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GEORGE CAMPBELL

Interview from 2009
Former Aberdeen winger George Campbell was recently back at Pittodrie from the relative warmth of Australia with his young Melbourne side as they embarked on a tour of Scotland. George was welcomed back to Pittodrie for the Motherwell match as his young side were also put through their paces by the Aberdeen coaching staff. George is back at Pittodrie today as a guest of the club as he enjoys a prolonged stay back in his native Scotland. It is of course a far cry from his days of playing in the village of Caol where he was brought up. 
Fort William will perhaps never be regarded as a hotbed of football talent; given the present Highland League sides struggle to keep going. However the area down the years has produced some fine football players who have gone on to play at the highest level. Most notably former Don Duncan Shearer and John McGinlay went on to play for the Scotland national side together in the 1990’s. Back in 1975 a young winger caught the eye of legendary Aberdeen scout Bobby Calder. George Campbell was brought up in the Fort William; “I grew up in a village outside Fort William called Caol and mainly played for my school and the local boys club. The area produced some useful players around that time like Don Gillies and Donald Park and sometime later Duncan Shearer. Donald Park and myself played on the streets together and developed our technique playing one on ones and "hit the lampost". The Fort William area was producing some decent players back then and our school team were the North of Scotland champions so a few clubs started to take notice. A visit to my parents from wee Bobby Calder convinced them that Aberdeen was the club to go to.”
Aberdeen made an impression on a young George as he settled into his new surroundings; “I loved the place right away and I stayed with the Esselmonts at the Crown Hotel along with a few other young players in the beginning before moving in to digs. I soon stayed in a couple of places in 'digs' with big Walker McCall, Noel Ward, Bobby Glennie, Jim Rodgers , Alec McLeish and John Gardiner to name a few. In fact big Walker taught me how to iron my first shirt and make Hungarian Goulash!”
Pittodrie was also a bit daunting for George but he soon appreciated what his new surroundings were all about as he soon established himself in the Aberdeen reserve side in the days when reserve football meant something; “Pittodrie was as large as life to me and the stadium was first class at the time. The young lads coming through at the time were very useful and our reserve side boasted the likes of the lads mentioned previously along with Ian Purdie, Bobby Street, John Craig, Ian Hair, Neil Cooper, John McMaster and many more. The first team had Davie Robb, Eddie Thomson, Steve Murray, Henning Boel, Bobby Clark, Arthur Graham, Joe Smith, Joe Harper and wee Alec Willoughby who taught me the importance of strapping my ankles.”
Ally MacLeod was the Dons manager at the time; “I loved his passion for the game and could listen for hours about all his wee stories. He had some unusual training techniques and unless his team won the training games we had they would go forever. He liked to give the young lads a go and as a former left winger he also liked my game.”
George made his first team debut against Hearts at Pittodrie on 10th August 1974 against Hearts in a League Cup tie at Pittodrie; “We played Hearts and lost 1-0. I lined up against my mate Donald Park so that was a great memory.” Although George struggled to nail down a first team place he went on to make the squad for the 1976 League Cup Final; “An incredible experience as we broke the Old Firm stranglehold on domestic trophies. I can still remember the bus journey in to Hampden and we were coming to a roundabout at the same time as the Celtic coach and Ally was urging the driver to get in front of the Celtic coach. We did and Ally turned to the boys and said "It's going to be our day today" and it was.”
Scottish grounds back then were far removed from what we see today; “I loved playing at Pittodrie, Ibrox, Dens Park and Tannadice. I was never keen on Boghead and East End Park in the middle of winter.” George also played with and against some top players in his career; “I had the pleasure of playing with Zoltan Varga who was almost freakish and Danny McGrain was a hard man to play against.”
George eventually got his chance in the side after Arthur Graham was sold to Leeds United in 1977; “After Arthur Graham was transferred south I was promoted to the first team. However, I suffered a stress fracture in a friendly against Fraserburgh in a pre-season game. The boss at the time Billy McNeil bought Ian Scanlon so I figured it was time to move on. Bobby Clark was a real mentor to me at the time and suggested I ask for a 'free' transfer as he would get me to the USA. However, big Billy had other ideas and I ended up in Australia. I found out later why he was so keen to get me down under!”
After leaving for Australia George ended up in the Australian league; “I played in Australia's National League for over ten years mainly with a Greek Club called South Melbourne.” These days George works full time with tourism; “I work in Australia's Tourism Industry and I am the National Operations Manager for a company called AAATourism.”
George recalled some humorous tales from his time at Pittodrie; “Lots of funny stories but most are not printable. However, I remember Ian Hair was consoling John Gardiner after one game at the bus stop after he had had a stinker. John was threatening him he was going to jump in front of the bus and Ian retorted "Nah, don't do that Skelf it will go under you!”
