Your First Football Game

[Le Tout P'ti FC]

Clyde 0 Aberdeen 2 (Cooper, Angus)
Shawfield
18 February 1984
Att: 5,800

Google has thrown up an eclectic array of info on the game, my favourite being that you can buy a poster of Brian Ahern in action in that very game, for only £27.70 including postage.

A very niche gift for the middle aged Clyde fan in your life.

My further reading tells me Brian Ahern, 67 next month, holds the record for most Clyde league appearances, and captained Clyde to the league title in their centenary season. So there you go.

History doesn't record much about the Aberdeen team of the era, or what their young manager went on to do with the rest of his career.

[Raidernation]

75/76 season Aberdeen 5 Dundee Utd 3
Could really get to many Dons games living in Thurso in the 70s

[stevieKTID]

Killie 0 Aberdeen 2 October 1982, i recall Strachan cruising through the game his red hair glowing in the Autumn sunshine, i also remember standing at the front of the east stand and being a bit scared of Derrick McDicken as he ran over to retrieve the ball after it had gone out for a throw in.

Edited October 2, 2019 by stevieKTID

[atfccfc]

A reserve game in 1988 between Hamilton Accies and Celtic at Douglas park. Celtic won 4-2. I think Danny McGrain was in the Hamilton side that day. My main memory of the game was an older man giving Danny grief during the game.

Edited October 2, 2019 by atfccfc
Spelling mistake

[Hedgecutter]

If we're also doing non-Scottish games, then my first of these would have been the FA cup replay between Gillingham and Bournemouth (3-2) as recent as 2011.  This of course is what you do when you're in the cultural city of London on a business trip.

I entered through the first cash gate I saw, which turned out to be the away end, and I remember being happy with the result as the Bournemouth fans seemed to have a bunch of racist morons amongst their ranks that were directing abuse towards one of Gillingham's black players.

The only other non-Scottish game was Carlisle v Walsall when I accompanied a Saddlers-supporting friend for a day trip down from Aberdeen.  For some daft reason, I wore a Scotland top that day, only to be surrounded by Walsall fans shouting "dirty Scottish b*****ds" at the Carlisle fans.  I got a wry smile off a few of them.

Edited October 2, 2019 by Hedgecutter

[LondonHMFC]

2 hours ago, Hedgecutter said:

If we're also doing non-Scottish games, then my first of these would have been the FA cup replay between Gillingham and Bournemouth (3-2) as recent as 2011.  This of course is what you do when you're in the cultural city of London on a business trip.

I entered through the first cash gate I saw, which turned out to be the away end, and I remember being happy with the result as the Bournemouth fans seemed to have a bunch of racist morons amongst their ranks that were directing abuse towards one of Gillingham's black players.

One of my first games South of the Border was watching Bournemouth as well. 

They played it at the ground of Dorchester Town, as their own ground was getting done up. 

We were down in Weymouth seeing family, and my Dad took me a long to the midweek fixture against Wigan. With him, he had a Ross County programme from the Scottish Cup fixture with Hearts. Derek Holmes was on the front cover, and for some reason my Dad decided getting it signed was a very good idea.

As the Bournemouth coach arrived, my Dad grabbed Holmes and got him to sign the front cover, Holmes looked a bit confused, but signed it anyway. As my Dad was babbling shit to him about getting knocked out by County, the player stopped him, and said "think this is the guy you are looking for" and proceeded to shout over Derek Holmes. My Dad had managed to mix up two players. 

Holmes was a decent bloke, signed the programme, spoke about Hearts for a bit, and then got us into the game for free. 

As for my first game, no clue whatsoever, my Dad said he can't remember who was playing, but that I was fed up before the warm up finished and wanted to go home. 

 

[Dunfermline Don]

I vaguely remember going to an Aberdeen-Dunfermline game in the early 70s, I can only remember going across the links to get to the ground and not much about the actual game.

My first actual memory of a game is the Pars playing Celtic at EEP sometimes in the early 70s. I was in the enclosure in front of the stand and my main memory is the Celtic fans sing the ‘Oh it’s Magic you know’ song. (It must have been during their 9 in a row run).

The game that really got me hooked on the Dons was in 78 in the league run in against Motherwell at Pittodrie. They won 5-0 or 5-1 I think but the highlight for me was meeting Bobby Clark in Union Street after the game when he stopped to buy an evening paper. His autograph then took pride of place on my bedroom wall beside a panini 78 sticker of him.

My Dad then started to take me to more of the Dons away games in Edinburgh and the likes of Partick and St Mirren(Ibrox and Parkhead had to wait till the 80s).The next season we got a new young manager who had been sacked by his last club and the rest as they say is History.

 

[Jute]

First game I was taken to was Rangers v Aberdeen in 75/76 season. It was a 2-1 defeat for Aberdeen and was my Rangers supporting father and uncles way of introducing me to supporting Rangers. I cheered for the team in red and they almost got lynched (so my Dad told me I have no memory of that part) and I have supported Aberdeen ever since. Of the game I can remember being amazed by the crowds outside the ground and wanting to buy one the  huge number of badges were being sold outside the ground.

