The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Fan’ s Dons shirt is truly one of a kind
Aberdeen fan David McRae now boasts an impressive piece of Gothenburg Greats memorabilia – which took him 19 years to accumulate.
In 2003, Mr McRae, who is originally from Aberdeenshire but is now based in Glasgow, was gifted a replica of the shirt worn by Aberdeen when they beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup final.
His original plan was to get it signed by goalscorers Eric Black and John Hewitt, but after Alex McLeish became the first signature, that plan was extended to the entire starting XI.
Then, after unused substitute Andy Watson etched his name on the shirt, Mr McRae’s plan “spiralled” and became a mission to secure the signatures of all the players and management involved in Gothenburg.
And last month, Mr McRae completed the 19-year journey, as Mark McGhee became the final player to sign the shirt, having proved difficult to track down until he moved back to Scotland to become manager of Dundee FC.
The full list of signatures is: Sir Alex Ferguson; Archie Knox; Jim Leighton; Willie Miller; Alex McLeish; Doug Rougvie; John McMaster; Gordon Strachan; Neil Simpson; Neale Cooper; Peter Weir; Mark McGhee; Eric Black; John Hewitt; Bryan Gunn; Stuart Kennedy; Andy Watson; and Ian Angus.
Alongside the replica top, Mr McRae’s collection includes a copy of the original team sheet from Gothenburg which is signed by match-winner Hewitt, and a complete collection of programmes from the Dons’ European campaign.
For Mr McRae, securing the shirt signatures, and collecting the other memorabilia, has been a costly and time-consuming task, but one which has been worth “every penny and every hour” of his time.
He said: “I think everybody who follows Aberdeen has a keen interest in the glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson, and Gothenburg in particular.
“There was a sense of achievement and relief that it was finally completed.
“It was good fun over the years and I was really pleased to get it done.
“It’s really nice to finally have this full collection.”
By securing the Gothenburg Greats’ signatures, Mr McRae has been able to chat in depth with the players and management about their experiences from 1983.
“It’s been absolutely fantastic. The striking thing about it is that all of the players and management have been so down to earth,” Mr McRae added.
“They’re football people and just wanted to chat about a fantastic period in the club’s history.
“I think they have enjoyed adding their signature, and just recounting the memories of it.”
A personal highlight for Mr McRae was talking to Hewitt about the build-up to the game and his cupwinning goal, and becoming close friends with McMaster.
He said: “We meet up at the football regularly and talk about all things Aberdeen and Gothenburg.”
Next year marks the 40th anniversary of Aberdeen’s success in Gothenburg, and Mr McRae plans to offer his “one of a kind” collection to the club, should they want to put it on display.