George is also aware of the need for Scottish football to maintain development; “I was impressed with a number of the Aberdeen players - Sone Aluko is an exciting prospect and worked well with Miller up front. It was good to see some young players coming through in the shape of Maguire. The team looked nervous in the first half against Motherwell and reverted to the long ball too much. One of the disappointing aspects of the Scottish game is the fans impatience with teams that want to build play from the back - this is now a feature of the modern game and is applied in the highest leagues around the world - Scottish fans need to learn to be more patient. Australia is becoming a viable market for the SPL to recruit players as they have the same competitive qualities to do well in this league. Players such as Mark Viduka, Craig Moore, Kevin Muscat and Scott MacDonald have done well and I am sure more will come in the future. Our recent tour experience has shown our young 15 year olds are as good as Scottish lads - we beat Rangers Youths 3-0 and lost narrowly against Hibernian by the odd goal.”

The interview below was from 2004 before Jen's untimely passing last year...

Marathon Man Jens Still Going Strong…
Jens Petersen was an Aberdeen stalwart back in the 60’s when not unlike today; the Dons were going through a rough patch. Danish international Jens was part of the Eddie Turnbull revolution at Pittodrie and the 22-times capped defender is still in remarkable shape these days and is no stranger to the odd marathon or two. Speaking to club historian Kevin Stirling on a recent visit back to the Granite City, Jens has some fond memories of his time in Scotland…
“It would be fair to say that the best years of my football career were in Scotland with Aberdeen. I really loved the place and the people.”
Looking a supremely fit 62-years old, Jens is currently working in his home town of Esbjerg in Denmark and is a director of the Idraetspark project in the Danish town which is currently embarking on a major sports complex that would be the envy of any Scottish club. “Esbjerg were unlucky last season—they almost took the Danish title but fell away in the closing weeks after leading the table for about two months. It was a lack of experience in big matches that cost them the title. It is a bit like over here in Scotland where two clubs are prominent. In Denmark we have to compete against Brondby and Copenhagen who finished champions. We are a provincial club from outside of the big population areas but we feel rightly proud of what we have achieved. I play a big part in the development of the new complex, which is for the whole community and will include all sports. That is the way things have been going on the continent for many years and we have already seen the benefits. Just now we are bringing the football arena up to standard and once finished we will have a 14,000 capacity stadium, which suits our purposes. The population of Esbjerg is around 80,000 and the facilities that we are building are quite special.”
While facilities in this country seem a lifetime away from what is going on in the likes of Esbjerg, Jens claimed while the Danes seem to be doing all the right things off the field, there was a healthy respect for Scottish football and the passion. “In Denmark we take the kids from around the age of six and we develop them in their early years. This happens all over the country and the youngsters are affiliated to their local clubs from an early age. It is a very important factor for all clubs in Denmark. The hope is that some real talent emerges and makes it in to the first team and perhaps sold on to the bigger leagues abroad. That is just the way it is and Scotland seems to be going down that route of late. While we develop players in a more technical way I have always admired the determination and passion that Scottish players have in abundance. The trick is to get the right balance.”
Jens Petersen was brought up in his native Esbjerg and played for the local side from an early age. “At that time it was all amateur football in Denmark. In 1961 in my first season with Esbjerg we were champions and we went on to win the title in 1962 and 1963. That year I was also the Player of the Year in Denmark. I had to balance my football with my commercial education at college and in 1964 we won the Danish Cup. After that I had to do my mandatory spell in the Army and it was in December 1964 that I got a call from Aberdeen manager Tommy Pearson while I was stationed at the barracks which about 15 miles from Esbjerg. He asked me if I was interested in coming to Aberdeen and if I had any family. That was a strange statement from Pearson as I though of course I have a family, but he meant if I was married with any children. I had to make a decision, which meant that if I joined Aberdeen I would have to give up on my international career. I had played 22 times for Denmark before I joined Aberdeen and once I turned professional that was my international career finished. It was strictly amateurs only, which was strange. Can you imagine something like that happening now? Even then if I returned to Denmark I would not be able to play amateur again for a whole year. It was ridiculous and did little to help the international team. Today you can go out and buy a whole team and play them a week later!
Jens arrived along with Leif Mortensen and Jorg Ravn as the Danish invasion of Scotland continued with haste. “I knew both Jorg and Leif before we came to Pittodrie but they were both professionals already and were also both from Copenhagen. It was not as straightforward as it may have seemed, as I was an amateur from the provinces. In any case all three of us made our debut in the same match against Third Lanark at Pittodrie. It was a difficult time because our season in Denmark had finished in November and here we were in Scotland in January and there was a blanket of snow on the pitch. We won the game and it was a happy debut. That was to change though as the following week were up against Celtic in Glasgow. I remember we took a heavy defeat in that game (record 8-0 defeat, Aberdeen’s worst defeat) and we were totally outclassed. Their winger John Hughes played in sand shoes and we were sliding all over the place. They were a good side.”

