1952–53 Aberdeen F.C. season

The 1952–53 season was Aberdeen's 40th season in the top flight of Scottish football and their 42nd season overall. Aberdeen competed in the Scottish League Division One, Scottish League Cup, and the Scottish Cup.

Aberdeen F.C.

1952–53 season
Chairman	William Mitchell
Manager	Dave Halliday
Scottish League Division One	11th
Scottish Cup	Finalists
Scottish League Cup	Group Stage
Coronation Cup	First Round
Top goalscorer	League: George Hamilton (15) All: Jack Hather (18)
Highest home attendance	41,880 vs. Hibernian, 18 March
Lowest home attendance	15,000 vs. Airdrieonians, 13 September vs. Clyde 13 December
Home colours

Results

Division A

Main article: 1952–53 Scottish Division One

Match Day	Date	Opponent	H/A	Score	Aberdeen Scorer(s)	Attendance
1	6 September	Partick Thistle	A	1–1	Rodger	15,000
2	13 September	Airdrieonians	H	1–2	Yorston	15,000
3	20 September	Dundee	A	1–3	Hay	20,000
4	26 September	Celtic	H	2–2	Boyd, Hamilton	25,000
5	4 October	St Mirren	A	1–2	Hather	12,000
6	11 October	Third Lanark	H	4–3	Hamilton (2), Hather (2)	17,000
7	18 October	Airdrieonians	A	7–4	Buckley (2), Hamilton (2), Hather (2), Hay	7,000
8	25 October	East Fife	H	6–3	Boyd (3), Hamilton (2), Buckley	20,000
9	1 November	Motherwell	H	5–1	Hay (2), Hamilton (2), Buckley	20,000
10	8 November	Raith Rovers	A	1–2	Buckley	5,000
11	15 November	Heart of Midlothian	H	3–0	Hather (2), Hamilton	15,500
12	22 November	Falkirk	H	7–2	Hay (2), Buckley (2), Hather (2), Boyd	17,000
13	29 November	Queen of the South	A	0–4		8,000
14	6 December	Rangers	A	0–4		35,000
15	13 December	Clyde	H	3–2	Hather, Allister, Buckley	15,000
16	20 December	Partick Thistle	H	4–2	Hamilton (3), Buckley	18,000
17	27 December	Hibernian	A	0–3		20,000
18	1 January	Dundee	H	2–2	Rodger, Yorston	21,000
19	10 January	St Mirren	H	1–2	Hay	20,000
20	17 January	Third Lanark	A	1–0	Hather	10,000
21	24 January	Clyde	A	0–3		12,000
22	14 February	East Fife	A	1–4	Yorston	6,000
23	20 February	Raith Rovers	H	0–2		20,000
24	7 March	Heart of Midlothian	A	1–3	Hay	20,000
25	21 March	Queen of the South	H	4–0	Rodger (2), Yorston, Allister (penalty)	16,000
26	28 March	Rangers	H	2–2	Yorston, Rodger	28,000
27	11 April	Hibernian	H	1–1	Hather	20,000
28	15 April	Celtic	A	3–1	Hamilton (2), Yorston	10,000
29	17 April	Motherwell	A	1–4	Hather	11,000
30	20 April	Falkirk	A	1–4	Hather	7,500

Final standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GR	Pts
9	Partick Thistle	30	10	9	11	55	63	0.873	29
10	Queen of the South	30	10	8	12	43	61	0.705	28
11	Aberdeen	30	11	5	14	64	68	0.941	27
12	Raith Rovers	30	9	8	13	47	53	0.887	26
13	Falkirk	30	11	4	15	53	63	0.841	26

Source: RSSSF

Scottish League Cup

Main article: 1952–53 Scottish League Cup

Group 3

Round	Date	Opponent	H/A	Score	Aberdeen Scorer(s)	Attendance
1	9 August	Motherwell	A	2–5	Yorston, Buckley	8,000
2	13 August	Heart of Midlothian	H	2–4	Ewen, Yorston	33,000
3	16 August	Rangers	A	1–3	Buckley	40,000
4	23 August	Motherwell	H	0–1		25,000
5	27 August	Heart of Midlothian	A	1–1	Hather	22,000
6	30 August	Rangers	H	1–2	Yorston	35,000

