Sandbox

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UEFA Cup 2007/08

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Aberdeen reached the group stages of the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history, beating FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on the away goal rule after a 0-0 draw at Pittodrie in the first round, Darren Mackie got the crucial away goal in the Ukraine, that saw Aberdeen finish the game 1-1.

They began the Group Stages with an away trip to Athens to face Panathinaikos on October 25th, followed by hosting Lokomotiv Moscow at Pittodrie on 8th November. An away trip to Atlético Madrid on November 29th, followed by the final game of the Group Stages, at home to Copenhagen on December 20th.

Aberdeen travelled to play Panathinaikos on October 25, 2007 to start their European campaign. They lost 3-0 thanks to goals from Ioannis Goumas, Dimitrios Papadopoulos and Dimitrios Salpingidis and great playmaking from Andreas Ivanschitz and Dame N'Doye. They then faced Lokomotiv Moscow at Pittodrie where Zander Diamond gave The Dons the lead but Branislav Ivanović equalised on half time and Lokomotiv held out in the second half to earn a 1-1 draw. Their next game was at the Vicente Calderón against Atletico Madrid who overpowered a resiliant Aberdeen defence. Luck was certainly on Atletico's side on the night as their goals came from a Diego Forlán penalty and a Jamie Langfield own goal.

Aberdeen were given a lifeline due to Panathinaikos and Atletico Madrid winning their matches against Lokomotiv Moscow and FC Copenhagen on December 5 2007. Aberdeen needed to defeat FC Copenhagen on December 20 2007, at Pittodrie Stadium in order to progress to the third round as the 3rd placed team in the group. With two goals from Jamie Smith, one from Richard Foster and an own goal by Mikael Antonsson, they managed this in style, winning by a crushing 4-0 scoreline defeat of Copenhagen, ranking high among the team's greatest results in Europe.

Aberdeen's reward for staying in Europe beyond Christmas for the first time since 1986 was a glamourous February 2008 meeting with German giants (and 1983 throwbacks) Bayern München. The first leg will either be the 13th or 14th at Pittodrie, with the return leg on the 21st at the Allianz Arena.

Aberdeenshire Cup

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Aberdeen FC has won its local competition more times than any other Aberdeenshire based team. They have won it a record 39 times, first off back in 1887-1888. During these early years a team called Aberdeen did play, and later merged with Victoria United and Orion to form the Aberdeen FC we know today. The records dating back to 1887-88 season count as part of Aberdeen's official history. Aberdeen also won many other competitions during the 1880s to 1890s right up to the newly formed Aberdeen FC in 1903. These Cup and League successes still count as part of their history.



Achievements and records

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League

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Aberdeen have the distinction of never having been relegated from any division; their only season in a league below the highest in Scotland was their first, 1904-05, at the end of which they were elected, rather than promoted, to the First Division. In 1910-11, Aberdeen finished second behind Rangers in the league, having beaten both halves of the Old Firm during the season[1], but they did not repeat the feat until 1935-36, and it was more than 50 years after the club had come into existence that the first league title was won, in 1954-55. The following season, Aberdeen finished second behind Rangers, but it was not until the 1970s that they were regularly challenging for the league title. Between 1970 and 1994, Aberdeen finished second on ten occasions, and won the league three times; each of those wins under the managership of Alex Ferguson. In 1983-84, they also won the Scottish Cup (see below), making them the first team outside Glasgow to have won the Scottish 'Double'.

Cups

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Aberdeen's first senior trophy was the Southern League Cup, a precursor to the Scottish League Cup in 1946-47. The Southern League Cup was a restricted, wartime competition, and did not feature all senior Scottish teams at the time, but the official club history records it as the first major honour[2] in the club's history. The following season, Aberdeen reached the final of the League Cup, and won their first Scottish Cup. They had appeared in a Scottish Cup final in 1936-37; a match which attracted 146,433 spectators, the record attendance for a club match in Europe. Aberdeen reached cup finals four times in the 1950s, their only silverware coming when they defeated St. Mirren in the 1955-56 League Cup final. Following a final defeat to Celtic in 1966-67, the Scottish Cup was again won in 1969-70.

An extra time League Cup victory over Celtic in 1976-77 and defeats in the Scottish Cup final of 1977-78 and the League Cup final of the following season presaged the 1980s, when Aberdeen won a total of four Scottish Cups - including three in a row between 1982 and 1984 - and two League Cups, the second of which, in 1989, was the third successive final between Aberdeen and Rangers - Aberdeen having lost the first two. This period included the club's first 'double' win in 1983-84, and a double cup win in 1985-86.

Aberdeen won the 1989-90 Scottish Cup final against Celtic on penalties - the first time the competition had been decided in this way.[3] Since then, there has been one League Cup win - against Dundee in 1995-96, and two further appearances in each of the major finals.