There was no doubt that Petersen came in to a team that was struggling. Aberdeen had been languishing in mid table for years and had never fully recovered from their cup final defeat in 1959. While Jens may have been oblivious to the Dons recent history he was still impressed by the Pittodrie set up. “When I first arrived I was in awe of the place as it was not what I had been used to back home. It was a professional set up and it was a new challenge for me as a player. Of course things changed when Tommy (Pearson) left and Eddie Turnbull came in. That was difficult for me as I was out of the team for three months. There was uncertainty with a new manager coming in but I remember towards the end of that season we had an away game against Hearts and I got back in to the team. I was determined to make the most of it and for the next three or four years I was in the side and really never looked back.”
The change of manager did little to dampen Jens enthusiasm—Eddie Turnbull was the complete opposite from Pearson as Jens soon discovered. “Eddie was tough man, the training was good and more in line with what European players maybe expected. Eddie was difficult at times though, not just on the football side but also in other aspects. He had a way with people that maybe he would not get away with these days. I was not used to his manner and the way he talked to people. I remember one game that we were down to play Rangers at Ibrox and we had arranged to meet up with our wives afterwards and stay over. We went down in the team bus on the Saturday morning as usual and on the trip down Leif and Jorg asked me about asking Eddie if we could stay behind after the game. As I was the only one of us that was going to play it was down to me to ask him. When I did ask him I was told in typical Turnbull style to get back to my seat and concentrate on the game, nothing else mattered. When he announced the team before kick off I was in the side and I again approached Eddie about our arrangements. Once more I was given no encouragement and it was after we lost the game that Turnbull told us to get ourselves back up to Aberdeen with the rest of the team. Our wives were there waiting for us but we had to go all the way back to Aberdeen and make a quick u-turn so we could meet up with our families. That was just the way Eddie was sometimes although he was a marvelous coach. His training methods were quite advanced but in hindsight he could have perhaps been a bit more compassionate at times.”
Jens found that he settled well in Scotland and still loves the country. During his early days he tried to blend in with his new surroundings as well as carve out a professional football career. “I tried to socialize a lot with my team mates and I made many friends here, and that is why I love to return here quite often. Back then it might have been thought that I was quite close to my fellow Danes at Pittodrie but that was not really so. Leif and Jorg were from the city and I was viewed upon as a farmer from the west. They did not try that hard to mix with the players while I tried to achieve the opposite. I found it quite easy to blend in and there are many similarities between the Danes and the Scottish people.
One game that Jens remembered with great fondness was in a 1966 League Cup quarter final second leg tie at Pittodrie against Morton. Aberdeen were trailing by two goals from the first leg and looked doomed until Jens stepped up with a screamer with only minutes left and take Aberdeen through in a 3-0 win. “I remember that game well. There was huge crowd that night and I recall I took a pass from Billy Little and just hit it as hard as I could. The noise was incredible that night. At that time we had a great side and there was always changes in the team. We had players like Jinky Smith who was a fantastic player and he could play in any team in any era, he was that good. We had improved as a team under Turnbull and we also had Bobby Clark coming through and he was a great keeper. I played in front ob Bobby many times and it was great to know he was behind you.”
The Scottish Cup Final of 1967 was a huge disappointment for Jens but an occasion that he still remembers well. “We made it to the final in 1967 and we were confident that we could beat Celtic despite what they had achieved. We feared no side and we really stormed our way to Hampden that year. Huge crowds watched all of the ties and they were great occasions. For the final itself we were without Eddie who was too sick to get out of his hotel bed in Gleneagles where we were based. That was a great pity as Eddie was the supreme motivator and he would have made a difference to us on the day. Before the game travelling to Hampden from Gleneagles was quite an experience as everyone that you passed seemed to be going to the game. It was a game that I remember I had our best chance but the ball flashed across the goal and Ronnie Simpson their keeper cleared the ball away. Without Eddie though it was hard for us and we needed to motivate ourselves.
After the disappointment of losing the cup final Aberdeen embarked on what turned out to be a marathon tour of the USA in the summer. In many ways Aberdeen did not perhaps realize what was involved—the idea was to bring soccer to the States and it was well received by the Americans. For Jens it was an exhaustive trip. “To be honest we did not know too much about it. We made our way over there not long after the Cup Final and we kept on winning which meant that we were travelling all over the country as we progressed to the Final itself. We were exhausted and by the time that we eventually lost to Wolves 6-5 in that tremendous Final, we were glad it was all over. I think the whole trip lasted about two months through the summer and by the time we returned to Scotland the new season was virtually upon us. I remember playing in some fantastic stadiums over there—the Astrodome in Houston was described as the 8th wonder of the world at the time, it was quite an experience. The players got on really well on that trip although it we were weary at times. The final was a disappointment and we also lost Frank Munro soon after to our final opponents Wolves.”
Jens stayed at Sunnybank Place and latterly at Cairnfield Terrace during his spell at Pittodrie before being one of the first to buy a house in the Westhill area. Jens recalls most of the players he played along with during his Aberdeen career and one in particular was Eddie Buchanan who along with some other players took a prank a bit too far by hijacking a sand lorry along King Street early one winter morning. “That was quite incredible. I know that Eddie was none to pleased and to be honest we thought it was quite funny once Eddie’s fury had calmed down.”
