1986–87 Aberdeen F.C. season
| 1986–87 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Dick Donald |
| Manager | Alex Ferguson (to November) Ian Porterfield (from November) |
| Scottish Premier Division | 4th |
| Scottish Cup | Third round |
| Scottish League Cup | Quarter-final |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | First round |
| Tennents' Sixes | Winners |
| Top goalscorer | League: Billy Stark (12) All: John Hewitt Billy Stark (14 each) |
| Highest home attendance | 23,500 vs. Rangers, 2 May 1987 23,500 vs. Celtic, 3 September 1986 |
| Lowest home attendance | 6,000 vs. Clydebank, 11 April 1987 |
| Average home league attendance | 12,787 |
Aberdeen F.C. competed in the Scottish Premier Division, Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in season 1986–87.
Overview
Aberdeen lost their manager Alex Ferguson to Manchester United in November 1986. He was replaced by Ian Porterfield. On the field, the club finished in a disappointing fourth place in the Premier Division, and were knocked out of both domestic cup competitions by Celtic. In Europe, they were knocked out of the Cup Winners' Cup by Swiss club FC Sion at the first round stage.
New signings included midfielder Bobby Connor from Dundee and striker Davie Dodds from Swiss club Neuchâtel Xamax.
Results
Scottish Premier Division
| Match Day | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 August | Dundee United | A | 1–2 | Stark | 10,910 |
| 2 | 13 August | Hibernian | H | 4–0 | Stark, Gray, J. Miller, Angus | 12,983 |
| 3 | 16 August | Hamilton Academical | H | 2–0 | Stark (2) | 10,316 |
| 4 | 23 August | Celtic | A | 1–1 | J. Miller | 46,073 |
| 5 | 30 August | Dundee | H | 2–0 | J. Miller, Hewitt | 12,486 |
| 6 | 6 September | St Mirren | A | 1–1 | Stark | 4,435 |
| 7 | 13 September | Heart of Midlothian | H | 0–1 | 15,625 | |
| 8 | 20 September | Clydebank | A | 3–1 | Hewitt, Weir | 2,766 |
| 9 | 27 September | Rangers | A | 0–2 | 40,155 | |
| 10 | 4 October | Motherwell | H | 2–2 | W. Miller, Dodds | 8,751 |
| 11 | 8 October | Falkirk | A | 3–3 | Stark, McLeish, Bett | 4,800 |
| 12 | 11 October | Dundee United | H | 2–0 | Hewitt (2) | 14,922 |
| 13 | 18 October | Hibernian | A | 1–1 | Connor | 9,127 |
| 14 | 25 October | Hamilton Academical | A | 1–0 | Bett | 3,001 |
| 15 | 1 November | Dundee | A | 2–0 | Porteous, Dodds | 8,200 |
| 16 | 8 November | St Mirren | H | 0–0 | 11,366 | |
| 17 | 15 November | Heart of Midlothian | A | 1–2 | Hewitt | 17,108 |
| 18 | 19 November | Clydebank | H | 5–0 | Stark (2), Connor (2), Hewitt | 7,301 |
| 19 | 22 November | Rangers | H | 1–0 | Dodds | 21,733 |
| 20 | 26 November | Celtic | H | 1–1 | McLeish | 22,040 |
| 21 | 29 November | Motherwell | A | 1–0 | Weir | 4,479 |
| 22 | 3 December | Falkirk | H | 1–0 | Stark | 9,253 |
| 23 | 6 December | Dundee United | A | 0–0 | 10,242 | |
| 24 | 13 December | Hibernian | H | 1–0 | Stark | 11,003 |
| 25 | 20 December | Celtic | A | 1–1 | J. Miller | 32,624 |
| 26 | 27 December | Hamilton Academical | H | 0–0 | 10,500 | |
| 27 | 1 January | Dundee | H | 2–1 | Wright, Grant | 11,000 |
| 28 | 21 January | Heart of Midlothian | H | 2–1 | Grant, W. Miller | 15,030 |
| 29 | 24 January | Rangers | A | 0–0 | 44,000 | |
| 30 | 27 January | Clydebank | A | 5–0 | Hewitt, Dodds, Wright (2), Connor | 2,007 |
| 31 | 7 February | Motherwell | H | 1–0 | Wright | 10,000 |
| 32 | 21 February | Falkirk | A | 3–0 | Stark (2), McLeish | 5,000 |
| 33 | 25 February | St Mirren | A | 0–1 | 3,553 | |
| 34 | 28 February | Dundee United | H | 0–1 | 14,000 | |
| 35 | 7 March | Hibernian | A | 1–1 | Bett | 6,000 |
| 36 | 14 March | Celtic | H | 1–0 | Irvine | 20,000 |
| 37 | 21 March | Hamilton Academical | A | 2–0 | Bett, Porteous | 3,594 |
| 38 | 28 March | St Mirren | H | 0–1 | 7,000 | |
| 39 | 4 April | Dundee | A | 1–1 | Grant | 4,346 |
| 40 | 11 April | Clydebank | H | 1–1 | Irvine | 6,000 |
| 41 | 18 April | Heart of Midlothian | A | 1–1 | Hewitt | 12,539 |
