The Red Matchday team and Curtis Sport have been busy this week putting two programmes together for the Cinch Premiership game between Aberdeen and St Johnstone at Pittodrie on Saturday and the SWPL1 game on Sunday at Balmoral Park between Aberdeen and Rangers.

Red Matchday 15

Priced at £3, there are 68 pages packed with interviews and features. This week we spoke to David Bates:

“One thing I always try and do is defend first and foremost, and especially when the balls are coming into the box, keeping that clean sheet is always my aim. I always go home frustrated me if we’ve let a goal in and I always hold myself accountable. I put that pressure on myself. I just want to be a winner whenever I can. You have to take responsibility as a defender if you want to succeed, you can’t shy away from it.

“The back four has done well recently. I think we’ve just kind of settled a little bit and we’ve all got to know each other and how each other plays. You go into games more confident, everyone knows what they’ve got to do and you have a better idea of what the other guys are going to do with every game that you play.

“It’s good that I’ve known Ross for years now. He’s a good guy, daft as a brush though! Seriously, I go for coffees all the time with Ross, we talk about the game and how we want to play, so we have a good relationship off the pitch too, and that definitely helps in games.

“He loves running about, so I try and keep hold of him. He’s quick, he loves running down the channels, so I calm him down a bit! I’m fairly quiet on the pitch but he comes out with some mad comments in games, so I enjoy listening to that!”

There is a Q&A with Evan Towler and the former player featured is Frank McDougall. As well as columns from the manager and club captain Joe Lewis, there is the history section at the back of the programme with photos from our extensive AFC archive.

HOW TO BUY

1 Ground Sale on Saturday

Red Matchday sellers will be out and about before the game and you will be able to purchase programmes from them around the ground. The selling process will be done as safely as possible.

2 Online

You can still order your copies online from the Curtis Sport website www.curtis-sport.com/aberdeen-fc

To order Red Matchday Issue 15 please click here.

3 Club Shop

Please note all copies of Red Matchday, including back issues, are available to buy in the Pittodrie club shop from Friday.

AFC Women

For all the SWPL 1 games this season, the Red Matchday team are producing a limited-edition programme for the girls. There are interviews with new signing Hannah Stewart and captain Kelly Forrest:

“We always knew that we were going to be up against it and that the jump up to the top league would be a big one. We’ve also been so used to winning over the past few years and I think that is a psychological battle to learn how to come back from defeats. There are a lot of different styles in terms of how teams in the league play but there also a lot of teams around us in the league of a similar level to us”.

“I had a difficult start after being involved in some of the cup matches, I then got injured and missed the first eight league games. I’m back to normal now, after what was a niggling achilles injury and I’m hoping to stay fit for the rest of the campaign. Not to make any excuses but we didn’t really have a break between last season and this one and we’ve had a good few of the girls out at various points over the first part of the season”.

HOW TO BUY

1 Ground Sale on Sunday

For the match against Rangers on Sunday, the programme, priced at £2.00, will be available to buy from the turnstiles at the Balmoral Stadium .

2 Online

You can also buy a copy online by clicking here

 

Feedback

If you have any queries about the programme please email stuart@curtis-sport.com or malcolm.panton@afc.co.uk

Thanks for your support and enjoy your football this weekend! COYR