Clashes against the Old Firm were always looked forward to as Jens explained. “I remember going to Ibrox as captain and winning well and the day after we were off to Spain for a short break. Games against Celtic and Rangers were tough and of course we were nervous. They would do everything to intimidate you but once we were on the field we would forget about that and get on with the game. Travelling to games was always on the Saturday morning which I liked unless it was for a Cup Final then we would be at Gleneagles for a couple of days before. When I was with Rapid Vienna it was crazy—they would take us away two days before a game and we would be 100km away from Vienna and drive by coach before the game. It was nonsense and I never liked that. My spell in Vienna was an unhappy one and I only spent a season there after I was freed by Aberdeen in 1971. After that I returned to Denmark.”
Jens recalled his European clashes with Aberdeen and he was in the side that played Reykjavik in the clubs first ever-European tie in 1967. “We won easily at Pittodrie but even though we won the return 4-1 Eddie tore us apart for being unprofessional. We also came up against Standard Liege who were a good side back then. We lost 3-0 in Liege and we were poor in Belgium. In the return on a snow covered Pittodrie we won 2-0 and we should have went through.
Jens remains proud of the fact that he was Aberdeen captain for a spell. “Coming from another country and being captain of the Dons was really special for me. As far any difficult grounds to play on Jens could never quite get to grips with the slope at Easter Road. “It was quite incredible—I hope it is changed these days? I remember playing their several times and playing up that slope in the second half was so difficult. I would imagine Hibernian used that to their advantage but to play on it was a nightmare.”
These days Jens is still actively involved in the sports facility in Esbjerg and is also a keen marathon runner. “I am affiliated with an older group who organize trips to compete in marathons all over the world. In recent years I have run 15 marathons including ones in New York, Hamburg and London.”

Jens Petersen was talking to Kevin Stirling at Pittodrie on 21st June 2004.
 
        
     

Harry Melrose
Experience is a crucial element in any successful side. When Eddie Turnbull swept through the doors at Pittodrie in 1965 he set about an overhaul of the Aberdeen squad that had not been seen before or since at Pittodrie. To begin the revolution, the new Aberdeen manager released no less than 17 players from the club with several established first team players among those involved. Turnbull was single minded in his efforts to establish Aberdeen as a force once more. With little or no money available in those early days, Turnbull drafted in the young and old with young keeper Bobby Clark arriving from Queens Park and at the other end of the scale Harry Melrose came in from Dunfermline. Turnbull was a master at getting the best out of players, regardless of their history. He saw enough in Melrose to know that he would be a superb addition to his new side. With so many leaving in such a short space of time, Turnbull trusted Melrose to carry the younger players he brought in with the likes of Clark, Jimmy Smith, Jim Whyte, Tom McMillan and Martin Buchan all breaking through into a new look side.
Harry Melrose had been a vital part of the successful Dunfermline side of the early 1960’s and the popular opinion was that his best days were perhaps behind when he joined Aberdeen in 1965. Turnbull recalled signing Melrose; “Harry was always a player who I admired for many years. He was an old style inside forward with a very good scoring record. More importantly he was a model professional and I knew I would not have any problems with him. He was well respected in the game and I was convinced he would be a real asset for us.” Back then Aberdeen were far removed from the days of the 1950’s when they were one of the biggest spending clubs in Scotland. Aberdeen were more of a selling club and there was no indication that Turnbull arriving would change that. The proposed transfer of Melrose to Pittodrie caused anarchy in the Pittodrie boardroom. Turnbull demanded a meeting at the club on the Sunday immediately after a bad defeat. He insisted that the club give him the £4,000 required and to sanction the Melrose transfer. The new Aberdeen boss threatened to walk away unless they raised the money and back his judgement. Eventually they agreed and Harry Melrose signed for Aberdeen on 8th October 1965.
