night before, the biggest party in central Aberdeen for 35 years. A gaggle of pressmen and camera crews assembled outside this famous stadium. Taxis started to filter into the car park. Heroes emerged – some sprightly, some a little worse for wear. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Defender Mats Knoester, the man of the match in Aberdeen's Scottish Cup triumph over Celtic, was one of the first to arrive. He was met by a couple of adoring fans desperate for a photo. The rest soon followed. Striker Kevin Nisbet was asked to describe his night. 'Amazing,' he smiled through sunglasses. It would be fair to surmise a few beverages had been consumed. Aberdeen's open-top bus goes through the city. | SNS Group Manager Jimmy Thelin stopped for a quick chat. 'That was quite good,' said the suave yet stoic Swede, who still looked pretty pristine in his suit. He reported that his own celebrations had been mellow – certainly compared to some of his players. Nicky Devlin arrived with his family, a scarf wrapped around his like a bandana, before now two Aberdeen legends – captain Graeme Shinnie and penalty-saving goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov – pulled up together. 'The night was as good as expected – my voice proves that,' a hoarse Shinnie reported. 'I didn't have to buy a drink all night – and that keeps an Aberdonian happy! The scenes in the city were incredible, these were the moments I told the players we could enjoy. The city was bouncing, everything I thought it would be. The Scottish Cup hasn't been in Aberdeen for so long, it means so much to the punters and everyone who backs us. These are memories which will last a lifetime.' Bacon rolls after 'crazy' journey home The Aberdeen squad convened inside Pittodrie before boarding the team bus. Bacon rolls were on offer for those in need of nourishment. 'Crazy,' was the word the coach driver used to describe the bus journey back to the north-east from Hampden on Saturday evening. 'Carnage, as you would expect,' smiled Shinnie. 'There was a lot of singing, champagne everywhere. I felt bad for the driver.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Their celebratory chauffeur reported it took an hour-and-a-half to clean it – the players needed a little longer to win the Scottish Cup. After 120 minutes of football and penalties, Aberdeen had their hands on the trophy. The Red Army exploded, a joyous sea of red and emotion cascading towards the players. This is the first time a generation of Dandies have witnessed the Scottish Cup with red-and-white ribbons on it. Graeme Shinnie shows off the Scottish Cup from the Aberdeen town hall. | SNS Group The Aberdeen players and their families emerged from the stadium to be transported to the top of Union Street for their parade. Thousands of Dons supporters lined the streets to greet them. 'Shady Mo, Shady Mo, Shady MO MO MO,' rang out as the revelry began. Morris was the one whose cross-shot forced Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel to put the ball through his own net and level the score at 1-1. The winger has become a firm favourite with the fans. The open-top bus meandered from the Albyn Place end of Union Street down to Broad Street, with tens of thousands of supporters bedecked in red and while cheering them. Shinnie was front and centre, as he rightly should be. The skipper has experienced some heartache with Aberdeen in previous finals but his talismanic performance drove Aberdeen on as they chased down Celtic. Chairman's confidence Chairman Dave Cormack and chief executive Alan Burrows were at the Town House to greet the players before their civic reception. This was an emotional day for Cormack, who has ploughed so much money and effort into Aberdeen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I was confident during the week,' said Cormack. 'I had a feeling during the week that if we could put things together for 90 or 120 minutes, we'd do it. If we'd lost the penalty shootout, we'd come back and dust ourselves off then get ready for next season. As soon as the first one is saved, you think 'oh, here we go' and that's the way it turned out. Fantastic. 'The way I'm wired, I'll enjoy this for a day then start looking to the future. Life doesn't promise you a bed of roses, you have to work hard and be strong-willed. It's not about me, I want to be an ambassador for the city and the football club. It's special, it's been such a long time. I'm delighted for the city and our supporters worldwide, you can see what it means to people. The fans were unbelievable on Saturday. When the SFA said they'd give us 15,000 tickets or whatever it was, or buy 20,000 we had no hesitation. It showed you what it meant to them yesterday and the fans played their part.' Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack waves to supporters. | SNS Group The Aberdeen players, replenished by more beer and bubbly, disembarked the bus to more salutes. Supporters scaled traffic lights to catch a glimpse of them. It is not just the Scottish Cup Aberdeen have secured – they are guaranteed at the very least main-phase Conference League football next season. 'What we've done will sink in,' said Shinnie. 'It still feels a bit surreal to say I've won the Scottish Cup with Aberdeen to be honest. But when it does start sinking in, we'll think about Europe because that's a massive thing for this club as well. European group stage football is where we want to be and we have that to look forward to now. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The last time, we had great games like Eintracht Frankfurt away and PAOK away, which were brilliant games to be involved in. The fans love those trips and I'm sure they'll be ready to travel in big numbers with us again like they always do.'
