Aberdeen vs Celtic: Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1983 post-match rant relived by Alex McLeish, as Dons bid to win Scottish Cup | Football News

It has been 35 years since Aberdeen last lifted the Scottish Cup, but it was the aftermath of their 1983 victory that lives long in the memory for many.

Fresh from their European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph over Real Madrid in Gothenburg, Sir Alex Ferguson took the Dons to Hampden Park to face Rangers.

Striker Eric Black scored the only goal late in extra-time to see Aberdeen retain the trophy but the manager infamously caned his side’s display after the game.

Ferguson said post-match: “We are the luckiest team in the world, it was a disgrace of a performance. [Willie] Miller and [Alex] McLeish won the cup for Aberdeen. Miller and McLeish played Rangers themselves.

“Winning cups doesn’t matter, our standards have been set long ago and we are not going to accept that from any Aberdeen team.”

McLeish was late back to the dressing room after the celebrations and was unaware of the outburst.

“Honestly, I just couldn’t believe it when I went in,” McLeish told Sky Sports News.

“I was milking it a wee bit with the base of the cup and I went into the disabled section and did some photographs and everybody else was off the pitch for that time.

“I got up to the dressing room and it was silent and I thought, what’s happened here? And wee Gordon [Strachan] says, ‘the gaffer’s just slaughtered us all except you and Willie’, and I said, that’s alright!

“The boss was apologetic the next morning and he gathered us all into the hotel room and he said, ‘listen I know you went through a lot and the European thing took a lot out of you’, and he apologised for his rant, which was very big of him.

“When the gaffer gave us a doing, we always responded because we had fantastic mentalities. That team was absolutely really, really strong mentally.”

The 66-year-old won the Scottish Cup with Aberdeen five times and was captain when they last lifted the trophy in 1990, beating Celtic 9-8 on penalties.

“It was an amazing feeling to actually lift the trophy,” he added. “We lost Willie Miller to an injury in a Scotland game and I was made captain.

“It went to a penalty shoot-out, five each have been taken and it’s still four each. So who wants to take the sixth penalty?

“I said to Jocky Scott that I’d take it. ‘But are you sure you’re going to score?’ was the reply. I said ‘no, I’m not sure I’m going to score, I’m not a penalty taker but I’ll put it in the corner that I always loved to put it in and if I get it accurately, the ‘keeper’s not going to get it!’

“I did that and it went to plan, then the next three or four penalties, both goalies were just flopping down as they were so tired – it was ridiculous.

“Brian Irvine came up with the winner to go 9-8, so hopefully that was a good omen for this weekend. If Aberdeen don’t quite get the victory in normal time, maybe they can do it on penalties.”

Will Dons end 35-year wait for Scottish Cup glory?

It has been a rollercoaster season for Aberdeen. After a blistering start and a 16-game unbeaten run, they went 14 league games without a win and finished fifth in the Scottish Premiership.

Celtic are chasing a domestic treble, but McLeish believes Graeme Shinnie can become the next captain to lift the trophy on Saturday.

“I don’t think anybody doesn’t have the desire,” he added. “These players will give everything.

“There’s obviously been a change in the wind over the season with Aberdeen’s magnificent start and then fading away a wee bit and culminating in a defeat to Celtic at Pittodrie last week.

“Does that set it up for Celtic? I think Jimmy’s got some kind of strategy for the players and it’s up to them to have the energy to cause an upset.

“That’s what I feel at the moment. It would be an upset given the form and the confidence that Celtic have gained in their closing days of the league and cup campaigns.”

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