Aberdeen Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Frank McDougall this morning.

Frank was an AFC legend, as during his two seasons for the Dons, between 1984 and 1986, he scored an incredible 44 goals and won all three domestic medals.

The striker was inducted into the AFC Hall of Fame last year.

Our thoughts are with his friends and family at his very sad time.

Frank’s AFC Career

Sir Alex Ferguson raided his former club St Mirren in 1984 to secure McDougall’s signature as a replacement for Mark McGhee, who had departed for Hamburg earlier that summer.

By the time he had moved to Pittodrie Frank had already established a reputation as a prolific goalscorer during spells with Clydebank and St Mirren, and his time in Aberdeen would only enhance that reputation.

After joining The Dons for a fee of £100,000, McDougall quickly set about repaying that fee during his first campaign where he almost scored a goal a game, netting a remarkable 24 goals in just 30 appearances. That made him top scorer in the division that season as Aberdeen won the league title.

Memorably, Frank bagged all three goals in a 3-0 win over Hearts as the league championship was clinched at Tynecastle, thereby securing himself lifelong adoration from the Red Army.

His second season in red saw a return of 20 goals in 38 appearances, including a famous four goal haul in a 4-1 victory over Celtic at Pittodrie, which many Dons supporters still tell tales of to this day.

Frank would end the season with a Scottish Cup and League Cup double, delivering all three domestic medals in just 24 months at Pittodrie, averaging a piece of silverware every 23 matches.

Unfortunately McDougall’s time at Aberdeen, and his football career, was cut short due to a persistent back injury which led to retirement at the age of just 29 during the 1986/87 season, having scored 44 goals in 69 appearances.

Despite only having two full seasons at Pittodrie, Frank McDougall packed in more goals than most strikers could dream of, creating many memorable moments for Dons supporters. That has all led to his rightful induction in the AFC Hall of Fame last year. Although he was unable to attend the event due to ill health, he did visit Pittodrie at the end of last season.