Celtic are the team that Aberdeen have played most times in their history.

The Dons lost their first ever meeting at Parkhead in December 1905, but won the first Pittodrie meeting three months later by the same score. The most goals scored in this fixture is 9. This first happened in 1949 when Celtic won a League Cup Qualifying match 5-4 at Pittodrie. The other occasion was in November 2010. Over the years, there have been 21 matches where neither team managed to score, including the 1990 Scottish Cup Final, which the Dons went on to win on penalties in front of 60,493 fans.

The Dons’ biggest win came in August 1946 when they beat the Glasgow outfit 6-2 at Pittodrie on a day when Archie Baird grabbed a double. Five months later, Aberdeen recorded a 5-1 win at Parkhead when George Hamilton bagged four of the goals as the home side generously handed out a first footing present on 2nd January. The only other Dons player to replicate that achievement was Frank McDougall in a 4-1 win at Pittodrie in November 1985. Billy Williamson, Steve Archibald and Erik Black all grabbed a hat-trick against Celtic during their time at the club.

Top scorer against Celtic is George Hamilton with 12 goals followed by Eoin Jess with 11 and Drew Jarvie and Joe Harper on 10 apiece. Celtic have gifted the Dons 11 own goals over the years.

Did You Know
Prior to the introduction of the SPL, Aberdeen had won 40 Pittodrie league matches to Celtics’ 36. The remaining 31 were drawn.

Aberdeen were undefeated at Pittodrie against Celtic between March 1927 and December 1951, winning 13 and drawing 5 of the league matches

The Dons recorded a 3-1 win in the final Pittodrie meeting before the outbreak of war and when the league started again following the end of the conflict, Aberdeen opened up with a 6-2 thrashing before adding another four wins.

In a two year run between October 1976 and October 1978 Aberdeen won five consecutive league matches at Pittodrie against Celtic. A statistic that probably prompted Billy McNeill’s return to Celtic Park.

Between December 19991 and December 1994 all Pittodrie league matches between the two teams were drawn. A run of six consecutive matches.

GALLERY | Aberdeen v Celtic at Pittodrie 1980-1999 click here

GALLERY | Aberdeen v Celtic at Pittodrie 2000-2015 click here

 

OVERALL RECORD
		W	D	L
Old League Division 1		33	25	64
Premier League		27	31	34
SPL		5	5	43
Premiership		2	0	8
Total League		67	61	149
Scottish Cup		10	6	14
League Cup		9	4	14
Total		86	71	177

RedTV | Aberdeen v Celtic Montage please click here

THE TOP 11 LEAGUE WINS FOR ABERDEEN OVER CELTIC

11: 21st April 2004 Celtic 1 Aberdeen 2

Arguably the Dons’ most unlikely ever win over Celtic. The hype before this game was of David—Goliath proportions; with Aberdeen struggling at the foot of the table and with no less than nine first team regulars missing, it was a virtual reserve team that went down to face newly-crowned champions Celtic. The Dons side contained youngsters Higgins, Rutkiewicz, Muirhead, Morrison, Buckley and Foster. Celtic had not lost on home soil in their previous 77 outings, so it looked a mismatch. However even though Celtic took the lead through their talisman Henrik Larsson in the first half it was the young Dons who held out despite being under pressure for long spells. Not even the most ardent Aberdeen fan could have expected what followed late in the game as Bryan Prunty came off the bench to level the game before in the closing seconds, David Zdrilic rounded off a superb night for the visitors by scoring the winning goal. After the game, Celtic boss Martin O’Neill was at pains to suggest that his side had not lost any game that really mattered. RedTV | to watch the game please click here

10: 2nd May 1990 Celtic 1 Aberdeen 3
This game was being broadcast live by Sky TV and there was a lot of debate in the lead up about Aberdeen fielding a weakened side given that the two clubs would meet in the Scottish Cup final two weeks later. Alex Smith was unaffected by this and did indeed send out a shadow side with youngsters Jess and Booth drafted into the starting line up. With Celtic looking like missing out on a European place for the first time in many years, they were desperate to finish their season with a glimmer of hope. Certainly after Andy Walker opened the scoring, it looked as though Aberdeen’s shadow squad would struggle. However two goals in a minute from Eoin Jess in the second half turned the game round and substitute Graham Watson completed a fine night for a young Aberdeen side by scoring a third goal to compound Celtic’s misery. RedTV | to watch the game please click here

9: 25th February 2014 Aberdeen 2 Celtic 1
Aberdeen inflicted a first league defeat of the season on Celtic with a second victory over the Celts in a matter of weeks. Celtic had Virgil van Dijk sent off for a last-man challenge on Peter Pawlett after just 12 minutes. Jonny Hayes then scored one of the Dons’ best ever goals against Celtic when his shot flew into the top corner to give Aberdeen the lead, before Adam Rooney headed in a second. Sub James Forrest gave Celtic a lifeline to make it a nervy second half, but the Dons held on. Along with Celtic’s 26-game unbeaten run went Fraser Forster’s clean sheet record.

