Charlie Christie: The domination of new firm was special time
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There’s a common quote among football fans when they witness a special victory, memorable match, or fantastic player that ‘you’ll never see the likes again’.
Forty years ago this month, supporters of Aberdeen and Dundee United were possibly using that exact same quote as they witnessed their clubs winning the European Cup Winners Cup and Premier Division respectively in what was a golden era for the ‘New Firm’ in the game.
As any Dons fan of a certain age will readily tell you that period in the early to mid-80’s were indeed the time to be a regular at Pittodrie as Sir Alex Ferguson built a team who went on to cement their place in Dons folklore with that European victory which was promptly followed by back-to-back Premier League titles.
A team built on a solid defensive foundation of Leighton, Miller and McLeish it also included several little-known inexperienced players but what they lacked in experience they more than made up for in team unity and individual work ethic – traits no doubt instilled by Sir Alex.
Dundee United were also achieving great things around the same period with their incredible Scottish Premiership title victory in 1983 which saw them pip Celtic and Aberdeen to the title by a solitary point.
The late Ralph Milne secured the title with a final day winning goal at Dens Park and Jim Maclean’s side had achieved the unthinkable. Two years later they lined up home and away against IFK Gothenburg in the UEFA cup; unfortunately losing out 2-1 on aggregate.
Those were incredibly heady times for the two east coast clubs who these days have very different aspirations. Aberdeen are vying with Hearts to achieve a third-place league finish and qualification into the entry level of European competition whilst Dundee United find themselves in a relegation battle at the wrong end of the table.
With the financial disparity between the two Glasgow giants and every other club in the Scottish game I would question if anyone out-with the big two will ever lift a premier league title again far less reaching the final of a European competition.
Whether this is beneficial or not to the game in Scotland is debatable depending on where your club allegiance lies but, whilst I was not a supporter of either club, I can testify to the huge positivity and feelgood factor that those achievements of both Aberdeen and Dundee United brought to our game during that period especially during their incredible European adventures.
Whether we will ever see the likes again is uncertain, but it isn’t something that will come back around any time soon.
