The Club received the sad news that Chic McLelland passed away in the early hour of Saturday morning (26th December 2020). The Dons former defender had been ill for some time. He was 67.

McLelland was born in Glasgow and joined Aberdeen in 1972, becoming part of the ground staff along with the other young players at the time. He was actually signed as a forward but would go on to become a very dependable full back, establishing himself in the Aberdeen side and he went on to make 212 appearances for the Dons over nine seasons.

Chic gained two Scotland U23 caps in 1976 and later joined Motherwell in 1979 for a fee of £10,000. The left-back spent two seasons at Fir Park before moving to Dundee and then Montrose, where he had a spell as co-manager in 1990-91. He continued his coaching and would return to Pittodrie as part of the community department a few years later and then went on to head up the Youth Development programme alongside his good friend Drew Jarvie. Chic worked tirelessly to develop young players for the Club that he loved.

A well-known and popular face around the North-east, our thoughts are with his daughter Natalie and the rest of the family.

Head of Youth Academy Neil Simpson paid tribute to his former team mate and colleague:

“My earliest memories of Chic are playing head tennis in the old gym, which was situated under the old Beach End. He was brilliant at head tennis! He actually had a lot of skill and he was also a winner. He wanted to win at everything he was involved in.

“A good player, an underrated player as well. I know several the guys who are around in the 1970s would agree with that. I actually played a number of reserve games with Chic when I was a youngster at the club. He was very hard working.

“And then we both returned to Pittodrie as coaches some years later.

“I was working in the community department as an SFA Coach and Chic looked after the youth programme.

“It was a different time. The budgets were not great. Clubs did not spend as much on youth football. He was having to go out and get sponsorship himself. There was no Sports Village or Cormack Park to use for training. He was working round the clock, whether it be to fill in for coaches who could not manage, or driving down to the Glasgow or Dundee Centres. Night after night.

“He had a brilliant work ethic. He was a workaholic, just doing his best for the club and trying to get as many of the young boys through as he could.

“I know a lot of players who have thanked Chic for what he did for them. And also guys who have gone on to become coaches.

“He was well respected by his peers at other clubs. He was involved with the community set up before moving over to the youth programme and I know Jim Fleeting at the SFA had a lot of time for Chic.

ABERDEEN FC TEAM 1978/79.
Back row, left to right: Ian Scanlon, John McMaster, Joe Smith, Willie Garner, Bobby Clark, Drew Jarvie, Duncan Davidson, Stuart Kennedy and Gordon Strachan.
Front row, left to right: Ian Fleming, Dom Sullivan, Joe Harper, Willie Miller, Steve Ritchie, Steve Archibald and Chic McLelland.

“He was great character. A character who loved a laugh.

“I remember Chic, Lenny Taylor and myself would go for a run down the beach each lunchtime. It was a nice leisurely jog, having a good chat, but once we got near the finishing line at Pittodrie he would suddenly increase the pace to make sure he finished first! It was not even a race, but he would make sure he was up the front!

“He was also a great one for getting a deal. I remember some of the phone calls in the office! He must have saved the club some amount of money.

“Chic was always trying hard for the boys, as I say at a time when there were not the same finances in youth football. He would organise many trips down to England, and the sponsorship to pay for the trips, so Aberdeen could play the likes of Arsenal, West Ham, Chelsea and Leeds United. Top top opposition. So it was Chic who started the youth academy tours.

“A born winner with a great work ethic – something he tried to instil in all the young players he worked with.

“Such a hard working man, and did it all for the benefit of Aberdeen Football Club.”