Edited October 2, 2019 by Jute

[gav-ffc]

Can’t pin a date on it exactly but my first game was with my uncle who’s is/was a Airdrie fan.

It was when Airdrie were playing at Broadwood I’m guessing when the new stadium was getting built?

Airdrie v Clydebank of all teams.

[Fuctifano]

Thistle 0-0 Raith, 15 August 1987, thanks to @stuthejag and his excellent site I can even get a match report. I remember the missed penalty and it raining a lot so we went from what was our normal position (tho obvs I didn't know it at the time) behind the goal into the shed and I sat on the barrier.

Even with benefit of hindsight I'm not sure whether the use of "favourite" to describe Gordon Dalziel is accurate. 1200 crowd tho, yikes.

[Lurkst]

 

Or Killie v QPFC reserves, December 1977.

 

[German Jag]

Thistle 2-2 Aberdeen in 76.

Difficult to remember much, bet can remember changing ends at half-time and some excellent saves from Alan Rough. 
 

1st game in Germany was St. Pauli v. Dortmund in December 1990 just after I‘d moved to Germany. 2-0 for Dortmund, and 1st time drinking beer at a game.

1st Scotland game was a 3-0 at Hampden vs. N. Ireland in 1976.

Edited October 4, 2019 by German Jag

[Brummie Clyde]

Villa v Leeds in a friendly in either the late 80s or early 90s. They had a player called Whyte who scored the only goal I think.

[ScottR96]

I think my first ever game was a Rangers v Club Brugge in the early 2000s. No idea if it was a friendly or European game. Think it finished 2-2.

First Scotland game was a friendly against the Republic of Ireland at Hampden in 2003. 

[JamieT1314]

Scotland v Cyprus at Hampden in 1989, mustve been a qualifier for italia 90. Mo Johnston scored an overhead kick and my torturous existence following Scotland began.

[DA Baracus]

My old man claims it was a midweek cup game at East End against Clyde in 1990. I have no memory of this and can't find record of this game. I do however recall wanting to go because my older brother was going and I, being 5, was jealous of him.

The first one I do remember is in 93, also midweek, and also because my older brother wanted to go. No idea who it qas against but I just recall being utterly stunned at the loud chanting of 'EVIL!' from the home terrace (I was in the main stand). Turns out it was 'Ivo!' they were chanting. My older brother didn't go again but I did and me and my old man barely missed a home game from then until we won the league in 96. Sadly we just couldn't afford it after that.

I loved going with my old man. We'd go to John Menzies on the High Street where I'd get a Snickers and either Murray Mints or Trebor XXX mints, which were for the game. We'd then go to Oliver's and get a big cheese sandwich with crisps each and eat on the benches in the public park on Halbeath Road before going on the games (main stand).

 

[Stellaboz]

First game was a friendly against Bolton Wandered I want to say around 1994 or 1995. We lost I think 2-1, I can't find a good link to fixtures around that time. Jason McAteer was the big marquee player and I managed to get his autograph. Seeing someone you've only seen in the football magazines was pretty cool. Alan Stubbs played too I think.

2nd game I believe we beat them the following season 1-0 with Andy Tod scoring.

There was a trophy up for grabs too, the Dunfermline Building Society Cup or something. 

[Marsh]

i vaguely recall being at the old Celtic Park watching the reserves v Hibs, who were wearing that awful purple away kit circa 93.  The first game I can properly remember being at was a trip with my football team for what I believe was the first Scotland game at the new Hampden vs Holland.  Pretty sure Bryan Roy scored in a 1-0 win.

[Gordon EF]

Sat Aug 29 1992

L2

East Fife

0-3

Forfar Athletic

Bayview

803

Makes you wonder why I bothered going back really.

I just checked the attendences for the season and that game was actually our third largest league crowd of the season, the largest only being 822. I think folk have this conception that crowds have been dropping consistently over th epast 25-30 years. The loss of old grounds, playing each other 4 times a  season etc, etc. We were in the bottom league in 1992/93  and it wasn't a particularly great season but it doesn't look like crowds have fallen any over that time.

Edited October 8, 2019 by Gordon EF

[The Mantis]

On 08/10/2019 at 13:59, Stellaboz said:

First game was a friendly against Bolton Wandered I want to say around 1994 or 1995. We lost I think 2-1, I can't find a good link to fixtures around that time. Jason McAteer was the big marquee player and I managed to get his autograph. Seeing someone you've only seen in the football magazines was pretty cool. Alan Stubbs played too I think.

2nd game I believe we beat them the following season 1-0 with Andy Tod scoring.

There was a trophy up for grabs too, the Dunfermline Building Society Cup or something. 

A mate and I drove down on Boxing Day 1994 and saw Hartlepool 1 Carlisle 5 at noon followed by Sunderland 1 Bolton 1. Mate wanted to go in with the away fans so we got frisked and then soaked to the skin on the terracing.

Derek Ferguson played for Sunderland. Bolton finished 3rd and had John McGinlay, Stubbs, McAteer, Mixu, Richard Sneekes, Alan Thompson, Owen Coyle, David Lee.