The European Cup is the summit of achievement for club footballers and managers. Knowing that the club had missed out on qualifying by so little must have hurt Ferguson. He could console himself that - all being well - the club would have to wait just twelve months to rectify matters. In the meantime Aberdeen could bask in being voted the Best Team in Europe by the magazine France Football.
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Though Ferguson lost Archie Knox to Dundee, and replaced him with Willie Garner, the playing squad was more or less intact. That was bound to change now that the spotlight was on them. The first to show stirrings of discontent was Gordon Strachan. A star in the 1982 World Cup, winner of a European medal in 1983, Strachan served notice that season 1983-84 would be his last in Aberdeen red.
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Strachan's leaving allowed Ferguson time to hunt for a successor. Replacing the wee man was not easy, but St Mirren's Billy Stark had qualities of his own. A rangy midfielder, with a taste for wearing his shorts up to his crutch, Stark was as sharp in front of goal as most strikers.
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Sooner or later Ferguson also had to address the weakness at full-back. On the left, Rougvie - for all his lion's heart - was really a stopper out of position. On the right, Kennedy career had been terminated by injury. By December Ferguson had brought in Dundee's stylish young Stewart McKimmie, an Aberdonian to boot. McKimmie's was a seamless introduction. His baptism was the stuff of fairy tales. A home debut against Hibs, followed three days later by Hamburg in the European Super Cup.
But this is to fast-forward. The League tinkered with the rules again, introducing an initial round, with the sections to follow. Aberdeen belted nine goals past Raith, topped Section 3 with ease, and found themselves paired with Celtic in a semi-final.
In the league, early defeats by Dundee United and Hibs kept the Dons down to fourth, with Celtic to come. Matches with the Celts, never placid under Billy McNeill, became yet more brutal under Davie Hay. The first encounter, in the league, brought Aberdeen two penalties; the next, in the League Cup semi, an overload of bookings, fisticuffs in the crowd, and a decisive penalty to Celtic.
In late October Pittodrie was rocked by the news that Rangers wanted Ferguson to replace John Greig. Ferguson, of course, had been a former Rangers player. Not so long ago Billy McNeill had had to make similar decision and had chosen to leave. But the choice confronting Ferguson was more complicated. Aberdeen had shown faith in him when others had not. He was genuinely happy at the club, and in his relationship with the board, and was not eager to uproot. Besides, Rangers needed major surgery; Aberdeen were touching greatness.
Not wishing to act in haste and repent at leisure, Ferguson took time to weigh things up. His decision was as surprising as it was welcome. Rangers could look elsewhere; he was staying put, and duly signed a five-year contract.
The players celebrated by rolling off win after win to open up a handsome lead. On the last occasion Aberdeen led the table at New Year, in 1980-81, they had folded. This time they grew in strength. Defeating Celtic, their only realistic challengers, in February opened up a gap of six points, which was to prove conclusive.
By late April Aberdeen were heading for a sweep of trophies to eclipse even their achievements of 1982-83. Porto proved too good in the Cup-Winners' Cup, but otherwise the Dons were invincible. They took the Premier League title with a record 57 points, equalling the best ever defensive record of 21 goals conceded.
Match of the Season (1)
European Super Cup, 2nd Leg, 20 December 1983
Aberdeen 2 (Simpson 47, McGhee 64)
SV Hamburg 0
ABERDEEN: Leighton, McKimmie, McMaster, Simpson, McLeish, Miller, Strachan, Hewitt (Black), McGhee, Bell, Weir
SV HAMBURG: Stein, Kaltz (Wuttke), Wehmeyer, Jakobs, Hieronymous, Hartwig, Schroder, Groh, Schatzsch'r (Hanson), Magath, Roff
The European Super Cup is not a cup at all, but a plaque. Nor is it necessarily super. It is related in concept to the Charity Shield in England, between league and cup winners, and the World Club Championship between the European and South American title holders. The idea brings cash and kudos to the winners, and the losers promptly forget all about it. In congested timetables extra matches are difficult to squeeze in, and - to underline their scant value - are sometimes dispensed with altogether. Fixture congestion is a particular headache for European champions, since they may challenge both Cup-Winners' Cup holders and South American champions - all in addition to defending their European crown.
Smaller clubs like Aberdeen, new to the exhilarating effects of international success, are understandably more enthusiastic than bigger ones, who could do without the distraction if not the loot. Aberdeen had the additional incentive of becoming the first Scottish club to win the Super Cup. It was established only in 1972 (too late for Celtic), when Rangers were roundly beaten by Ajax.
The Dons' opponents were old adversaries. It was only two years since Hamburg had provided one of Pittodrie's great Euro nights. Since then, Beckenbauer and Hrubesch had gone.
Having drawn 0-0 in Bayern, the Dons did the same in Hamburg. Once again McGhee came closest to scoring a precious away goal.
The atmosphere at Pittodrie could not compare with that for Bayern. Drizzle seemed to depress players as much as supporters. Hamburg played in red, obliging Aberdeen to wear white and black. The match was indifferent too, until Peter Weir scampered down the touchline just after half-time to create a goal for Simpson. Thereafter the fans found their voice and the Dons found their form. McGhee added a second and by the end the Germans had escaped lightly.
It is a moot point: did Aberdeen win the wrong match with Hamburg? Would they have swapped a semi-precious plaque for passage to the 1981-82 UEFA Cup quarter-finals?
Hamburg lost the World Club Championship in Tokyo, 1-2 to Gremio Porto Alegre of Brazil.