Before Melrose joined the Dons he had enjoyed a memorable career with Dunfermline. After starting out with Pentland as a youngster, he was spotted by Junior club Dalkeith while he was with Arniston. After winning two Scotland caps at Junior level, a number of senior clubs were keen on taking Harry in to the professional ranks. Eventually Harry’s head was turned by Rangers and signed for them in 1956. His spell at Ibrox was a difficult one and he only made one first tem appearance for Rangers, a League Cup semi final against Brechin in 1957. His inclusion was only after Rangers were decimated by a flu virus and despite scoring twice on his debut he was not in the side that was humbled 7-1 by Celtic in the Final. In May 1958 Harry Melrose joined Dunfermline as a left winger.  From that position Harry retained a keen eye for goal and he went on to become one of the highest scoring wingers in British football; a six-goal haul in one game against Partick was a remarkable return for a winger. During Jock Stein’s period in charge of Dunfermline he tried a new 4-4-2 formation which persuaded Harry to adapt to an inside forward role. Dunfermline enjoyed their most productive spell in their history and it began with a Scottish Cup win in 1961. European football was one of the benefits they enjoyed and Harry scored the winning goal that knocked Everton out of the Inter Cities Fairs Cup in 1962. Three years later the East End Park side just failed to win the Scottish Cup again with Melrose scoring for the Pars in a 3-2 defeat against Celtic. It was shortly after that when Harry joined Aberdeen and it was fair to suggest that the move came at the right time for Harry. Such was his standing in the game back then, Melrose was installed as Aberdeen captain and he went on to skipper the Dons to the Scottish Cup Final in 1967. The road to Hampden that year was a glorious one with Aberdeen being followed in huge numbers as they marched on to the final. Bobby Clark remembered how important Harry was to the team back then; “Harry was an inspired signing by Eddie. I always felt he was one of the best signings the club ever made. He was a key buy for the club as the team was a young one with a lot of players just coming through. Harry gave us great leadership and he was pivotal for the side and his experience of being through it all before was a great asset to Aberdeen.”
In that 1967 final it all went wrong for the Dons as manager Turnbull was forced to stay behind at the team hotel due to illness, while the team bus did not arrive at Hampden until 40 minutes before off. Aberdeen went down 2-0 to Celtic. Harry recalled some time later that his old manager Jock Stein noticed a tactical switch in a game against the sides that ended in a 0-0 draw where Harry was used in a withdrawn role. “Stein brought in Bobby Murdoch to combat that and had Eddie been there on the day he would have done something about it. As for me I was too engrossed in the game to notice.”
Shortly after the final in 1967, the Dons embarked on an exhaustive tour of the USA to play in the Presidents Cup under the guise of the Washington Whips and Harry found himself in an unfamiliar role. With manager Turnbull not well enough at the start of the competition to travel, Harry was put in temporary charge of the team as caretaker manager. Dave Shaw was the club trainer and also a former manager from 1955-59 but it was never a problem Eddie Turnbull wanted Harry to take over and Shaw worked well with Melrose for the duration of the tour as Aberdeen went all the way to the final.
Aberdeen qualified for Europe for the first time in 1967 and not unlike his days at Dunfermline, Harry was in the thick of the action. Harry scored the Dons second goal on a snowbound Pittodrie against Liege to set up a grandstand finish before the Dons eventually went down 3-2 in aggregate. In 1969 Harry was released by Aberdeen after making 88 appearances and scoring 19 goals, to take up a coaching role with Berwick Rangers. After six years at Berwick, Harry returned to take over at Dunfermline. After the Pars slipped into the Second Division Harry resigned his post in 1980 but later returned to East End Park in an administrative role.      

Charlie Cooke
For a generation of Aberdeen supporters the early 60’s were a time of despair for the most part; the Dons were never in contention in the old 18-team First Division and several early exits in the cup competitions to lower league opponents had also meant a dramatic fall in attendances. However the one shining light through those dark days was the emergence of a young winger, born in St Monance in Fife and brought up in Greenock. Charlie Cooke would soon endear himself to the Pittodrie faithful as a young star of genuine class. Charlie may have honed his skills on the tough streets of Greenock in the shadow of Cappielow but it was an old Aberdeen adversary who made a lasting impact on Charlie; “Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas were part of that magical Real Madrid side that won the European Cup at Hampden in May 1960 in what was the greatest European Cup final of all time. At that time I had signed for Aberdeen and was due to join up at Pittodrie that summer.” Stefano of course was the Real Madrid manager in 1983 when he was gracious in defeat to Aberdeen following the Dons ECWC success. “Madrid came up against Eintracht Frankfurt in a game that was an appreciation of just how good the Europeans were. When the game was to be held in Scotland I remembered the great excitement. There was a feeling that Wolverhampton, who were the best English side around and Rangers, would make it an all-British final. After Frankfurt thrashed Rangers 6-1 in Germany and again 6-3 at Ibrox, we realised that these sides were something special. I remember asking my mates before the game but was astonished that nobody as up for going to the game; this was the chance of a lifetime to see such greats and nothing was going to stop me going. The game was a fantastic occasion and the sight of the Real Madrid players taking the applause from the Scottish crowd was really emotional. The noise was deafening and to see a foreign side being appreciated in such a way must be unique in football. I remember travelling back to Greenock in the bus thinking and dreaming that if it was ever within my power, I wanted to play the beautiful game like that.”
Fortunately for Aberdeen it was the Dons support that were lucky enough to see a football genius in the making. The legendary Aberdeen scout Bobby Calder once commented; “When I first saw Charlie I knew right away that I just had to get him up the road (to Aberdeen). He was a class act at such a young age; he had everything.” Charlie had been watched on several occasions by Calder, unknown to him; “After I had played six games for Renfrew, Bobby Calder from Aberdeen had already seen me play and was keen to take me to Pittodrie. Before a game against Saltcoats, Bobby approached me and my friend Jim Geddes. He told us that he had watched us in action and he was keen to speak to our parents about signing for Aberdeen. I was flattered although there were reports in the local papers that several clubs from both sides of the border were keen on me with Manchester United heading the queue. At that age I still believed what I read in the papers. It dragged on a bit and to be honest it all got too much as every day there were conflicting reports in the press. When Bobby arrived in his camel coat and dapper soft hat, I was all ears.”
