Forty years ago, on the evening of the 30th of September 1981, Aberdeen met Ipswich Town.

As holders of the UEFA Cup and early leaders in the top division in England, Ipswich were one of the very best sides around at that time.

It was also a clash between two of the UK’s greatest ever managers.

A sensational night followed. Aberdeen displayed all the passion and craft that was too much for an Ipswich side, highly rated as the most ‘complete’ side in British football.

After each side exchanged penalty kicks in the first half, two sensational Peter Weir goals turned the tie in Aberdeen’s favour as a great European night at Pittodrie heralded the Dons as a real force in Europe.

Here is the story of one of Pittodrie’s best nights.

The Ipswich Town Tale

Aberdeen had made a moderate start to season 1981.82 despite the Dons being viewed as one of the sides that would be competing for all major honours. After a stuttering League Cup section the Dons made it through to the latter stages. After learning of the UEFA Cup draw where Aberdeen came out against Ipswich Town, their preparations were far from ideal.

They were the UEFA Cup holders after beating Dutch side AZ Alkmaar 5-4 over two legs and were one of the favourites to retain the trophy. They had also started the 81-82 season in style and were at the time top of the English First Division.

For many, the Ipswich side of the early 1980s was the best team never to win the league championship in England. English football in the early ‘80s was arguably as strong as it has ever been and the Liverpool side at that time were almost invincible. With a Scottish spine through their side, they had the right blend of youth and experience to compete at home and abroad. But under Bobby Robson, the Suffolk side were the real deal and were UEFA Cup holders when the Dons played them as Ipswich opened the defence of their trophy. Robson was keen to impress upon the Scottish visitors that his side were vastly experienced with nine internationals in their line-up.

Not surprisingly the English media were dismissive of Aberdeen as they were paired with the holders in the opening round of the 1981.82 UEFA Cup competition. Robson was also confident his side would prevail.

Ipswich manager Bobby Robson travelled north to watch Aberdeen in action against Airdrie in their final League Cup tie but Ferguson rested several of his side, mindful of Robson’s attendance and the fact that Aberdeen had already qualified for from the group.

The mind games had begun.

It was not unexpected that Aberdeen had been written off before the tie. The Dons had been well beaten by Liverpool in the European Cup a year earlier and Robson’s side was seen as every bit as good as the Anfield giants back then. Aberdeen won 2-0 at Partick before travelling to Portman Road to face the UEFA Cup holders.

Portman Road

The capacity at the ground was only 24,000 which meant that there were only 2,000 Aberdeen supporters able to travel. They were in fine voice as Aberdeen took to the field. Aberdeen were facing a side that had only conceded seven goals in 19 years of European competition at home.

Aberdeen shocked Ipswich with an aggressive and positive approach. The home side were in unfamiliar territory as the Scots came at them at every opportunity. There was no doubt that the Dons tactics rattled Ipswich and it took the holders 24 minutes before they threatened the Aberdeen defence. Jim Leighton slipped from a Muhern cross but he relieved to see the danger cleared.

Gordon Strachan was immense on the right for Aberdeen and he was well supported in midfield by the energy of Cooper and Simpson. Aberdeen were playing with no fear and should have taken the lead when Cooper went close in the opening minutes and then John Hewitt brought out a great save from Paul Cooper. Just when Aberdeen looked to have thwarted the Ipswich attack it took a rare piece of magic from Frans Thijssen to break the deadlock just before the break. The Dutch master worked his way into the box and his fierce shot beat Leighton. It was a cruel blow for Aberdeen who had dominated the game for long spells.

It took great belief from the Scots to get back into the game and they responded in style when they scored a deserved equaliser in 51 minutes. Rougvie and Alex McLeish challenged for a corner and the ball broke to John Hewitt who slammed the ball high past Cooper to the delight of the travelling Red Army behind the goal.

The expected retaliation from Ipswich failed to materialise as Aberdeen dug in and scrapped for every ball. It was a display of real grit and passion that clearly rattled the holders. Alex McLeish was immense at the heart of the Aberdeen defence and was relishing the return at Pittodrie

“It seems that the whole city of Aberdeen is buzzing right now about the return game with Ipswich. We all know the return will be a tough task as Ipswich pride was clearly dented at Portman Road. John Wark was disappointed at the result but he was superb after the game as he visited our hotel to congratulate us on a performance that took him by surprise. We appreciated that but we know Ipswich will be desperate to atone in the return. We will prepare in the normal way and will be ready for them.”

After the first game at Portman Road, Ipswich manager Bobby Robson declared that Aberdeen could not play as well again following a 1-1 draw. He was wrong.

Robson was happy enough with his team and he was unconcerned that the ‘Battle of Britain’ tag would work against his side. What the Ipswich manager did not count on was a passionate full house at Pittodrie for the return and a team so pumped up by their manager that they set about Ipswich like a pack of dervishes from the kick off.