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European Cup Winners Cup, Quarter Final
Aberdeen 3 (McGhee 37, 88, 93)
Ujpest Dozsa 0
ABERDEEN: Leighton, Cooper, McKimmie, Simpson, McLeish, Miller, Strachan, Black, McGhee, Bell (Angus), Hewitt (Falconer)
UJPEST: Szendrei, Kovacs B, Kovacs J, Toth, Kisznyer, Kardos, Kiss, Steidl, Torocsik, Fekete, Heredi, Bogdan
European opponents used to view Aberdeen as a soft touch. 1982-83 changed all that. They were now up there in lights as they strove to become the first club to retain the Cup-Winners' Cup. This time they were seeded, naturally, and were spared the indignity of a preliminary round. The current crop of entries included Manchester United, Juventus, Barcelona, Porto, Cologne, Paris St Germain - not to mention Rangers. In Round 1 the Dons encountered unexpectedly sturdy opposition from Akranes of Iceland, who squandered a penalty. Round 2 was overshadowed by the Rangers-Alex Ferguson saga. News that Fergie was staying at Pittodrie was announced hours before the second leg with Beveren of Belgium, and the match turned into a pageant of celebration.
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Ujpest Dozsa had been doing their stuff in Europe a long time, coming closest in 1968-69 when beaten by Newcastle in the final of the Fairs Cup. That was the beginning of their great age, when Ujpest won the Hungarian championship seven years in a row.
The Dons journeyed to Budapest for the first leg buoyed by an unbeaten run of 27 games. But for inexplicable misses by Strachan and McGhee, they would surely have extended that run. Instead it came to an abrupt halt with a 0-2 defeat.
Aberdeen had never yet pulled back a two-goal deficit in Europe. Of the Hungarian team facing them, Toth, Kiss and No 9 Torocsik had played at Wembley in a 1981 World Cup qualifier. Torocsik's attitude in that game was summed up when he kicked off the second half with his arms folded. He was scarcely more in evidence at Pittodrie. Ujpest seemed unable to escape their half, and for much of the time their penalty area. The game would stand as a personal monument to Mark McGhee, who headed in Strachan's cross in the first half, and in the frenzied closing minutes scored again to take the tie to extra-time. Aberdeen loved extra-time as much as they hated penalty shoot-outs, and it was not long before McGhee completed his hat-trick. It was all too much for goalkeeper Szendrei, who took out his frustration on McLeish and was sent packing.
This season, like last, had any number of worthy candidates for match of the season. Another memorable occasion lay in store, for Manchester United, Juventus and Porto made up the semi-finalists. Porto, having already claimed the scalp of Rangers, made it a Scottish double with a classy display at Pittodrie. In so doing they became the only European opponents - Liverpool aside - to prevent Aberdeen scoring in both legs. Porto lost the final to Juventus.
Match of the Season (3)
Scottish Cup Final, 19 May 1984
Aberdeen 2 (Black 23, McGhee 98)
Celtic 1 (McStay 85)
ABERDEEN: Leighton, McKimmie, Rougvie (Bell), Cooper, McLeish, Miller, Strachan, Simpson, McGhee, Black, Weir (Stark)
CELTIC: Bonner, McGrain, Reid (Sinclair), Aitken, McStay W, MacLeod, Provan, McStay P, McGarvey, Burns, McClair (Melrose)
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Porto was the only serious disappointment in this phenomenal season. The championship was sewn up at Hearts, on Willie Miller's 29th birthday, with four fixtures in hand.
The path to Hampden in the Scottish Cup was hard work. It took two bites to swallow the Kilmarnock cherry in Round 3, and the pairing with Dundee United in the quarter-final looked ominous, particularly when United forced a goalless draw at Pittodrie. Mark McGhee settled the replay, Dundee were rendered impotent in the semi-final, leaving Aberdeen to contemplate a third successive final. It was the first under McNeill or Ferguson not to involve Rangers. Celtic would take their turn.
Davie Hay's first season in charge at Parkhead had seen Celtic finish runners-up in league and League Cup. The Scottish Cup was therefore their only escape from an unwanted trio of second-places.
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Celtic felt doubly aggrieved. They were a goal and a man down. They held Strachan's tongue-wagging responsible for much of their misfortune, and he was singled out for harsh treatment. The ongoing vendettas brought six bookings.
Irrespective of having an extra man there is little rejoicing at the dismissal of an opponent. The reduced team always seem to sprout wings, their team-spirit surges, and they have the perfect excuse in defeat. There is scant praise for beating ten men.
Whatever Ferguson's instructions, his team retreated more and more as the game progressed, seemingly intent on letting Celtic run themselves into the ground. As a tactic it alienated neutrals, but it was four minutes from proving successful when Paul McStay fired a merited equaliser past Leighton.
Unfortunately for Celtic, unless they could conjure a quick winner they would have to contend with extra-time. It was then that Aberdeen regained the ascendancy. Substitute Dougie Bell, uncorked a peach from thirty yards which flew off the junction of post and bar. Strachan squared across goal and McGhee squeezed the ball in from a tight angle. This time Celtic's tank was empty.
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Three Scottish Cups, all won in extra-time in the first three years since the extra period's introduction. That was some coincidence. All told, Aberdeen had survived fifteen consecutive ties (plus three replays) and equalled Rangers achievement of three successive Scottish Cups, most recently recorded between 1962 and 1964.
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Scottish Champions, Scottish Cup-holders, European Super Cup-winners. No one could argue with that.
Words and research by CaddyCarhandle
Edited by StandFreeEd