Bobby Calder of course was a legend in his time in that he was very adept at identifying young talent, keeping them away from Celtic and Rangers and sending them up to Aberdeen. “Bobby did a great PR job on me and Jim and he was superb with the parents. I felt at ease with him and he was someone you could trust. After all of the rumours the Aberdeen offer was the first one I received and I was delighted to accept. The plan was to finish the season with Renfrew and then we would move north in June 1960. It was a fantastic chance and a dream of signing professional at such a young age was a great feeling. Whether it was youthful impatience once I had agreed to sign, I couldn’t wait for things to happen and was looking forward to signing and getting the deal done. I was dreaming of playing at Pittodrie when I played that afternoon for Saltcoats. After the game I was approached by the manager followed by a gentleman in a soft hat. This was a day for soft hat it seemed. He was introduced as Jim Smith the chief scout for Rangers. I was invited to go to Ibrox and have a look around and chat with Scot Symon, the legendary Rangers manager. It was unbelievable as never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that they would be looking to take me on. Two hours earlier I had given my word to Bobby Calder; nothing had been signed but I had given my word. I never regretted that decision and that was confirmed some years later when I read a press clipping about Bobby saying that I was his best ever find. A comment like that meant so much and even more satisfying than any cup win. I packed my case in anticipation and all I recall having or needing was my boots. Aberdeen was my destination and it involved an hour long trip to Glasgow from where I caught one of the old style Pullman carriages with those sliding doors. The countryside was stunning and when I arrived in Aberdeen I couldn’t have been more excited or ready for a big adventure.”
Charlie made an immediate impact at Aberdeen. The traditional public trial match at Pittodrie on the eve of the season offered the Aberdeen support a glimpse of Charlie for the first time. After running the Dons first team defence ragged, Cooke was immediately promoted to the first team squad. “It was on a Friday night and I took the view that I would just do my best and play against whoever was in front of me. Back then it didn’t matter to me but I was totally focused. I had a cracker of a game and immediate press attention followed. The local paper announced that along with Des Heron, that I was included in the first team squad for the opening game of the season against Ayr United. I could not have wished for a better start to my career.”
Charlie played in that game and the Dons came through in a thrilling 4-3 win. Virtually right from the outset of his Aberdeen career, Charlie attracted interest from the press and other clubs. Such was his impact in those early days it soon became apparent that Aberdeen had a player of genuine class in their midst. Talk of a club offering Aberdeen £20,000 for Charlie within weeks of his first season with the club had circulated and were also unsettling for 17-year-old Cooke who had barely began his professional career. Following a successful first season at Aberdeen where the Dons had turned to youth in a big way, Cooke was the undoubted jewel in the Aberdeen crown. During that close season Charlie took up a job as a brickie’s labourer; “I didn’t have to do that, I was paid very well by Aberdeen and could easily have spent a couple of weeks in Spain or on the golf course. However I had a weird sense of guilt about getting a ‘real’ job. Looking back it was crazy as all I ever wanted to do was play football. Things went well for me in my early years at Aberdeen. There was no shortage of highlights. We famously defeated Rangers 6-1. I laid on two goals and scored one myself with a near post header. We also saw both Rangers and Celtic off in Glasgow as well. Then there was a 10-0 win over Raith Rovers. In 1961 I was named among 29 players summoned to a World Cup get together in preparation for the qualifying ties. I never quite made it to Chile in the end but at least I knew that I was in with a chance with the Scottish selectors. In November 1962 I was selected to play for the Scottish League against Italy in Rome. It was a great thrill to be involved and to be in the same team as the likes of Jim Baxter and Pat Crerand.”
In December 1962 Charlie was called up to the Scotland U-23 side for a game against Wales at Pittodrie. Again Cooke was involved in setting up both goals in a 2-0 win. Charlie’s fascination to develop as a player and study different styles was enhanced when Aberdeen played Brazilian side Bahia; “Bahia were billed as ‘Tournament Champions’ on a tour to Scotland. The game was a friendly in name only and played under the new floodlights at Pittodrie. It was the first time I had come up against a Brazilian team and it was an eye-opener. We drew 1-1 but they played the ball around like it was tied to them and they gave us a chasing. We tried to get at them as we had the likes of Burns and Kinnell who could look after themselves but they just shrugged that off and handed out a lesson in using the ball.”