Minor cup competitions
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Aberdeen have won the Aberdeenshire Cup more times than any other team, although it should be noted that the 39 victories recorded on the club's official website[4] include several won by precursor clubs prior to the official founding in 1903. in addition, the club rarely enters a full-strength team in this competition.

The Drybrough Cup was won by Aberdeen twice, in 1971 and 1980; the first and last time the competition was run. Aberdeen also won the Scottish Qualifying Cup in 1904, the only time the club entered.

European Competitions

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Aberdeen have been regular European competitors since their first appearance in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1967. They qualified for the European Cup three times, reaching the quarter-final in 1985-86; have made 16 appearances in the UEFA Cup and its precursor, the Fairs Cup, twice reaching the third round; and appeared 8 times in the Cup Winners Cup, winning the competition in 1982-83 and reaching the semi-final the following season. In 1970-71, Aberdeen became the first team to be eliminated from European competition on penalties, losing a first round Cup Winners' Cup tie against Honvéd[5]. In addition, the club won their only European Super Cup final in 1983; the only Scottish club to have won this competition. Aberdeen were voted 'European Team of the Year' by France Football and Adidas in recognition of their achievements in 1983[6]

European record as of December 21st, 2007:
Competition Appearances Matches played Won Drawn Lost GF GA
European Champions Cup / UEFA Champions League 3 12 5 4 3 14 12
European Cup Winners Cup / UEFA Cup Winners Cup 8 39 22 5 12 79 37
European Super Cup / UEFA Super Cup 1 2 1 1 0 2 0
UEFA Cup 15 50 15 17 18 59 62
UEFA Intertoto Cup 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Inter Cities Fairs Cup 1 4 2 1 1 4 4
Total 28 107 45 28 34 158 115

Major Honours

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For a complete list of all honours, see the official club website

  • Southern League Cup Champions (1) : 1945-46


Awards and achievements
Preceded by UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Champions
1983
Runner up: Real Madrid
Succeeded by
Preceded by UEFA Super Cup Champions
1983
Runner up: Hamburg SV
Succeeded by

Honours

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  • Southern League Cup Champions (1) : 1945-46
  • Aberdeenshire Cup Champions (39) : 1887-88; 1888-89; 1889-90; 1897-98; 1901-02; 1903-04; 1904-05; 1906-07; 1907-08; 1908-09; 1909-10; 1911-12; 1912-13; 1913-14; 1914-15; 1919-20; 1921-22; 1922-23; 1923-24; 1924-25; 1925-26; 1926-27; 1927-28; 1928-29; 1929-30; 1930-31; 1931-32; 1932-33; 1980-81; 1981-82; 1982-83; 1987-88; 1989-90; 1990-91; 1992-93; 1997-98; 2003-04; 2004-05
  • Aberdeenshire Charity Cup Champions (2) : 1891-92; 1897-98
  • Mitchell Cup Champions (3) : 1941-42; 1942-43; 1944-45
  • North Eastern League Champions (4) : 1941-42; 1942-43; 1943-44; 1944-45
  • Northern League Champions (2) : 1905-06; 1910-11
  • North Eastern Suplimentary Cup Champions (2) : 1941-42; 1942-43
  • Scottish League 'C' Division Champions (2) : 1952-53; 1954-55
  • Dewar Shield Champions (15) : 1906-07; 1908-09; 1912-13; 1914-15; 1926-27; 1928-29; 1930-31; 1931-32; 1932-33; 1933-34; 1935-36; 1936-37; 1939-40; 1945-46; 1949-50
  • Adidas "World Team of the Year" : 1983


Awards and achievements
Preceded by UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Champions
1983
Runner up: Real Madrid
Succeeded by
Preceded by UEFA Super Cup Champions
1983
Runner up: Hamburg SV
Succeeded by



UEFA ranking

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  1. ^ Webster, Jack (2003). The First 100 Years of The Dons: the official history of Aberdeen Football Club 1903 - 2003. Hodder and Stoughton. p. 89. ISBN 0 340 82344 5.
  2. ^ Webster, Jack (2003). The First 100 Years of The Dons: the official history of Aberdeen Football Club 1903 - 2003. Hodder and Stoughton. p. 161-164. ISBN 0 340 82344 5.
  3. ^ Webster, Jack (2003). The First 100 Years of The Dons: the official history of Aberdeen Football Club 1903 - 2003. Hodder and Stoughton. p. 313. ISBN 0 340 82344 5.
  4. ^ "Aberdeen: Honours". Aberdeen F.C. Retrieved 2008-01-12. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  5. ^ "Dons in Europe". Aberdeen F.C. Retrieved 2008-01-13. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  6. ^ Webster, Jack (2003). The First 100 Years of The Dons: the official history of Aberdeen Football Club 1903 - 2003. Hodder and Stoughton. p. 297. ISBN 0 340 82344 5.