Aberdeen Rovers F.C.
| Full name | Aberdeen Rovers Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1884 | |
| Dissolved | 1889 | |
| Ground | Recreation Grounds[1] | |
|
| ||
Aberdeen Rovers Football Club was a football team from Aberdeen, Scotland who suffered the second-worst defeat in any Scottish senior football match, losing 35–0 to Dundee Harp on 12 September 1885 in a first round match of the Scottish Cup. The match was the same day as the biggest-ever win, as Arbroath beat fellow Aberdonians Bon Accord 36-0.
History
The club was formed in 1885, and played only one match before its entry into the Scottish Cup, a 5-3 defeat at Bon Accord.[2]
Game v Dundee Harp in the Scottish Cup
The Rovers were handicapped by only playing with ten men.[3] Although the referee in the Harp-Aberdeen Rovers game had noted 37 goals, Harp's secretary suggested a miscount must have occurred as he had recorded only 35. The match official, acknowledging that it was difficult for him to keep accurate details during such a deluge of goals, accepted the lower tally and wired the official score of 35–0 to SFA headquarters.
Dundee Harp full back Tom O'Kane was an ex-Arbroath player, and persuaded the Dundee club's officials to send a telegram to his former colleagues at Gayfield Park boasting of his team's record breaking achievement. The Harp players and officials were not to know that Arbroath had actually gone one better against another unfortunate Aberdeen side on that same afternoon. On receiving the Harp telegram, Arbroath officials took great delight in sending a reply boasting of the Angus side's superior achievement. It was only when O'Kane arrived back in Arbroath on the late Saturday evening train that he discovered the truth. Locals were quick to tell him that the Arbroath result was no joke and Harp's record-breaking claim was about to be lost.[4]
Later history
The club entered the Scottish FA Cup twice more. In 1887-88, it received a bye to the second round, but was beaten 10-0 by Wanderers of Dundee (later Johnstone Wanderers). The next season, it was drawn away to Wanderers again, and decided to withdraw from the competition.
The club was a founder member of the Aberdeenshire and District Football Association and played in the first Aberdeenshire Cup in 1887-88, reaching the semi-finals. In 1888-89 it reached the third round, losing 4-0 to Orion F.C.
Although the club was exempted to the third round for the following year's competition, the club dissolved before being able to participate.[5]
References
- ^ "Scottish Football Club Directory".
- ^ "Football". Aberdeen Journal: 6. 9 February 1885.
- ^ "match report". Dundee Courier & Argus: 3. 15 September 1885.
- ^ Thacker, Gary. "The day a 36-0 win (probably) wasn't the biggest scoreline of the day in Scotland".
- ^ "Aberdeenshire Cup results".