8: 1st September 1990 Celtic 0 Aberdeen 3
As comprehensive a defeat as Celtic have ever suffered on home soil. Aberdeen showed a quality and class that the Celts could not answer and even at that early stage of the season, it became clear that it would be Aberdeen that would challenge Rangers at the top. Even the triumphant return to Parkhead for Charlie Nicholas who left the Dons months before, could do little to stem the Aberdeen tide. After soaking up the expected early pressure, Aberdeen hit Celtic on the break with style, cutting through their defence almost at will. Mason, Connor and Gillhaus were the architects of a slick Aberdeen performance. Remember Bobby’s star jump? RedTV | to watch the game please click here

7: 25th February 1983 Celtic 1 Aberdeen 3
Not the most vital win but crucial for Aberdeen’s hopes at home and abroad. Watching from the Parkhead stands was Bayern boss Uli Hoeness who was impressed by the Dons, Eric Black hitting a clinical hat-trick as Aberdeen dominated the Celts on their own patch. Aberdeen were due to go to the Olympic Stadium in Munich for their date with destiny, but this win kept Aberdeen at the top of the table and the vital confidence boost for Germany. Not many listened to Hoeness when he went back home and said that Bayern would have to play out of their skins against Aberdeen. Two weeks later they soon took note. RedTV | to watch the game please click here

6: 12th December 1970 Celtic 0 Aberdeen 1
63,000 packed into Parkhead for what many described as a title decider—in December! Aberdeen were the only challengers to Celtic but the two-horse race was going to down to the wire. Celtic expected to win, Aberdeen knew that they could. Jock Stein had been full of praise for the Aberdeen challenge but a frenzied crowd refused to accept that they were second best to the Dons. A solitary Joe Harper header from a long throw after a well-rehearsed move was all that separated the sides.

5: 5th April 1980 Celtic 1 Aberdeen 2
The first of a vital double header against Celtic in the closing weeks of the season. The harsh winter and Aberdeen being heavily involved in the domestic cups led to a backlog of fixtures. As fate would have it, the Dons had to travel to face Celtic twice in April as they closed in on what was seen as an unassailable lead at one stage. Aberdeen’s task was simple; to have any chance of winning the league for the first time since 1955, they had to beat Celtic twice on their own patch in the same month. Part one was duly accomplished in the Parkhead sun as Celtic faced up to the prospect of being caught by an unrelenting force in Aberdeen.

4: 2nd November 1985 Aberdeen 4 Celtic 1
This game makes our top three purely because it had all of the passion and style that was synonymous with Aberdeen v Celtic games in the ‘80s. Rangers were lagging well behind these two for years and this was the big game in Scotland. A packed house, the game was full of incident and an incredible attacking display from fabulous Frank McDougall. McDougall’s four-goal haul almost brought the roof off the ground such was the noise inside Pittodrie. Sadly a TV strike meant this was never filmed.

3: 30th January 1947 Celtic 1 Aberdeen 5
If there had been more at stake in this one, it would have earned top spot. It is not very often that any team scores eleven goals from the two league meetings against Celtic in the same season. However, a rampant Aberdeen that achieved that incredible feat in 1946/47. After a 6-2 win at Pittodrie in August, the Dons returned to Parkhead in the new year and hammered their great rivals with a five goal salvo. Leading the way was George Hamilton, the classy Aberdeen insideforward often described as the ‘complete footballer’ by many. ‘Gentleman’ George hit four of the Dons’ goals in 39, 48, 59 and the 71st minutes. Tony Harris weighed in with another as Aberdeen routed Celtic in front of their own support. Frank Watson, the young Aberdeen keeper who tragically died in 1953, made his first team debut against Celtic that day.

