Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of one of Aberdeen’s finest moments as they faced Celtic in the 1970 Scottish Cup Final.

 

Not many outside of Pittodrie gave Aberdeen much hope of beating Celtic in the 1970 Scottish Cup Final. The Dons had been mediocre in an uninspiring league campaign while Celtic could do little wrong and were on the threshold of another European Cup Final.

Aberdeen were quoted as 5-1 outsiders with the bookies.

While Aberdeen may not have threatened for any league honours back then, in cup football they were becoming a potent threat. Under Eddie Turnbull, the Dons side changed to a more methodical approach, built on a strong defence with pace in forward areas. It was hardly revolutionary but in 1970 it was certainly a break from the accepted tactics and deployed superbly by Turnbull. The key to Aberdeen’s success was the arrival of Joe Harper from Morton earlier in the season and the emergence of a young Martin Buchan. While the Dons side at that time were by no means the finished article, they were now showing signs of being well enough equipped to beat any side on their day. Aberdeen had progressed to Hampden by beating Clyde, Clydebank, Falkirk and Kilmarnock. It was in the tie at Brockville that Turnbull was forced to introduce Derek McKay due to a flu virus that decimated the Pittodrie staff in the days before the tie. McKay proved his worth by scoring the winner and he kept his place to repeat that feat in the semi final against Kilmarnock.

The fairytale was complete when the lightning quick McKay bagged two in the final against Celtic.
This was to be a repeat of the 1967 final but there would be a different result and Aberdeen would lift the trophy for only the second time in their history.

Joe Harper set Aberdeen on their way with a controversial first half penalty and the Dons 3-1 win before a crowd in excess of 108,000, brought unprecedented scenes at Hampden and back up in the streets of Aberdeen. Turnbull had learned from his sides defeat in ‘67 against Celtic and he used Harper in a withdrawn role, which allowed McKay, Forrest and Graham to exploit the wide-open spaces at Hampden against a sluggish Celtic defence. An estimated crowd of 100,000 filled the streets of Aberdeen on the Sunday as the triumphant team returned to the city Town House for a civic welcome from the Lord Provost.

Here is the story of the 1970 Scottish Cup success.

IN THE NEWS

As the North East held its breath awaiting the final showdown the newspapers of the day kept the rest of the country abreast of world events in the week leading up to the final. Seven days earlier Gay Trip had been the 15-1 winner of the Grand National and another winner this week was John Wayne. The veteran actor scooped the Best Actor prize for his performance in “True Grit” at the Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles. The troubles in Northern Ireland were escalating and as violence increased the British Army announced a new “get tough” policy.

On the day of the final itself a new mission to the moon was launched. Apollo 13 launched for what was expected to be another routine trip, but an explosion in the service module crippled the spacecraft leaving the crew’s lives hanging by a thread as the world looked on in horror. The moon landing had to be abandoned and after 90 hours of uncertainty the crew, packed into the cramped space of the undamaged lunar module for most of that time, successfully returned to earth only returning to the main spacecraft for the final re-entry.

In the world of music an era ended this week when Paul McCartney issued a writ in the High Court calling for the dissolution of “the business carried on … as the Beatles and Co.” After eight years of hit making and progressing from the mop tops to psychedelic pioneers the Fab Four were no more. They had effectively died with the 1960’s – the decade that they had made their own. On the week that they finally split Let It Be was sitting at number 11 in the singles chart and the album of the same name would top the chart the following month. Simon and Garfunkel with their Album Bridge Over Troubled Water were at number one and the title track topped the singles chart. Bubbling underneath were two Eurovision entries. The UK entry Knock, Knock Who’s There? Sung by Mary Hopkins had finished second in the competition to Ireland’s All Kinds Of Everything sung by Dana. Both featured in the top five this week and although Simon and Garfunkel had kept Mary Hopkins off top spot, Dana would claim the position the following week.

It was also Cup Final day in England where Chelsea faced Leeds United at Wembley. Chelsea had defeated Watford 5-1 in the semi-final while it took three matches, but only one goal for Leeds United to see off Manchester United. Dave Sexton and Don Revie led their teams out in front of 100,000 with five Scots gracing the occasion; Eddie McCreadie and ex-Don Charlie Cooke lined up for Chelsea while Billy Bremner, Peter Lorimer and Eddie Gray started for Leeds United. The Wembley pitch was in poor condition after the Horse of the Year show had been staged there seven day earlier. Leeds adapted better to the conditions and went ahead, albeit in fortunate circumstances, after 20 minutes. A Jack Charlton downward header failed to bounce on the sodden surface causing McCreadie to miss time his goal line clearance and allowing the ball to trickle over the line. Chelsea were nothing if not determined and four minutes from the break they levelled when a low Houseman drive was uncharacteristically fumbled by Gary Sprake and ended up in the net.