Despite the Dons sticking to a youth policy the team was struggling and showing little sign of progress under Tommy Pearson. “There was still the same old story about the club retaining a youthful look but these players were getting older and along with the Aberdeen board, manager Pearson set about shredding the club and raking in money. George Mulhall, Doug Fraser and George Kinnell were all sold for a total of £160,000 which was a huge amount of money back then. Luckily my own career was flourishing, in the space of 18 months I had gone from schoolboy to playing for Aberdeen and also Scotland U-23’s. In 1983 I was voted as Aberdeen Player of the Year, an honour of which I was, and still am very proud of.”
With Aberdeen taking in new players for literally small signing on fees, the Dons fortunes on the field continued to plummet although they had cost very little to assemble. It was a gamble that had clearly no worked and Charlie was growing frustrated at the lack of progress. Almost daily there were reports on clubs looking to make a bid for Cooke, the only one that seemed to have any substance was a move from Leeds Utd who had Billy Bremner looking to return to Scotland and Leeds were weighing up a possible swap deal for Cooke that would have taken Bremner to Aberdeen. “Eventually I was called into the Aberdeen boardroom where I met Dundee manager Bob Shankly and it was there and then that I agreed to join Dundee for £40,000 which was a huge fee then. Dundee had just sold Alan Gilzean to Tottenham so it was seen as good business for them to take me to Dens Park.” The reaction back in Aberdeen was scathing as the Dons had sold their prized asset to their fierce rivals down the coast. Charlie was perhaps the last of several stars that had been sold and by the time Cooke had adorned the dark blue of Dundee, the Dons were in crisis. Charlie continued his development at Dundee but he knew that he would not be there for too long as English clubs who had missed out on him previously were beginning to form a queue for his services; “There was a lot of animosity over my move to Chelsea but the truth was that Dundee received a record £72,000 for me and I was disappointed when I heard Dundee manager Bobby Ancell stating that I was a disgruntled player and had my head turned after being with the national team.”
It was at Chelsea that Charlie perhaps enjoyed the best time of his career and under Tommy Docherty, the Stamford bridge side were full of adventure; “Thinking back to those times when England won the World Cup without any wingers, it was not that way with Chelsea as we were an exciting side and one that Terry Venables said many years later could have gone on to greatness. Unfortunately the side broke up and went with a different style of play. It was all coaching twaddle back then and we had the likes of Webb, Osgood, Hollins and Alan Hudson in the side; they were all great players in a team that could really play with flair.”
Charlie spent six successful seasons at Chelsea which included an FA Cup win in 1970, an ECWC winner’s medal in 1972 and 16 Scotland caps. It does sound astonishing that one so gifted was only ever capped 16 times and Charlie like so many others fell into the provincial club category up here and as an ‘Anglo-Scot’ in his Chelsea days. In 1972 he moved to Crystal Palace where he enjoyed a return to Pittodrie in a friendly in 1973; “Playing with Palace was difficult as they were beginning to struggle and they would eventually be relegated. There were certainly some good players around but the signs were not good. I also remember coming back to Pittodrie for a friendly which was a good feeling for me as that was where it all started for me; the old place had not changed that much.
These days Charlie is still working in the States where he moved to at the end of his career and he became a pioneer developing the Coerver Coaching methods, which have now become well respected within the game. “Today there are now Coerver clinics in 17 different countries and on all six continents. I don’t think it is too fanciful to suggest that the Coerver methods have changed the way football is taught in many parts of the world today.”
It is hard to think of a better exponent than Charlie to pass on those skills to the youngsters of today; from watching high up in the Hampden terraces in 1960, the greatest club side ever to grace our game, Charlie learned from the best to become one of the best.
                      

Peter Weir

‘The Final piece in the jigsaw’ was how Alex Ferguson described the transfer that took Peter Weir from St Mirren to Aberdeen in the summer of 1981. Incredibly the £330,000 paid including Ian Scanlon going to Love Street as part of the deal, represented a record transfer between two Scottish clubs with not an Old Firm cheque book in sight. Weir was brought up in the Paisley area and he went on to become an avid Aberdeen supporter after watching the Dons win the Scottish Cup in 1970; “My father got two tickets for the Aberdeen end at Hampden for the 1970 Cup Final. There was a great atmosphere and of course a wonderful result. After that I followed and supported Aberdeen all over the country, travelling by train or supporters bus from Glasgow, sometimes by myself. Arriving in Aberdeen I would head for the Nelson Street Souvenir Shop. They were great days with great memories.”
Peter had the chance to carve out a career for himself and he began with his local Junior side; “I played for local junior side Neilston Juniors for a year. A St Mirren scout asked me out for a trial against a strong Dundee United reserve side at Tannadice.  I did well enough and was asked out for a second time game against Aberdeen at Pittodrie against a strong Dons reserve side. Alex Ferguson and ex-Rangers full back David Provan then asked me to sign after game. I went on to play for St Mirren for three years between 1978-81.  I won the Anglo Scottish Cup and finished third in the league in 1980 which qualified St Mirren for the UEFA Cup. We came up against one of the better sides in Saint Etienne. After a 0-0 at Love Street we won 2-0 in France. St Mirren were a good club with a mixture of youth and experienced players.”
