1980–81 Aberdeen F.C. season

Aberdeen competed in the Scottish Premier Division, Scottish Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup in season 1980–81.

Aberdeen
1980–81 season
ChairmanDick Donald
ManagerAlex Ferguson
Scottish Premier Division2nd
Scottish Cup4th round
Scottish League CupQuarter-final
European Cup2nd round
Drybrough CupWinners
Top goalscorerLeague: Mark McGhee (13)
All: Mark McGhee (17)
Highest home attendance24,000 vs. Celtic, 27 December 1980
24,000 vs. Liverpool, 22 October 1980
Lowest home attendance5,600 vs. Heart of Midlothian, 11 April 1981
Average home league attendance12,812

Overview

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Aberdeen finished second in the Scottish Premier Division. The team played in their first-ever European Champions' Cup campaign, defeating Austrian Champions Austria Memphis, then losing 0–5 on aggregate to English club Liverpool. In the domestic cups, they lost in the quarter final of the League Cup to Dundee and were knocked out of the Scottish Cup in the fourth round by Morton.

Results

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Friendlies

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Date Opponent H/A Score Aberdeen Scorer(s) Attendance
19 July   B36 Tórshavn A 5–1 Scanlon (2), Jarvie, Watson, McMaster 0
22 July Forres Mechanics A 7–1 Jarvie (3), Scanlon, Watson, McMaster, Cowan 0
23 July Nairn County A 5–0 Scanlon (3), Strachan, Jarvie 0
3 August   Arsenal H 2–1 Watson, Miller 0
12 August   FC Twente H 1–2 McLeish 0
31 August Joe Harper Select H 8–6 Cowan (2), Strachan, Leighton, Jarvie, Perovic, Dornan, Davidson 0
3 May Dundee A 3–0 Rougvie, Harrow, Davidson 0

Scottish Premier Division

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Match Day Date Opponent H/A Score Aberdeen Scorer(s) Attendance
1. 9 August St Mirren A 1–0 Jarvie 7,067
2. 16 August Dundee United H 1–1 Strachan 13,729
3. 23 August Airdrieonians A 4–0 Cowan, McGhee, Jarvie, Scanlon 5,000
4. 6 September Morton H 6–0 Miller, Strachan, McMaster, Scanlon (2), Hewitt 9,485
5. 13 September Rangers A 1–1 Strachan 30,000
6. 20 September Partick Thistle A 1–0 McGhee 6,000
7. 27 September Celtic H 2–2 McGhee, McAdam (Own goal) 23,000
8. 4 October Heart of Midlothian A 1–0 Rougvie 10,873
9. 11 October Kilmarnock H 2–0 Jarvie, Scanlon 11,000
10. 18 October St Mirren H 3–2 McMaster, McGhee (2) 11,000
11. 25 October Dundee United A 3–1 McGhee, Strachan, Hewitt 10,043
12. 1 November Airdrieonians H 4–1 McCall (3), McGhee 9,000
13. 8 November Celtic A 2–0 McCall (2) 29,000
14. 15 November Partick Thistle H 2–1 Strachan, Bell 12,000
15. 22 November Kilmarnock A 1–1 McLeish 3,200
16. 6 December Morton A 0–1 5,000
17. 13 December Rangers H 2–0 McGhee, Johnstone (Own goal) 22,500
18. 20 December Partick Thistle A 1–1 McCall 4,000
19. 27 December Celtic H 4–1 McCall, McLeish, Miller, Strachan 24,000
20. 30 December Dundee United H 1–1 Scanlon 23,000
21. 3 January St Mirren A 1–1 Scanlon 11,100
22. 10 January Heart of Midlothian A 2–0 McCall, McGhee 7,999
23. 31 January Rangers A 0–1 32,500
24. 7 February Morton H 0–1 11,000
25. 21 February Airdrieonians A 0–0 2,600
26. 28 February St Mirren H 1–2 Jarvie 9,500
27. 7 March Heart of Midlothian H 4–1 Hamilton, Angus, McCall, Jarvie 9,500
28. 14 March Kilmarnock A 0–1 2,400
29. 28 March Celtic A 1–1 Harrow 35,200
30. 1 April Partick Thistle H 3–1 McLeish, Simpson, McGhee 8,000
31. 4 April Morton A 3–1 Simpson, McGhee, Rougvie 4,500
32. 11 April Heart of Midlothian H 1–0 Rougvie 5,600
33. 18 April Airdrieonians H 3–0 McCall, McGhee (2) 7,000
34. 22 April Rangers H 0–0 15,000
35. 25 April Dundee United A 0–0 6,369
36. 2 May Kilmarnock H 0–2 6,300

