Bobby humbled at Academy honour by Dons
He used to coach Aberdeen’s kids in the car park at Pittodrie. Now Bobby Clark reckons the Dons will reap the benefits of the top-class training facility named in his honour. Along with the legendary Teddy Scott, former Dons keeper Clark mentored a generation of young talent at Aberdeen in the 1970s and 1980s. After leaving the Dons, he spent 16 years as head coach of the University of Notre Dame’s soccer programme, working in top-notch surroundings. Now, at the underconstruction Bobby Clark Football Academy in Kingsford, the next crop of young Dons stars will be able to hone their skills in the best possible environment. “It took my breath away when I was told Aberdeen were naming their new academy after me,” said Clark. “When I think back to the first steps I took in coaching at Pittodrie, things were very different. “We actually used to train the young players on the car park because it was the only place we could light, other than Pittodrie itself, when it was dark. “It was a proper car park too – the surface was poor. “It wasn’t fancy, but it was fun. “They were great days, working with Teddy Scott, and I’ll always be grateful for the experience.” Sir Alex Ferguson was among those to hail Clark this week, branding him one of Aberdeen’s greatest players of all time. Young players like Neale Cooper, Neil Simpson and Eric Black emerged from the Dons’ youth set-up under Clark and Teddy Scott’s tutelage. Now Clark hopes the club’s new facilities will lead to a new crop of young stars. “I have been spoiled with the facilities at Notre Dame,” said Clark. “The university is actually in the process of building a second fullsize, indoor soccer pitch at the moment, so that shows you the kind of resources available. “Aberdeen have never had access to anything like that before, so the new facilities at Kingsford will make a huge difference to the club. “Nothing was ever our own at the time I was coaching at Aberdeen, you were always moving about from place to place. “That was fine at the time. It worked out okay. “But when you’ve got a place of your own you can really make things work. “That will be great for the club, but this new facility will also be great for the town. “It’s not just for the first team and not just for young players, it’s for the community.”