If you ask supporters about the great rivalries in world football they’ll most probably come up with the usual suspects. Arsenal Tottenham, Man Utd Liverpool, Boca River Plate, Real Barca, and two clubs from Glasgow.
One of those Glasgow clubs is involved in another rivalry. A rivalry that has quite a nasty streak to it when you look below the surface.
Aberdeen “welcome” a rampant Rangers to Pittodrie on Sunday in the third meeting of this season’s SPL.
Rangers carry with them baggage including anger at upsetting the status quo, a lack of respect, raising the unwanted topic of religious war and a gruesome challenge.
The supporter’s view
Alan Harper, 64, who has been a season ticket holder with the Dons every year since 1990, says the animosity began when Aberdeen started disrupting the big two’s haul of trophies.
Alan told The Reporter: “I think it goes back to the 70s when Aberdeen started to emerge as a proper threat and even before Ferguson’s time we started beating them more regularly which I think rattled their cage.”
Alan, who was in the stadium when the Dons paraded the Cup Winners’ Cup famously won against Real Madrid, said that dragging the whole religious debate up to the North-east is another thing that upsets people.
Alan explained: “I think the Protestant Catholic thing between Rangers and Celtic has always annoyed people up here. They start singing all their songs about it when they come up and it’s nothing to do with football.”
Steve Smith’s first ever dalliance at the Dons was in 1970 as a 9-year-old-boy.
One thing that sticks out in 59-year-old Steve’s memory is the horror tackle by Neil Simpson on Ian Durrant.
“I suppose the bad moment that does stand out was the Neil Simpson tackle on Durrant.”
Another game that upset the status quo, Aberdeen ran out 2-1 winners however the contest was marred by watching Rangers forward Durrant piggy-backed off the pitch in tears after Dons defender Simpson’s challenge.
Because it was an Aberdeen player who inflicted the injury, Steve said it all got a bit complex from there.
“The unfortunate thing was it gave Rangers supporters a feeling that they were justified in hating Aberdeen because it was the Aberdeen player that did something, so it gave Rangers supporters some justification that Aberdeen were in the wrong.”
There can still be respect between the clubs. Both Dons supporters admit this current Rangers outfit are a good side.
Steve says Rangers’ results on the continent are proving the team’s worth, while Alan feels Gerrard has built something far more durable than what’s been seen at Ibrox in recent decades.
Alan said: “They look like a team. I think Gerrard’s going to be a top manager.”
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How did it come to this?
“It goes back to the 70s when Aberdeen started to emerge as a proper threat and even before Ferguson’s time we started beating them more regularly which I think rattled their cage.”
Rather isolated all the way up in the North-east, one city club Aberdeen FC have never had a particularity prevalent rivalry to focus their attentions.
To the South, nearest city Dundee is 60 miles away and already has an inner-city rivalry of its own.
To the North, Inverness is over three hours away and there’s enough football culture going on in the Highlands to distract clubs from the fortunes of Aberdeen.
So what do Dons supporters do to focus their ire? Well, take on the big boys.
It was down to Aberdeen breaking the rules in Scottish football and splitting the Old Firm that really started to rankle. Fergies’ success in the 70s and 80s was a bitter pill for the Glasgow giants to swallow.
The events that led on from that created a perfect storm.
Aberdeen, delighted at ruffling the feathers of their big city cousins, found it tough when the club fell away after Fergies’ departure. Rangers revelled in it and made a point to remind the Dons they could now focus exhibiting their passion for the cause back on the auld enemy Celtic.
Then Rangers collapsed in 2012 and who was it but Aberdeen who took their place in the “big two” with four consecutive second place finishes between 2015 and 2018.
What’s at stake on Sunday?
Pride. And an outside chance that Aberdeen could catch second place Celtic.
Rangers have been almost perfect this season, undefeated in the league accumulating 62 of 66 points (best since 1928).
The Dons look to be Scotland’s third team although results have been slow coming, the latest set back being a rather toothless 0-0 draw against United.
Sunday’s game will be played, which is a blessing in these times, but what will be sorely missed is the fans.
The twelfth man has been invaluable to Aberdeen in redrafting an often obvious story of Scottish football.
There might be a surprise twist in the tale on Sunday.
**For a more ‘rustic’ look at the Aberdeen Rangers rivalry this publication highly recommends the reports of ‘The Red Final’ on Twitter – particularly Alan Hutton being introduced to the Pittodrie turf in 2007.
Aberdeen v Rangers, SPL, Sunday 10th, KO 3pm.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 