| 42 | 25 April | Motherwell | A | 2–0 | Hewitt, Miller | 2,886 |
| 43 | 2 May | Rangers | H | 1–1 | Irvine | 23,500 |
| 44 | 9 May | Falkirk | H | 3–1 | Hewitt, Miller, Grant | 6,500 |
Final standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Celtic | 44 | 27 | 9 | 8 | 90 | 41 | +49 | 63 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Dundee United | 44 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 85 | 34 | +51 | 60 | |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 44 | 21 | 16 | 7 | 63 | 29 | +34 | 58 | |
| 5 | Heart of Midlothian | 44 | 21 | 14 | 9 | 64 | 43 | +21 | 56 | |
| 6 | Dundee | 44 | 18 | 12 | 14 | 74 | 57 | +17 | 48 |
Source: Statto
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Scottish League Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | 20 August | Alloa Athletic | H | 4–0 | J. Miller, Hewitt (2), Connor | 7,000 |
| R3 | 27 August | Clyde | H | 3–1 | Stark (2), J. Miller | 8,081 |
| QF | 3 September | Celtic | H | 1–1 | Connor | 23,500 |
Scottish Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R3 | 1 February | Celtic | H | 2–2 | Bett, Hewitt | 23,000 |
| R3 R | 4 February | Celtic | A | 0–0 | 55,405 | |
| R3 2R | 9 February | Celtic | N | 0–1 | 21,255 |
European Cup Winners' Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 L1 | 17 September |  FC Sion
|
H | 2–1 | Bett, Wright | 12,312 |
| R1 L2 | 1 October | FC Sion
|
A | 0–3 | 11,800 |
Squad
Appearances & Goals
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Premier Division | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Europe | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | MF |  SCO
|
Ian Angus | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | MF | SCO
|
Jim Bett | 45 | 6 | 38 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | MF | SCO
|
Bobby Connor | 39 | 6 | 32 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | FW | SCO
|
Davie Dodds | 29 | 4 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | FW | SCO
|
Willie Falconer | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | SCO
|
Brian Grant | 18 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | SCO
|
Stevie Gray | 16 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | GK | SCO
|
Bryan Gunn | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | SCO
|
John Hewitt | 42 | 14 | 33 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | DF | SCO
|
Brian Irvine | 23 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | GK | SCO
|
Jim Leighton | 48 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 12 | FW | SCO
|
Frank McDougall | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | DF | SCO
|
Tommy McIntyre | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | SCO
|
Stewart McKimmie | 45 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | SCO
|
Alex McLeish | 48 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | SCO
|
John McMaster | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | SCO
|
Tommy McQueen | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | FW | SCO
|
Joe Miller | 34 | 8 | 28 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | SCO
|
Willie Miller | 43 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | DF | SCO
|
Brian Mitchell | 22 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | SCO
|
Ian Porteous | 9 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | SCO
|
David Robertson | 42 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | SCO
|
Ian Robertson | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | SCO
|
Neil Simpson | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | MF | SCO
|
Billy Stark | 40 | 14 | 36 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | MF | SCO
|
Peter Weir | 40 | 2 | 35 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 27 | FW | SCO
|
Paul Wright | 31 | 5 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
References
- Kevin Stirling. Aberdeen A Centenary History 1903-2003. Desert Island Books 2002. ISBN 1-874287-49-X.