In what was a classic European night at Pittodrie, the Dons showed a class and guile that was too much for Ipswich who were eventually out thought, out played and out classed by a slick Aberdeen side.

AFC Heritage Trust | First Leg stats click here

Pittodrie

There were to be no prisoner’s taken in this first round second leg tie as both sides carved out early chances. It was the Dons who were to make the breakthrough in the 19th minute when Gordon Strachan caught Scottish International, John Wark, in possession and raced into the Ipswich box. As Wark tried to make up for his error he tumbled the Aberdeen midfielder and conceded a spot kick. Strachan himself stepped up and beat Paul Cooper to put the Dons ahead.

Wark was able to redeem himself in the 33rd minute after Neale Cooper tripped Eric Gates in the Aberdeen box to concede the second spot kick of the evening. Wark beat Leighton to level both the match on the night and the tie overall.

Neither team managed to add to the scoring before half time and it was left to Peter Weir to win the match as he tormented Ipswich, and England’s right back Mick Mills in particular, throughout the second half.

The first came in the 55th minute as Weir cut in from the left and waltzed past two defenders before drilling a low shot beyond Cooper and into the far corner of the net. Weir ended the match as a contest with only five minutes remaining. His second goal was almost a replica of the first and once again Cooper could do nothing to keep the ball out.

The Dons should have added a fourth in the final minute when referee Vautrot awarded the third spot kick of the evening. Strachan beat Cooper again but was forced to retake the kick because of encroachment. Cooper made it third time lucky as he dived low to block Strachan’s effort. It mattered little as the final whistle brought the game to an end and signalled massive celebrations at Pittodrie.

For the record Ipswich were able to concentrate on their League campaign and pushed Liverpool all the way that season but just like the campaign before they were to finish runners up. At the end of the summer Bobby Robson replaced Ron Greenwood as the national team boss and Sir Bobby never would win England’s top division.

The Dons went on in the UEFA Cup and beat Arges Pitesti but were knocked out in the third round, the furthest they have reach in the UEFA Cup, by SV Hamburg. The Dons won 3-2 in the home leg when they should have won by a more convincing scoreline and lost 3-1 in Germany. However lessons were learned and everyone knows what happened the following season….

Aberdeen: Leighton, Kennedy, Rougvie, Watson, McLeish, Miller, Strachan, Cooper, McGhee, Hewitt, Weir.

Ipswich: Cooper, Mills, McCall, Thijssen, Osman, Butcher, Wark, Muhren, Mariner, Brazil, Gates.

RedTV | Highlights from Pittodrie as The Dons take on Ipswich Town in the 2nd leg of the 1st round tie in the UEFA CUP click here

Peter Weir

Peter Weir was the Aberdeen hero with two goals in the second half as the Aberdeen support in the Beach End behind the goal almost took the roof off the old place. Weir was in direct opposition to England captain and full back Mick Mills, who was tormented by the Aberdeen winger for long spells.

Alex Ferguson finally got his man when he signed St Mirren winger Peter Weir in July 1981. The transfer was actually a record between two Scottish clubs and Celtic or Rangers were nowhere to be seen.

After a difficult start to his Pittodrie career, not helped by the pressure put on him by the record transfer, Peter came of age that night.

As Peter recalled recently when speaking to Mal Panton, the tie had a real edge to it after the Dons had been well beaten by Liverpool the season before in the European Cup…

“With it being Scotland v England, the game was hyped up massively in the press but actually for the players, the build-up in general was much the same as the build up to all our games. We had our routine. There was not any additional pressure put on us by Sir Alex at that time.

“We managed to go to Portman Road, got the away goal and came away with a draw. We then realised we had a chance in the second leg if we could perform to our best and also have a bit of luck on the night, which everyone needs.

“The tactics were never about me [running at Mick Mills]. The manager never changed the tactics too much, just altered bits and pieces, but in general we would stick to a pattern. On the night it went for me and for the club. It was never about Peter Weir. It just happened for me, as it does other players in certain games.

“The most important thing was the result, but for me personally getting the two goals made it a wonderful, wonderful night. Not the best, but one of the best in all my time in football. People still ring me up to speak about it and it is a great pleasure to do that.

“Although the team had won the league before I joined, I think that night was the start of something big, realising we had a very good young team and could build on that over the next couple of years and win things. And it was big night for me because I had been under pressure from the money side of it.”