It was on the European stage and also being called up for Scotland that attracted Ferguson to go back to his old club to take weir to Pittodrie; “In 1981 I was playing in a good St Mirren side and enjoying my time and football there.  Towards the end of that season, the manager, Ricky McFarlane spoke to me and advised me that they had accepted an offer from Aberdeen. I was stunned as this had come right out of the blue, and I was unaware of any interest. At that time I believe the Saints were struggling financially.  At the same time I was delighted and it was hard to believe that the club you had supported as a boy wanted to sign me.”
It was only when Peter joined Aberdeen that he realised how big a club they were; “I didn’t realise what a big club and a big support Aberdeen had.  I was aware of the city of Aberdeen but did not realise the fan base outside of the city and the surrounding areas. Pittodrie was a great venue and during my earlier months there the South Stand was just getting covered. The ground had a fantastic atmosphere, and of course the fans’ demands were greater because the team was on a winning run. Aberdeen is a wonderful city and a great place to bring up a family.  As a family we enjoyed our time living in the city, and made many friends.
Of course he had to play his part in the Dons side that had now turned attentions to winning regularly and performing on the European stage. That was all driven by Ferguson and his backroom team; “Fergie – At first couldn’t believe how bad a loser he was, whether it be cards, quizzes, snooker, football etc. His determination was to win at all costs! He kept everyone on their toes and nobody was quite sure how to take him especially if things were not going well. I have the privilege… that he signed me twice and as you get older you forget the bad times when he used the hairdryer treatment!  He instilled a winning mentality and if you couldn’t handle him you were left out of team. Archie Knox was similar. He enjoyed working with the youth team.  His coaching and training skills were excellent, always shouting and had plenty of energy. You could hear Archie before you saw him. He had great enthusiasm and he built up your confidence. A great assistant to Fergie.
Teddy Scott was the exact opposite to Archie. A very quiet man, worked long hours more anyone else at the club.  He was very knowledgeable about the game too.  He was also very traditional. He took the warm up at times with plenty of fun and exercises that drove you mad.  If you had a problem Teddy always had time to speak to you and offer advice and support. Teddy also enjoyed driving the mini buses all over the country, whether it be the reserves, juniors, testimonials at any time of year.  On occasion it was known for Teddy to sleep at Pittodrie if he worked very late at night with an early start in the morning. He was dedicated to the club and everyone had great respect for him. Nobody messed with Teddy as he would quietly sort you out.
Playing for Aberdeen was a huge responsibility and there was always pressure. Every game was a big game because you knew the pressure was on to win at all costs but the Cup Finals were very special starting from the Monday – always a Jacuzzi and talk leading through to Friday light training and travelling to Glasgow on Friday for overnight stay.
I won all of the cup finals I played in apart from the 3-3 draw with Rangers and lost on penalties in the League Cup Final in 1987. Winning cup finals was a dream as I used to go to Hampden in earlier years watching other teams playing, not realising that one day I would get that chance. The Super Cup in December 1983 was so special as my son Stuart was born that night at 6.45pm.
It was in the European arena that Peter was outstanding; “Europe was special, a different atmosphere, tactics, playing against good technical players, players that you did not know.  The fans seemed to be more vocal in the midweek European games under the floodlights. I just wish we were allowed to swap jerseys then (Teddy wouldn’t let us), as I would have had a great collection. Fergie and Archie’s tactics were usually spot on and most games he had dossiers on opposition. Everyone talks about the Ipswich game because they were a brilliant side and I scored twice at Pittodrie but I seemed to enjoy all European games as you got more time on the ball.”
Peter of course played in a great side and he also came up against some world class opponents; “The 1983 team were a fantastic bunch and great to see them this year at the dinners. Playing with Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness–in the Scotland squad was also an experience. As for opponents Danny McGrain at Celtic in his early years was a fantastic player. At Pittodrie Stuart Kennedy was awesome as I often found out in training; he could tackle, stay on his feet and was one of the quickest defenders around.
Playing for Scotland also brought Peter some of his better memories; “I was so nervous and could not believe it when I got called up in 1980 to play against Northern Ireland in Belfast. I had only been playing professional football for two years and the late Jock Stein selected me for the squad. I found if difficult and at times, thought I was dreaming, training with likes of Dalglish, Jordan, Souness, McGrain and Andy Gray. I never really fulfilled my potential, playing only six times for Scotland. I was in other pools but injury made me withdraw from them.”
After winning a host of winners medals with Aberdeen it all began to change after Ferguson left Aberdeen in 1986; “After Fergie left Ian Porterfield took over and he was very quiet and relaxed, totally different from Fergie and Archie. His training methods and general fitness were average and players got away with much more.  He had a hard job to live up to after the success of previous years, and at times looked out of his depth, especially when we lost a few games.
You could not dislike him despite me being in and out of the team for a long spells. I did not like playing in the reserves and then being sub on a Saturday for the first team.