2: 4th April 1985: Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic
The last time Aberdeen won the league title was back in 1985. The Dons clinched the championship after a 1-1 draw against Celtic in their final home game of the season. Although the league was not mathematically won, it would have taken some very bizarre results to stop the Dons winning the title. Aberdeen created club history by registering back to back league titles for the first time and it was also the first time the Dons could celebrate clinching the title on home soil. Aberdeen reeled off five straight wins to hit the top of the table from the start, and it was a position they held on to for the entire season. Willie Miller famously scored the Dons’ goal against Celtic that triggered memorable celebrations as the captain embarked on a celebratory run in front of the Dons’ support. Aberdeen showed tremendous courage all season and were imperious as they held off stubborn resistance from Celtic with Dundee United and Rangers well off the pace. Frank McDougall was the top scorer in the Premier League with 22 goals as the Dons scored 103 goals in 45 matches. The 59 points total was a league record, and Jim Leighton, Alex McLeish and Willie Miller played in a record 14 consecutive games for Scotland. With only four defeats all season, Aberdeen only conceded 26 goals in their 36 league outings. It was all the more remarkable considering the Dons lost three of their Gothenburg side in the summer. Gordon Strachan, Mark McGhee and Doug Rougvie moved on to Manchester United, Hamburg and Chelsea respectively while McDougall was joined by Tom McQueen as direct replacements, with Billy Stark already signing at Pittodrie a year previously. Aberdeen used 23 players with Willie Miller missing only one match. Frank McDougall, Tom McQueen, Brian Grant and Joe Miller all made their Aberdeen debuts in that record-breaking season. RedTV | to watch the game please click here

1: 23rd April 1980 Celtic 1 Aberdeen 3
Without doubt the Dons’ most important win against Celtic. Aberdeen had just defeated the Celts 2-1 at Parkhead earlier in the month and as the Dons clawed back a seemingly unassailable lead in the league race, any slip up would have taken the title to Parkhead. Some said Celtic were too complacent – with such a big lead and having to play the Dons twice at home, there seemed no way they could lose. Aberdeen had other ideas and as gutsy a performance as you would ever see from an Aberdeen team brought the club to the brink of the championship. Aberdeen broke the Old Firm domination of the league, the first provincial club to win the flag for 15 years and the title win inspired the Dons and opened the door to further success. This win was as vital as it gets. RedTV | goals available click here

memory match
When Aberdeen and Celtic faced each other in this corresponding fixture of 2013/14, it was the Glasgow team that was breaking all the records on an incredible run. The Celts had won their last thirteen league matches and goalkeeper Forster had kept a clean sheet in every game. Having already broken Bobby Clark’s long-standing shutout record he was now looking to break the British record. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Dons however as weeks earlier they had knocked Celtic out of the Scottish Cup with a 2-1 win at Parkhead and the last goal conceded by Celtic had been against the Dons back in November.

Aberdeen were also looking forward to this seasons League Cup final in March and this week golfer Paul Lawrie announced that he was to forgo the search for Ryder Cup points in Morocco so that he could be at Parkred to cheer on the Dons. On the International front, Gordon Strachan was relishing the prospect of taking on Germany, Poland and Ireland in the Euro 2016 qualifiers. With the Scots ranked second behind Germany in the group – hopes were high for a successful campaign. In international rugby Duncan Weir kicked a last ditch drop goal in Rome to give the Scots their first win of the six nations.

In show business Hollywood lost actor and director Harold Ramis. Although he was best known for his role in the film Ghostbusters, the 69 year-old was also a highly regarded writer and director. In the UK charts Sam Smith had money on his mind as he topped the singles chart while Bastille held the number one spot in the album charts with their album, Bad Blood.

Ukraine was in turmoil when President Viktor Yanukovych fled Kiev as MPs voted to impeach him. Opposition supporters gathered in Independence Square to hail former Prime Minister Yulia  Tymoshenko following her release from prison. She addressed the crowds from her wheelchair before breaking down in tears. All this had followed one of the bloodiest days of recent unrest when 21 protesters and one policeman had died. Closer to home North Sea oil was on the referendum agenda as the Scottish and UK governments forecast differing visions for the future of the industry.

As that particular debate raged another battle was set to rage inside Pittodrie as a blast of Craig Thomsons’ whistle signalled the start. The visitors had a strong opening to the match, but they found themselves down to ten men after only twelve minutes when van Djik hauled down Peter Pawlett to deny the pacey midfielder a clear goal scoring opportunity. He was racing clear towards the Celtic goal so the referee had little option, but to show red. Celtic were still competing well despite going down to ten men, but in the last three minutes of the half the game burst into life.  A terrific strike by Jonny Hayes lit the fuse and ended Forsters record when McGinn rolled the ball into his path and from 25 yards Hayes sent a screamer into the top corner.

Pittodrie erupted and before the home fans had time to settle they were on their feet again as McGinn once again provided the ammunition. This time a beautiful cross was played on to the head of Adam Rooney and the striker glanced his header beyond a static Celtic keeper. The half-time pies never tasted better, but if the home fans were hoping for a comprehensive victory after the break they were given a rude awakening as the Dons were forced on to the back foot. Celtic pulled one back just after the hour mark through Forrest and then Aberdeen struggled to retain possession. However they hung on to their narrow lead and following the Scottish Cup win earlier in the month completed their first back to back win over Celtic since 2004.