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.
In the summer of 1956, after a long hard domestic season in which Aberdeen battled their way to runners' up spot in the League and scored more goals than they had done in their 1954-55 League Title winning season, the Dons set off on a lengthy tour of North America. In fact it turned into a Canadian tour as the match scheduled to be played in New York against Everton had to be cancelled due to torrential rain.
The programme was set up to see the Aberdeen men playing nine matches in 21 days, four of them against Everton. The other games were to be against select teams from five of Canada's far flung provinces. Despite the extensive travel demands on the players, most of the games against Canadian opposition turned out to be high scoring. Not least the match at Taylor Field, Regine, Saskatchewan against the Saskatchewan Selects. No less than 17 goals were pumped into the Saskatchewan nett by the Dons, 4 of them by Graham Leggat, 4 more by Harry Yorston, and a hat-trick by Johnny Allan. Saskatchewan did not manage a single goals and manager David Shaw afterwards put the difference in the teams down to fitness, with the locals tiring very quickly after they tried to match the Aberdeen players for pace.
As with all of their visits around that vast country, the Dons were right royally entertained and after this game the Saskatchewan Soccer Association presented them with the memento shown here. A stylish 1950's piece that remains on show in the Pittodrie Boardroom to this day.
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