Thirty seven years ago, a generation away, when the Dandy Dons wrote their name into the record books of European football and, as important, more important, etched indelible stories in the folklore of their parent city.

As that intervening time has passed, the achievements of Sir Alex Ferguson, Willie Miller and the rest become ever more glorious as the chances of those days ever being repeated become ever more unlikely.

With the entrance fee to European finals set in the multi-millions in the current climate, the odds of a provincial club making it through to spread fear among Europe’s elite are hardly worth calculating. Were it not for the videos, the photos, the articles and the still vibrant memories of those days, it would be tempting to dismiss the idea of Aberdeen humbling Real Madrid as little more than a dream.

And it was a dream. A dream come true, a dream that only someone with the vision, the ambition and the sheer bloody-mindedness of an Alex Ferguson could ever have made real. How it happened, and the way an unforgettable season unfolded, enrapturing the Red Army on the way is an incredible story, one that the Red Matchday team retold in a special one-off publication.

The Dons could and maybe should have won the Premier Division, especially after twice beating Celtic at Parkhead 3-1. However the European run began to take it’s toil in the League and they lost a vital match against Dundee United after the famous win over Bayern. On the final day of the season three sides including the Dons were still in with a shout of winning the title but we had to settle for another Scottish Cup, and another win over Rangers the following weekend.

‘The Year of the Dons’ – is a full review of the 1982/83 season and is available to buy on the Curtis Sport website for only £1.93. 100 pages packed with photos and stories. Please click here