During the 100-year history of Aberdeen Football Club there have been many trophies, mementos and unique items of memorabilia inherited along the way. Unfortunately, the club don't have enough space to display this fascinating collection at the moment and so many fans are unaware of their existence. Each of the items has a story to tell and some are well known while others are a bit more obscure. All, of course, contribute to the rich history of Aberdeen Football Club.
Over time we hope to populate 'The Aberdeen Collection' section with a large selection of items. We have showcased a number of exhibits her to give you an idea of the treasure trove lurking in Pittodrie. We hope readers will find this fascinating and possibly get a further insight into the history of the club. In fact, one of the items on show here - the Changi Internment Camp Trophy - is a bit of a mystery to everyone at the club and if anyone can shed some light into its background we want to hear from you.
During the Second World War professional football continued to be played at Pittodrie, but with a restricted list of opponents. Because to the challenges of travel during that period, Aberdeen played in a North Eastern League - although it included teams from Edinburgh and Fife as well as Rangers from Glasgow. There were not enough League matches to fill the season, with only 8 teams involved, so they competed in two blocks of fixtures with the North Eastern League Supplementary Cup played out late in the year.
The trophy here was played for during season 1942-1943 between 21st November and 26th December. Aberdeen played 6 matches during that time, three rounds of home and away fixtures. Success was total in that they won all six of the games, scoring a total of 35 goals for the loss of 7, with the final tie being played at Pittodrie where they were presented with this trophy which had originally been contributed to the competition by Club Chairman William Mitchell. All six of the matches were high-scoring affairs, with the biggest scoreline coming in the first match at Pittodrie, where a youthful Hearts' side were crushed by 9 goals to 1. George Hamilton was available for the match and scored four of the goals, bagging a further three in the return at Tynecastle in a 6-0 romp. Raith Rovers were the next opponents and although Hamilton was not available for the games, Jock Pattillo chipped in with two goals in ach of the victories, 6-2 away from home and 5-1 at Pittodrie.
The final began with the away leg at Dunfermline and was a tightly contested 3-2 win for the Dons, but for the return at Pittodrie the men in red and white were in sparkling form and hammered home six to Dunfermline's one. Alex Gourlay scored a hat-trick in the first of the matches and the goal-grabbing Jock Pattillo did the same in the return. The Press and Journal reported that "The Dons gave a brilliant exhibition," and that "There was a perfect understanding in the ranks."
about the trust