Daily Record
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
I didn't get emotional on wedding day so I'm in doghouse with wife after Aberdeen Scottish Cup tears
The skipper got it in the ear because he showed more emotion in lifting the Scottish Cup than his wedding day Graeme Shinnie admitted he was in the doghouse with his wife because he was in tears after lifting the Scottish Cup. Mrs Shinnie gave the delighted skipper it in the ear because he hadn't shown anywhere near the same emotion on their wedding day. Football-wise, it was a dream come true for the home town boy as he lifted the Scottish Cup and proudly took it down the open top bus parade of Union Street and Aberdeen city centre. Thousands of fans lined the streets and it was a sea of red and white as the first silverware in 11 years was finally brought home. Shinnie had never hidden the fact that he wanted to lift a trophy at Aberdeen and you saw what it meant to him as he cried tears of joy as they shared the moment with his wife, kids and family. He admitted: 'I'm not really an emotional person so I got a telling off from my wife because I didn't get emotional on my wedding day. 'But when Dimi saved that penalty to win the Scottish Cup I couldn't stop greeting! 'It was a really, really special day. 'Ten years ago my youngest wasn't born and my eldest was four months, so she won't remember it. 'I promised them we'd make those memories and it was wonderful. 'My youngest didn't really care all that much but my eldest took it all in and really enjoyed the day. 'She likes the attention she was getting, it was special to share it with my family." 'He's one of our own' echoed around the Granite City streets as Shinnie led his team into the civic reception at the Town House. Shinnie had spent Saturday night out with his teammates. First there was the long bus journey which saw the 33-year-old topless, complete with an Aberdeen bucket hat and the Scottish Cup It was then take up a notch or two when he hit the town and celebrated with the fans. He said he never had to put his hand in his pocket and insisted that is a perfect night for an Aberdonian. He said: 'The night was as good as expected - my voice proves that. 'I didn't have to buy a drink all night - and that keeps an Aberdonian happy! 'The scenes in the city were incredible, these were the moments I told the players we could enjoy. The city was bouncing, everything I thought it would be. 'The Scottish Cup hasn't been in Aberdeen for so long, it means so much to the punters and everyone who backs us. 'These are memories which will last a lifetime. We've achieved it and we're enjoying it. 'The bus journey back up from Glasgow on Saturday night was carnage, as you would expect. 'There was a lot of singing, champagne everywhere. I felt bad for the driver because he would have had to clean it. 'We came back to Pittodrie and the cup stayed there, I don't think the club would have trusted me with it. I doubt it would have been here today!' It was Aberdeen's first Scottish Cup in 35 years. Shinnie had previously lifted it as Inverness skipper and now had a dream double. It was his first trophy in red at the fifth attempt. He had previously lost three finals to Celtic and Brendan Rodgers but was finally able to bin that hoodoo in some style. He proudly claimed: 'What we've done will sink in, it still feels a bit surreal to say I've won the Scottish Cup with Aberdeen to be honest.' There was the glittering prize and then the even bigger one of guaranteed European group stage football. He has previously savoured it as they played Eintracht Frankfurt, PAOK and HJK. Now he will get another crack at it. They go into the Europa League play-off and would drop into the group stages of the Conference League if they didn't progress. It will be something else for Jimmy Thelin's Red Army to look forward to. He added: 'But when it does start sinking in, we'll think about Europe because that's a massive thing for this club as well. 'European group stage football is where we want to be and we have that to look forward to now. 'The last time, we had great games like Eintracht Frankfurt away and PAOK away, which were brilliant games to be involved in. 'The fans love those trips and I'm sure they'll be ready to travel in big numbers with us again like they always do.' This time they will want to make an impact with Aberdeen at that level but before then it will be time to celebrate, reflect and then to recharge the batteries to go again in a couple of months.