Final standings

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Celtic (C) 36 26 4 6 84 37 +47 56 Qualification for the European Cup first round
2 Aberdeen 36 19 11 6 61 26 +35 49 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
3 Rangers 36 16 12 8 60 32 +28 44 Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round
4 St Mirren 36 18 8 10 56 47 +9 44
5 Dundee United 36 17 9 10 66 42 +24 43 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
Source: Statto
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions

Drybrough Cup

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Round Date Opponent H/A Score Aberdeen Scorer(s) Attendance
QF 26 July Airdrieonians H 4–1 Scanlon (3), Watson (2) 0
SF 30 July Morton A 4–2 Scanlon (2), Strachan, McGhee
Final 2 August St Mirren N 2–1 Jarvie, Cowan 8,000

Scottish League Cup

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Round Date Opponent H/A Score Aberdeen Scorer(s) Attendance
R2 L1 27 August Berwick Rangers H 8–1 Watson (2), McGhee (3), Jarvie (2), Bell 7,570
R2 L2 30 August Berwick Rangers A 4–1 de Clerck, Kennedy, Strachan, Hewitt 1,188
R3 L1 3 September Rangers A 0–1 30,000
R3 L2 24 September Rangers H 3–1 Strachan (2), McMaster 23,926
QF L1 8 October Dundee A 0–0 10,500
QF L2 29 October Dundee H 0–1 14,060

Scottish Cup

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Round Date Opponent H/A Score Aberdeen Scorer(s) Attendance
R3 24 January Raith Rovers A 2–1 Jarvie 10,000
R4 14 February Morton A 0–1 8,350

European Champions' Cup

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Round Date Opponent H/A Score Aberdeen Scorer(s) Attendance
R1 L1 17 September   Austria Memphis H 1–0 McGhee 20,000
R1 L2 1 October   Austria Memphis A 0–0 37,000
R2 L1 22 October   Liverpool H 0–1 24,000
R2 L2 5 November   Liverpool A 0–4 36,182

Squad

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Appearances & Goals

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No. Pos Nat Player Total Premier Division Scottish Cup League Cup Europe
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   BEL Marc de Clerck 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
GK   SCO Jim Leighton 46 0 35 0 2 0 5 0 4 0
DF   SCO Doug Considine 14 0 11 0 1 0 2 0 0 0
DF   SCO Willie Garner 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
DF   SCO Andy Harrow 11 1 10 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
DF   SCO Stuart Kennedy 41 1 31 0 1 0 6 1 3 0
DF   SCO Alex McLeish 43 3 33 3 2 0 5 0 3 0
DF   SCO Willie Miller (c) 44 2 33 2 1 0 6 0 4 0
DF   SCO Doug Rougvie 38 3 27 3 1 0 6 0 4 0
MF   SCO Ian Angus 20 1 19 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Dougie Bell 29 2 17 1 2 0 6 1 4 0
MF   SCO Neale Cooper 8 0 6 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
MF   SCO Steve Cowan 9 1 5 1 0 0 4 0 0 0
MF   SCO Duncan Davidson 6 0 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
MF   SCO Andy Dornan 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
MF   SCO Derek Hamilton 9 1 8 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
MF   SCO John McMaster 17 3 10 2 0 0 4 1 3 0
MF   SCO Steve Morrison 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
MF   SCO Ian Scanlon 45 6 35 6 1 0 5 0 4 0
MF   SCO Neil Simpson 16 2 16 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Gordon Strachan 30 9 20 6 0 0 6 3 4 0
MF   SCO Andy Watson 42 2 30 0 2 0 6 2 4 0
FW   SCO Drew Jarvie 31 9 23 5 1 2 4 2 3 0
FW   SCO Walker McCall 21 10 19 10 2 0 0 0 0 0
FW   SCO Mark McGhee 47 17 36 13 2 0 5 3 4 1
FW   SCO Joe Harper 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FW   SCO John Hewitt 28 3 21 2 1 0 3 1 3 0

Unofficial Appearances & Goals

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No. Pos Nat Player Drybrough Cup
Apps Goals
GK   SCO Jim Leighton 3 0
DF   SCO Willie Miller (c) 3 0
DF   SCO Stuart Kennedy 3 0
DF   SCO Alex McLeish 3 0
DF   SCO Doug Rougvie 2 0
MF   SCO Ian Scanlon 3 5
MF   SCO Andy Watson 3 1
MF   SCO Gordon Strachan 3 1
MF   SCO John McMaster 3 0
MF   SCO Dougie Bell 2 0
FW   SCO Drew Jarvie 3 1
FW   SCO Steve Cowan 3 1
FW   SCO Mark McGhee 3 1
FW   SCO John Hewitt 2 0

References

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  • Kevin Stirling. Aberdeen A Centenary History 1903-2003. Desert Island Books 2002. ISBN 1-874287-49-X.