Aberdeen F.C.
Scottish club never relegated from top flight since 1905.
Aberdeen Football Club is a Scottish professional club based in Aberdeen, Scotland, that has never been relegated from the top division since being elected to it in 1905. The club has won four Scottish league titles, eight Scottish Cups, six Scottish League Cups, and is the only Scottish team to have won two European trophies: the European Cup Winners' Cup and the European Super Cup in 1983. Formed in 1903 from the amalgamation of three local clubs, Aberdeen achieved its greatest success under manager Alex Ferguson in the 1980s.
Quick Facts
- Clubname
- Aberdeen
- Fullname
- Aberdeen Football Club
- Nickname
- The Dons
- The Dandies
- The Reds
- Founded
- 14 April 1903
- Ground
- Pittodrie Stadium
- Capacity
- 19,274
- Chairman
- Dave Cormack
- Manager
- Stephen Robinson
Facts from the source article.
History
Before Aberdeen FC was formed, Edinburgh-based Hibernian considered moving to Aberdeen in 1902, sending a valuer to Pittodrie. This spurred talks among three city clubs—Aberdeen, Victoria United, and Orion—which merged in 1903. The new club played its first match on 15 August 1903, a 1–1 draw with Stenhousemuir, and won the Aberdeenshire Cup that season while finishing third in the Northern League. Aberdeen applied for Scottish League membership and were elected to the Second Division. Under manager Jimmy Philip in 1904, the club finished seventh out of twelve teams but was elected to the expanded First Division, remaining in the top tier ever since. From 1906, progress included Scottish Cup semi-finals in 1908 and 1911; in 1910–11, Aberdeen recorded first wins over Celtic and Rangers and led the league briefly before finishing second. Philip continued as manager, overseeing a 13–0 Scottish Cup win over Peterhead in 1923. Travers' trainer Donald Colman invented the dug-out at Pittodrie. Travers left for Clyde in 1939.
Colours and crest
For its first season, Aberdeen played in a predominantly white strip, variously reported as all-white or white shirts with blue shorts and socks. In 1904–05, the club adopted black and gold striped shirts, earning the nickname "the Wasps"; this kit, with minor variations, lasted until just before World War II. Blue shorts were worn until 1911, then replaced by white ones, with black socks featuring gold trim. In March 1939, the colours changed to red and white, reflecting the silver and red of the City of Aberdeen arms. The first red strips were worn with white shorts, with red or white socks until 1965–66. In 1966, red shorts were adopted, making the kit all-red, similar to Liverpool's. This all-red scheme has continued, with variations such as five vertical white stripes in the late 1970s and white pinstripes in the early 1980s. Later designs included blue elements and a one-season reversion to white shorts, but the all-red scheme returned in 1997. Shirt sponsorship began in 1987 with JVC; subsequent sponsors have included Northsound and local oil service companies. As of 2026, the shirt sponsor is TEXO.
Stadium
Aberdeen have called Pittodrie Stadium home since the club was formed, with the stadium’s name coming from a Celtic phrase meaning “place of manure.” The original Aberdeen FC first used the ground in 1899, beating Dumbarton 7-1, and when that club merged with two others in 1903, the new side took over the venue. Their first match at Pittodrie was a 1-1 draw with Stenhousemuir on 15 August 1903, watched by 8,000 fans. The club rented the stadium at first, then bought it in 1920. Today, the ground seats 19,274, and its record attendance of 45,061 came on 13 March 1954 during a Scottish Cup tie against Hearts. Pittodrie has four stands: the Main Stand, which holds club offices and player facilities; the Merkland Road Stand, known as the “Red Shed”; the South Stand, the largest, with a quarter set aside for away supporters; and the Richard Donald Stand, finished in 1993 and named after former chairman Dick Donald. In 1978, Pittodrie became the first all-covered, all-seater stadium in Britain. The team trains at Cormack Park, opened on 31 October 2019 by ex-manager Alex Ferguson, who praised it as “up there with the best.” The complex includes a training pavilion, groundsman’s accommodation, three full-sized training pitches, two floodlit 3G pitches, two grass pitches, and flexible indoor and outdoor space. All pitches are named after club legends, chosen by fans through an online vote.
Supporters and nicknames
Aberdeen's supporters, known as the Red Army, are listed in the team squad as wearing the number 12 shirt. The club is the only top-flight team in Scotland's third-largest city, which is geographically remote from other large population centres, giving it a large catchment area. Average attendance in the 2023–24 Scottish Premiership was 16,055. In the 1980s, a minority of supporters formed the Aberdeen Soccer Casuals, one of Britain's most prominent casuals groups, whose rise coincided with the club's most successful period. While numbers have declined due to Football Banning Orders, the Casuals still appear at big fixtures, including UEFA Europa League matches. Clashes occurred at both 2014 fixtures against FC Groningen, and 13 arrests followed violent clashes with Dundee United fans in December 2015. Aberdeen has rarely played in the same division as geographically closest neighbours, so rivalries come from further afield. In the early 1980s, Aberdeen and Dundee United were known as the New Firm due to their domestic and European success.
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