Ian’s first-foot gift to Dundee has still to convince Miller
SCOTTISH football’s winter break means a delay in one of the top-flight’s traditional derbies.
Aberdeen normally face one of the Dundee clubs on or around New Year’s Day.
This season, the Dons won’t host Paul Hartley’s Dundee until January 27.
The Dark Blues haven’t often left Pittodrie with a victory in recent years. But they were a formidable force in the ’60s and early ’70s.
However, the first-footing didn’t go to plan at the start of 1975.
Aberdeen recorded their biggest winning margin over the Dark Blues with a 4-0 win on January 1.
The game was notable for a fine solo effort by Drew Jarvie and a third consecutive home goal for right-back, Ian Hair.
He recalled: “There was never a problem playing on New Year’s Day.
“We just prepared as we would normally – and then partied afterwards.
“I’ll never forget that goal against Dundee. I curled it in from the edge of the penalty area.
“Willie Miller said it was a cross – and he stands by that to this day!
“That’s certainly not something I agree with. I was in good scoring form at the time.”
Miller’s view, you suspect, was really just the dressing- room banter that goes on between two footballing pals.
The pair ended up being team- mates in
the Aberdeen defence, but they might just as easily have been leading the attack.
Ian went on: “Willie and I started as strikers and played in the same Glasgow Schools team that beat Edinburgh 7-1.
“He was on the right wing and scored four goals. I was on the left and got three.
“We ended up being signed by Aberdeen and Willie was farmed out to Peterhead in the Highland League.
“He scored a lot of goals there, but got his chance in our reserve team when I missed a game.
“Our coach, Teddy Scott, reckoned he had the ability to replace me in central defence.
“After that, we played as double centrehalves and won the Reserve League and Cup before making the first-team.”
Ian spent five seasons as a member of the
Aberdeen first-team squad before leaving to join Montrose in 1977.
He said: “One of the goals I scored for Aberdeen was against Rangers. Some of my family haven’t spoken to me since!
“The other game that stands out is playing against Tottenham in the UEFA Cup.
“We drew the home leg 1- 1 in front of a 30,000 crowd.
“Spurs scored early in the second game, but the referee then awarded us a penalty for a foul on Drew Jarvie.
“But the ref changed his mind after their players got him to consult the linesman.
“We lost 4- 1 but it might have been very different if the tie had been 2-2 at that stage.”
Ian, now 62, is retired after running a newspaper distribution firm and having a spell as a publican.