Group 3 final table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GR	Pts
Rangers	6	4	1	1	12	10	1.200	9
Heart of Midlothian	6	3	1	2	12	7	1.714	7
Motherwell	6	3	1	2	11	9	1.222	7
Aberdeen	6	0	1	5	7	16	0.438	1

Source:

Scottish Cup

Main article: 1952–53 Scottish Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	H/A	Score	Aberdeen Scorer(s)	Attendance
R2	7 February	St Mirren	H	2–0	Hather (2)	22,294
R3	21 February	Motherwell	H	5–5	Buckley (2), Allister (2), Yorston	27,735
R3 R	25 February	Motherwell	A	6–1	Yorston (3), Rodger, Buckley, Hather	20,193
QF	14 March	Hibernian	A	1–1	Rodger	47,585
QF R	18 March	Hibernian	H	2–0	Hamilton (2)	41,880
SF	4 April	Third Lanark	N	1–1	Buckley	19,905
SF R	8 April	Third Lanark	N	2–1	Yorston (2)	25,219
F	25 April	Rangers	N	1–1	Yorston	113,700
F R	29 April	Rangers	N	0–1		113,700

Coronation Cup

Main article: Coronation Cup (football)

Round	Date	Opponent	H/A	Score	Aberdeen Scorer(s)	Attendance
QF	13 May	Newcastle United	N	0–4		12,000

Squad

Appearances & Goals

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		Division One		Scottish Cup		League Cup
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
	GK	SCO	Fred Martin	42	0	28	0	9	0	5	0
	GK	SCO	Reg Morrison	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0
	GK	SCO	Frank Watson	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	DF	SCO	Jimmy Mitchell (c)	43	0	29	0	9	0	5	0
	DF	SCO	Jack Allister	34	4	25	2	9	2	0	0
	DF	SCO	Alec Young	32	0	23	0	9	0	0	0
	DF	SCO	Billy Smith	30	0	25	0	1	0	4	0
	DF	SCO	Davie Shaw	24	0	13	0	8	0	3	0
	DF	SCO	Jock Pattillo	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	MF	SCO	Tony Harris	38	0	24	0	9	0	5	0
	MF	SCO	Allan Boyd	15	5	12	5	0	0	3	0
	MF	SCO	Chris Anderson	7	0	4	0	0	0	3	0
	MF	SCO	Kenny Thomson	6	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
	MF	SCO	Jimmy Wallace	6	0	4	0	0	0	2	0
	MF	SCO	Archie Glen	5	0	5	0	0	0	0	0
	MF	SCO	Tommy Pearson	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0
	MF	SCO	George Samuel	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	FW	ENG	Jack Hather	43	18	28	14	9	3	6	1
	FW	SCO	Paddy Buckley	40	15	27	9	9	4	4	2
	FW	SCO	Harry Yorston	32	16	19	6	9	7	4	3
	FW	??	Ian Rodger	31	7	17	5	9	2	5	0
	FW	SCO	George Hamilton	24	17	18	15	6	2	0	0
	FW	SCO	Hugh Hay	20	8	17	8	3	0	0	0
	FW	SCO	Archie Baird	6	0	2	0	0	0	4	0
	FW	SCO	Ian McNeil	4	0	3	0	0	0	1	0
	FW	??	Jack Dunbar	4	0	2	0	0	0	2	0
	FW	SCO	Ernie Ewen	2	1	1	0	0	0	1	1

Unofficial Appearances & Goals

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Coronation Cup
				Apps	Goals
	GK	SCO	Fred Martin	1	0
	DF	SCO	Jimmy Mitchell (c)	1	0
	DF	SCO	Davie Shaw	1	0
	DF	SCO	Jack Allister	1	0
	DF	SCO	Alec Young	1	0
	MF	SCO	Tony Harris	1	0
	MF	SCO	Allan Boyd	1	0
	FW	ENG	Jack Hather	1	0
	FW	SCO	Paddy Buckley	1	0
	FW	SCO	George Hamilton	1	0
	FW	SCO	Harry Yorston	1	0

References

• Kevin Stirling. Aberdeen A Centenary History 1903-2003. Desert Island Books 2002. ISBN 1-874287-49-X.
• AFC Heritage Trust