Leeds again enjoyed the bulk of the play after the interval and looked to have sealed the win six minutes from time when Mick Jones was first to react to an Alan Clarke header that had crashed off the post. The celebrations were short lived however as two minutes later Hutchinson headed a Hollins cross beyond Sprake to level the tie. There was no further scoring in extra time and for the first time since 1912 an FA Cup final went to a replay. In fact it was the first time that a Wembley final had ended all square. The replay was staged at Old Trafford two and a half weeks later and in an ill tempered affair Chelsea lifted the trophy in extra time in front of a 62,000 crowd and a record 28 million TV audience.

Also in 1970, Admission to Pittodrie back then was less than 50p and a match programme would set you back 5p. There was also news from Norway that rich deposits of oil had been discovered off its’ North Sea coast.

MATCH REPORT

Thousands of Dons fans as they headed to Hampden for the big day as buses, football specials and cars lead the invasion.

108,464 people packed the stadium and although this was 18,000 less than 1967 there was a tremendous atmosphere inside the ground as Martin Buchan became the youngest captain to lead a team out on Cup Final day.

Young Arthur Graham was given the nod by Turnbull and ‘cup-tie’ McKay was about to earn his name in a memorable 90 minutes. Aberdeen kicked off and it was McKay who was the main protagonist in winning a disputed penalty kick in the 27th minute. His cross into the Celtic box struck the arm of Bobby Murdoch and referee Davidson pointed to the spot.

The Celtic players, maybe unfamiliar with being on the receiving end of soft awards, were incandescent with rage and protested long and hard. The protests from Tommy Gemmell turned to petulance and when he threw the ball at the official he earned himself a caution. In the modern game that would have earned him a straight red. Despite the long delay Harper calmly spotted the ball and stroked it to Williams’ right as the keeper crumpled to a sitting position on his line.

First blood to the Dons and the mood of the Celtic players darkened further when a Bobby Lennox goal was chalked off after he was adjudged to have fouled Clark in the process.

As the Celtic support raged at the perceived injustice those in the red favours enjoyed the irony. This was not the first and wouldn’t be the last time that Lennox and Clark clashed in similar circumstances. The season before Lennox punched the ball from the hands of Clark to score a late winner at Parkhead. A tumble inside the box as Buchan challenged Lennox also failed to impress Mr. Davidson and the Celts once again vented their anger with this latest outburst leading to the booking of Jimmy Johnstone.

Eddie Turnbull was able to get his side back in the dressing room with their lead intact and deliver further words of wisdom to prepare them for the expected onslaught by the Hoops.

This had been denied him three years earlier when a late illness had confined him to bed just before his team left for Hampden and a 2-0 defeat.

The expected onslaught materialised, but Bobby Clark , Martin Buchan et al held firm.

Then with seven minutes remaining McKay turned Tommy Gemmell, broke down the wing and centred to Forrest. The ex-Rangers man hit a fierce shot that Williams could only parry and the first to react was McKay himself who slipped the loose ball into the net from an impossibly tight angle.

Surely the cup was heading north for the first time since 1947 as the Aberdeen fans inside Hampden stopped biting their nails and acclaimed the killer second goal.

Like all good fairy tales this one still had some twists before the hero could finally win the day and with one minute remaining that twist duly arrived as Bobby Lennox finally converted a chance without committing an offence.

2-1 and north east nails were once again being gnawed big time; particularly by those fans stuck at home relying on radio commentary for this was in the days before live coverage of the national final.

With the excitement and noise reverberating around Hampden those listening at home were momentarily confused when the fourth goal was scored.

Celtic were pressing forward for the equaliser when the cheer went up and the commentator screamed, “Goal!!!” But who had scored? As the commentator finally blurted out Aberdeen 3 Celtic 1 the confusion and trepidation was cleared up and celebrations could begin in earnest.

Those lucky enough to be at Hampden had already started the celebrations as they were eye witnesses to the Aberdeen break upon an exposed Celtic backline.

Harper worked his way in from the right before picking out McKay to score his second goal of the game to seal the win.