Scottish Sun
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Aberdeen star to JOIN Scottish Cup final opponents Celtic as replacement for long-serving departing ace
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ABERDEEN goalkeeper Ross Doohan has penned a pre-contract with Celtic. The 27-year-old is out of contract at Pittodrie this summer and will now land a plum role as number three with the Hoops. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 3 Aberdeen goalkeeper Ross Doohan has signed a pre-contract agreement with Celtic Credit: Willie Vass 3 Dons beat Celts in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday Credit: Alamy 3 Doohan is backup to Dimitar Mitov but will become third choice behind Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo Credit: Kenny Ramsay Celtic gaffer Brendan Rodgers needs a Scot to help meet the quota for European squads so is set to sign him as back-up to Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo. Doohan has been understudy to Dons number one Dimitar Mitov this term but has played 18 times while the Bulgarian struggled with a hamstring injury. Celtic's Scottish place in the goalkeeping department has been taken by Scott Bain in recent seasons. But the 33-year-old former Dundee keeper will now depart in search of regular games after playing just eight times in the last three seasons. Meanwhile, Graeme Shinnie has joked he's in the bad books with wife Jodie for showing more emotion winning the Scottish Cup than he did on his wedding day. The 33-year-old was in floods of tears when Mitov's penalty save from Celtic star Alistair Johnston fulfilled his lifelong dream of leading Aberdeen to Hampden glory. Shinnie partied long into the night after getting back to the Granite City from Glasgow. And revealed his missus cheekily reminded him how calm and collected he was the day they married. The midfielder said: 'I'm not really an emotional person so I got a telling off from my wife because I didn't get emotional on my wedding day! 'But when Dimi saved that penalty to win the Scottish Cup I couldn't stop greeting! Aberdeen fans react to historic Scottish Cup win 'It was a really, really special day. 'Ten years ago my youngest wasn't born and my eldest was four months, so she won't remember it. 'I promised them we'd make those memories and it was wonderful. 'My youngest didn't really care all that much but my eldest took it all in and really enjoyed the day. 'She likes the attention she was getting, it was special to share it with my family.' Shinnie arrived at Pittodrie at 10am still wearing his club kit after a night on the tiles. And like a true Aberdonian he loved the fact his hand never went into his pocket at the bar. Shinnie said: 'The night was as good as expected - my voice proves that. Aberdeen end 35 years of hurt as they lift the Scottish Cup in Celtic penalty thriller 'I didn't have to buy a drink all night - and that keeps an Aberdonian happy! 'The scenes in the city were incredible, these were the moments I told the players we could enjoy. 'The city was bouncing, everything I thought it would be. 'The Scottish Cup hasn't been in Aberdeen for so long, it means so much to the punters and everyone who backs us. 'These are memories which will last a lifetime. 'We've achieved it and we're enjoying it. 'The bus journey back up from Glasgow on Saturday night was carnage, as you would expect. 'There was a lot of singing, champagne everywhere. I felt bad for the driver because he would have had to clean it. 'We came back to Pittodrie and the cup stayed there, I don't think the club would have trusted me with it. I doubt it would have been here today!' Aberdeen have guaranteed European group stage football in either the Europa League or the Conference. Man charged over fans' street rammy after Aberdeen-Celtic Scottish Cup final And once the magnitude of ending the Dons' 35-year wait for the Scottish Cup sinks in, the Pittodrie players have so much to look forward to. Shinnie said: 'What we've done will sink in, it still feels a bit surreal to say I've won the Scottish Cup with Aberdeen to be honest. 'But when it does start sinking in, we'll think about Europe because that's a massive thing for this club as well. 'European group stage football is where we want to be and we have that to look forward to now. 'The last time, we had great games like Eintracht Frankfurt away and PAOK away, which were brilliant games to be involved in. 'The fans love those trips and I'm sure they'll be ready to travel in big numbers with us again like they always do.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
