WHEN Willie Miller headed home against Celtic to seal the retention of the League Championship it meant that season 1985/86 would see the Dons eating once more at the top table of European football. After the early exit to Dynamo Berlin in 1984/85 there was a real desire to get to the latter stages of Europe again. What better competition to do it in than the European Champions Cup.
In these pre-Champions League days the 32 entrants were spread evenly around Europe. The Champions Cup was exactly that - a competition limited to the respective league champions from each UEFA member country. The potential opponents were an eclectic mix which ranged from the giants of England, Germany, Spain and Italy right down to the minnows of Malta and Luxembourg. No financial pressures from the so-called G14 and no fourth-placed finishers in any so-called "Champions" competition.
Joining the Dons in the 1985/86 competition would be some old foes. There was Juventus, the star-studded holders and conquerors of the Dons in 1971. There was Honved, who had become the first club to win a European tie on penalties when they knocked Aberdeen out of the 1970/71 Cup Winners Cup. From more recent times there was FC Porto and Germany would provide old adversaries from each side of the Iron Curtain in Bayern Munich and Dynamo Berlin.
Other potential opponents included Ajax who had won the competition three-times in the 1970s and who would best be avoided. Terry Venables' Barcelona side would represent Spain, and in their ranks they could boast an ex-Don in Steve Archibald. Conspicuous by their absence was the English representatives for they had just begun a five-year European ban following the tragic scenes in the Heysel Stadium in the previous year's final - Everton's title winning side would not have the chance to attempt to emulate the success of their neighbours.
Aberdeen's high profile in 1980s Euro-Soccer meant a valuable seeding and crucially the really big names would be avoided in Round 1. The draw threw up a clash with another very recent opponent. Icelandic minnows Akranes had given a tough time of things in the 83/84 Cup Winners Cup as the Dons squeezed past with a 3-2 aggregate victory.
A repeat of the away leg score of two years ago, a narrow 2-1 victory, would have no doubt have been acceptable but there looked to be some trouble looming as Johanesson's penalty gave the Icelanders the lead at the interval. A half-time "chat" with Mr Ferguson appeared to have worked its customary magic as a profitable eight minute spell reaped goals from Black, Hewitt and Stark.
At Pittodrie the Dons would be without the suspended Frank McDougall but the striker took centre-stage pre-kick off when he was presented with the Golden Boot for his goal-scoring exploits of the previous season.
The match itself appeared to be heading for another creditable draw for Akranes until a triple-salvo in four second-half minutes gave the Dons a 4-1 victory to ease the path to Round 2.
It was to be a trip to Switzerland for the next round and Servette would surely offer more resistance than FC Sion did in 1982. Amongst their squad they could name Michel Renquin, a hugely experienced Belgian international defender. Mats Magnusson was a towering striker who would go on to great things at Sven Goran-Eriksson's Benfica and who would be part of the Swedish squad that faced Scotland at World Cup '90. Alain Geiger was an emerging Swiss defender who would face England at Euro '96.
In Geneva, the Dons looked to kill the game from the off. McLeish's towering header might have snatched a crucial away goal but for the woodwork. A 0-0 draw was an acceptable return, however, and would make the Dons the favourites to progress to the quarter-finals.
Domestically, four days after the Swiss trip, the Dons were to face Hibernian in the League Cup Final. This final was over almost as soon as it started as Black and Stark fired goals in the first 12 minutes. Black added his second just after the hour - in what was to be his last final for the Dons - and Aberdeen had completed their set of domestic trophies under Ferguson. In the game immediately prior to the second leg with Servette it was Frank McDougall who hit Celtic for a magnificent and memorable four goals.
So back to Europe. A magnificent diving header from McDougall edged the Dons into the lead midway through the first-half.
The performance that followed from Servette was described by Ferguson as "the finest I have seen from a team visiting Pittodrie for a European tie" as the Swiss outfit twice came within a lick of paint of levelling the tie and ending the European interest for another year.
But it was the Dons who progressed and, when the competition recommenced in March, they would still be in the mix. Aberdeen would be joined in the draw by some fellow European Giants in Bayern, Juventus and Barcelona. Steaua Bucherest, Anderlecht and IFK Gothenburg would also provide stiff opposition. Finnish side FC Kuusysi looked like they would merely be making up the numbers and were the side that everyone would hope to meet.
When the draw was made it paired the Dons with the Swedish champions. Like Aberdeen, IFK Gothenburg had tasted recent European glory when they obliterated SV Hamburg in the 1982 UEFA Cup Final. Amongst their ranks was Glenn Hysen, who would later become an ideal foil to Alan Hansen at Liverpool. His IFK centre-back partner, Stig Fredriksson, was the Swedish international captain. Up front, they were led by 20-year-old Johnny Ekstrom, a hugely powerful and pacey striker who would play for a string of clubs including Bayern Munich. IFK had made it to the 1984/85 European Cup quarter-final and would certainly provide a huge challenge.
The Dons would be weakened by the absence of Leighton and McDougall. Prior to kick-off there was an impeccably observed minute's silence for Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, assassinated in a Stockholm street attack.
When Willie Miller - making his 50th European appearance - fired a raging left-footer to give the Dons a 16th minute lead, things were looking good. However, Tord Holmgren popped up just before the break to snatch a crucial away goal for the Swedes. Euro Super-Sub John Hewitt came on to restore the lead with 10 minutes to go but there was still time for that man Ekstrom to race clear of the Dons defence to add what would prove to be a decisive second for IFK. As well as the late disappointment on the park Ferguson later said that he felt that the supporters could have made a more positive contribution by giving the players a lift when they needed it.
Domestically, a disappointing league draw at St Mirren did little to instill believe that the Dons could pick up their third league title in a row. An extra-time Scottish Cup replay with Dundee added to the congestion but its success showed that the fighting cup spirit was still there.
The 2-2 draw with IFK at Pittodrie meant that the Dons would most likely need to go to the Ullevi and win, but history showed that we had been there, done that and against more exalted opponents than IFK Gothenburg. Leighton returned, McDougall to the bench, but Simpson was missing with an injury which would end his season. The game itself was a disappointing affair with neither side creating anything resembling a goal-scoring opportunity. The Swedes seemed more than happy to rest upon their Pittodrie goals and it was they who would progress to the semi-finals on away goals. Disappointingly the Dons had bowed out of Europe despite being unbeaten and the glorious Ullevi memories were tainted momentarily.
IFK went onto face Barcelona in the semi-final and ran up an unassailable looking 3-0 lead in Gothenburg. However, they were to collapse in the fervour of the Camp Nou with Barcelona claiming a victory by the same scoreline and by virtue of a Pichi Alonso hat-trick. Barce would progress to the final by winning the penalty shoot-out but they themselves would suffer penalty heartache as Steaua Bucherest claimed victory in one of the least entertaining finals in the cup's history.
The Dons league season was to peter out but it would finish in yet more cup glory as Hearts were smashed 3-0 in the Scottish Cup's end of season showpiece. Eric Black was controversially left out after announcing his intention to move to French club Metz, but replacement John Hewitt stepped up to the plate with a magnificent double. The domestic cup-double had been claimed for the first time.
The IFK Gothenburg tie remains, to this day, the Dons' last foray into the most prestigious club competition. But we all live in hope that we can get there once more.
Stand Free.
Caddy Carhandle
Aberdeen-Mad - written by the fans for the fans. Together we can make a difference.