After the final whistle Jock Stein was furious with the match official, but being the great man that he was he was magnanimous in defeat and personally delivered champagne to the Aberdeen dressing room.

The only disappointments of the day was the fact that the players were not allowed to parade the trophy around Hampden as there had been trouble the previous year when Celtic and Rangers had faced each other.

However there would be plenty of parading of the old trophy the following day as Aberdeen made their triumphant return to the city.

The match winning goal was McKay’s fourth and final goal for the club; all scored in this fairy tale cup run. He would make five more appearances, but was never quite able to replicate the form of his Scottish Cup adventure.

Appropriately his last appearance came the following season against Honved in the European Cup Winners Cup; a competition that McKay had almost single headedly ensured qualification for. It was four goals in nineteen appearances for McKay in his short but memorable Pittodrie career, but what of the young man from Castlemilk in Glasgow?

Unlike McKay, Arthur Graham would go on to enjoy a long and illustrious career with the Dons. Six years later he would collect a League Cup winner’s medal before moving to Leeds United in 1977.

Graham had been discovered by chief scout Bobby Calder and in the space of a few weeks he had been plucked from the obscurity of Junior football to a Scottish Cup final. As the team celebrations went in to full swing at Gleneagles Hotel on that Saturday night Graham approached Calder and as way of thanks he offered his medal to the great man. Calder refused the offer, but was deeply touched by the sentiment. Graham went on to score 46 goals in 298 appearances for the club.

Final Stats

1970 Scottish Cup Final
11 April 1970
Aberdeen 3 – 1 Celtic
Hampden Park, Glasgow
Attendance: 108,434
Joe Harper Goal 27′ (pen.)
Derek McKay Goal 83′, 90′
Bobby Lennox Goal 89′

Aberdeen: Bobby Clark, Henning Boel, Tommy McMillan, Martin Buchan, Jim Hermiston, Derek McKay, George Murray, Davie Robb, Graham, Jim Forrest, Joe Harper
Substitute not used George Buchan

Manager: Eddie Turnbull

Celtic: Evan Williams, David Hay, Billy McNeill, Jim Brogan, Tommy Gemmell, Jimmy Johnstone, Bobby Murdoch, Bobby Lennox, John Hughes (Bertie Auld), George Connelly, Willie Wallace
Referee: Bobby Davidson

Manager: Jock Stein

TACTICAL MASTERCLASS

It was a success of fairytale proportions as not many outside of Pittodrie gave the Dons any hope against a Celtic side that was preparing for another European Cup Final;

“A lot of teams feared them but we certainly didn’t”.

Dons striker Joe Harper claimed some years later after Aberdeen had won the Scottish Cup in 1970.
It was a triumph that rocked Scottish football to the core. The Dons were to finish in a modest 8th place in the league table, a massive 22 points behind champions Celtic. It was a miss-match of huge proportions. Outside of Pittodrie the Dons were given little hope.

However manager Eddie Turnbull had a tactical awareness that was not lost on Joe.

“Eddie made sure we had pace on the flanks with Derek McKay, Jim Forrest and Arthur Graham all in the starting line up. He told me that we had to get in behind them to exploit their defence. Just sit in, he told me, and draw them out. It worked a treat. I remember the second goal when I turned Billy McNeill and sent a diagonal ball to Jim Forrest, who cut in and set up McKay for the second goal. The third one was the same as I did Tommy Gemmell. As a young player it was the first time that I had been involved in anything tactical and it worked a treat.”

MCKAY NETS 500TH SCOTTISH CUP GOAL

Derek McKay’s first goal at Hampden was the Dons 500th Scottish Cup goal. After the final whistle Jock Stein was magnanimous in defeat and personally delivered champagne to the Aberdeen dressing room. As mentioned the only disappointments of the day was the fact that the players were not allowed to parade the trophy around Hampden as there had been trouble the previous year when The Old Firm had faced each other.

FANS OUT IN FORCE TO GREET THE DONS

Having been denied their right to parade the cup to their fans at Hampden, there was plenty of parading of the old trophy the following day as Aberdeen returned to the city. Thousands packed the streets from Stonehaven, through the Bridge of Dee and on to Union Street itself. It had been 23 years since the citizens of the North East had seen the trophy and this new generation were determined to catch a glimpse. The younger fans knew nothing of the only other triumph in 1947 so they were ecstatic as each player on that coach had their turn of holding the prize aloft. Finally, manager Eddie Turnbull held the trophy as he celebrated a memorable 47th birthday.