The 1981.82 season

The rest of the 1981.82 season was a significant season for Aberdeen. Following their Premier League triumph in 1980 was a challenge that manager Alex Ferguson believed he had managed as Aberdeen laid down a marker that was to last for a decade…

Pre-Season

Apart from the Peter Weir signing – the £330,000 deal also saw Ian Scanlon join the Buddies – that was the only transfer business carried out by Aberdeen as they went in with the squad that came close to retaining their league title the season before. Weir apart, only two others made their debt that season; Eric Black and Brian Mitchell who both came through from the Dons youth ranks.
Aberdeen posted their intent for the season with a stunning win in their own Aberdeen FC Tournament at Pittodrie; held in the opening weekend of August. Aberdeen crushed West Ham 3-0 in the opening game while Southampton knocked Manchester Utd out. The final saw Aberdeen hammer the Saints 5-1. The visitors had the likes of Kevin Keegan, Alan Ball and Mick Channon in their ranks so Aberdeen were well worth their inaugural success.

LEAGUE CUP PROGRESS

Aberdeen qualified for the latter stages of the League Cup following a group win that included Hearts, Kilmarnock and Airdrie in their section. Hearts provided an early scare with a win at Tynecastle while they were still a First Division side, but the Dons recovered to top the group with ease. They would then meet Berwick Rangers in the Quarter-Finals and comfortably ran out 8-0 winners over two legs. The Dons then travelled to Tannadice for the first leg of the semi’s, and returned home with a 1-0 win. However, they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 in the second leg. A dark night for the Dons. They would then have to play United again at Pittodrie on the Saturday in the league, this time drawing 1-1.

LEAGUE CHALLENGE DOWN TO THE WIRE

Aberdeen maintained a title challenge with old rivals Celtic that was to last until the final day of the season. The Dons kept in touch at the top after a poor spell at the turn of the year which saw Aberdeen lose ground against the Parkhead side. A defeat to Celtic was followed by frustrating draws against Partick and Morton. By the end of January Celtic looked out of sight in the race. In the final day of the league season Aberdeen almost pulled off the impossible in the league race. Celtic knew a win over St Mirren in their final game would clinch the flag. Aberdeen were facing Rangers at Pittodrie and also had to win by at least five clear goals to overhaul the Celts. With Aberdeen 4-0 up at the break it was very much game on but Celtic eventually managed to get the points they required. However the hammering of Rangers made for a confident Dons to repeat that against Rangers in the cup final seven days later.

SCOTTISH CUP JOY

The harsh winter of 1981 left Aberdeen with a backlog of fixtures and they emerged at the end of January facing a tricky opening Scottish Cup tie at Fir Park against First Division leaders Motherwell. John Hewitt wasted no time as he scored the only goal of the game in 9.6 seconds; a Scottish Cup record. Hewitt was at it again in the next round as he scored the winner against Celtic at Pittodrie. It was former Dons boss Billy McNeill who had boasted before the game that Celtic would not shirk the formidable Aberdeen challenge. A full house and it was cup specialist John Hewitt who scored the only goal of the game. Aberdeen went on to face St Mirren in the semi- final. At Celtic Park, deemed a ‘neutral’ venue, the Dons were far from their best but a 1-1 draw meant a replay at Dens Park in Dundee. Backed by a huge following the Dons edged past the Buddies in a thrilling 3-2 win. Manager Ferguson promised the Aberdeen support that his team would fight on all fronts; while the league and European success was his prime targets, he wanted cup success; mindful of the great Pittodrie traditions.

Not since 1970 had Aberdeen won the Scottish Cup so it was a day to remember for the Aberdeen support as they eventually crushed arch rivals Rangers 4-1 in the Hampden final. Despite the tie going into extra time with the Dons goal coming from a stunning Alex McLeish effort, the Dons went on the rampage in the extra time period and hit three goals without reply. It was a watershed moment for Aberdeen as they had laid their cup bogey to rest as well as humiliating their old rivals in the process. The cup win also brought qualification for the European Cup Winners Cup the following season.

DOWN SOUTH

Liverpool won the league title for the 13th time in the first season of three points for a win in England. Anfield was saddened though by the loss of former manager Bill Shankly who dies in late September. Ipswich had been early leaders but fell away with Aberdeen playing their part in their demise. The Portman Road side finished in second place. Swansea City competed in the top division for the first time in their history. Middlesbrough, Leeds United and Wolves were relegated.

FA Cup specialists Tottenham retained the FA Cup after beating QPR 1-0 in a replayed final. Tottenham failed to win a cup double as Liverpool beat them 3-1 in the League Cup Final at Wembley. Aston Villa were shock winners of the European Cup after they beat Bayern Munich in the final. The only goal of a poor final came from Peter With. It was Villa’s finest hour and a far cry from the current side and their recent demotion from the Premier League.  Sheffield United won the old Fourth Division championship, while Crewe were the worst side in England finishing on 27 points for their entire season.

Kevin Keegan marked his return to English football by scoring more goals than any other player in the Football League. The former Liverpool legend had become one of the top players in Europe after he moved to Bundesliga with Cologne. His return to England began with his Southampton side appearing in the Aberdeen FC Tourney at the start of the season.