THE TEAM

Bobby Clark; Eddie Turnbull’s first signing from his old club Queens Park. Clark went on to become the Dons most capped player in 1972 and was a winner in all three domestic competitions with Aberdeen.

Henning Boel; The original ‘Great Dane’ was a cult figure at Pittodrie, his trademark overlapping runs made him a huge favourite with the Aberdeen support. Joined Aberdeen from Washington Whips in 1968.

George Murray; Joined Aberdeen from Motherwell in part exchange for Jimmy Wilson. Murray was a Scotland U-23 international and went on to become Aberdeen coach in 1975 with Jim Bonthrone and Ally MacLeod.

Jim Hermiston; Joined Aberdeen in 1965 from Bonnyrigg and went on to become Aberdeen captain in 1973. Shocked the club in 1975 when he retired from the professional game after being snubbed for the Scotland World Cup squad in 1974.

Tom McMillan; The unsung hero of the Dons 1970 cup success, he formed an impressive partnership with young Martin Buchan at the heart of the Aberdeen defence that broke a European record in 1970 as the Dons did not concede a single goal in 12 consecutive matches.

Martin Buchan; Hugely influenced by manager Turnbull, Buchan emerged from the Aberdeen youth ranks as a defender of style. Made the new ‘sweeper’ role his own and went on to play 34 times for Scotland.

Derek McKay; Never regarded as a first team regular but his contribution to the cup success was astonishing. A free transfer signing from Dundee, McKay was never able to command a regular place in the Aberdeen side after the cup win.

Dave Robb; Signed from Newburgh in 1965, another cult figure at Pittodrie, Robb was a tough, uncompromising player who gave his all for the cause. Capped three times for Scotland and was also a League Cup winner with the Dons in 1976.

Jim Forrest; Was made a scapegoat in the aftermath of Rangers cup humiliation at Berwick in 1967. Forrest was off loaded to Preston, but Eddie Turnbull made him a £25,000 club record signing for the dons in 1969. Forrest was a forward of real pace and linked up well with Harper and McKay on the day.

Joe Harper; Record signing from Morton in October 1969, ‘King’ Joe as he was crowned went on to become the clubs top scorer of all time. Came back to Pittodrie in 1975 after spells with Everton and Hibernian, Harper was awarded a testimonial in 1980. Our greatest ever striker.

Arthur Graham; the ‘baby’ of the 1970 team, Graham’s elevation to first team football was instant after joining Aberdeen from Cambuslang in 1970, several weeks before the cup final. An impressive performance at Parkhead two weeks before the final convinced Turnbull to throw the 17-year-old into the starting line up at Hampden.

Notes:

This was Aberdeen’s seventh Scottish Cup final and they had only ever won the cup once before, in 1947 (Hibs).

They had lost in 1937 (Celtic), 1953 (Rangers), 1954 (Celtic), 1959 (St Mirren) and 1967 (Celtic). So this was their fourth Scottish Cup final against Celtic.

Celtic had won 1-0 at Leeds United in the first leg of the European Cup semi-final before this game. The second leg was four days away.

After the game the team stayed at Gleneagles Hotel on the Saturday night before travelling up to Aberdeen.

The cup final was not the final game of the season. Aberdeen actually had a game on the Monday following the parade! Had to play Hibs at Easter road in a League game. Won 2-1. Also had to play Motherwell on the following Saturday (won 2-0) Their final game that season was on the 2nd May when travelled to play Newcastle in a friendly (won 1-0)

Players who played in all five games: Henning Boel, Tommy McMillian, Martin Buchan, Jim Forrest, Joe Harper.

Aberdeen scored 11 goals, Conceded 2
Cup Goal scorers: McKay 4, Harper 3, Robb 3, Forrest 1

1970 FACT FILE

Manager; Eddie Turnbull
Captain; Martin Buchan
League Position; 9th
Top Scorer; Dave Robb 16
Most Appearances; Jim Forrest 46
Honours; Scottish Cup Winners
Highest Score; 6-0 v Clyde Scottish League 30th August 1969
Highest Attendance; 33,000 v Celtic League Cup Quarter Final 10th September 1969
Players in; Derek McKay, Brian McIlroy, Steve Murray, Alec Willoughby, George Adams, Tom Wilson.
Players out; Tommy Craig, Jimmy Smith, Dave Johnston, Billy Little, Ally Shewan.