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.
This rare and unusual poster is an example of the means that Aberdeen and other clubs used to promote their matches in the early years of last century. In the days before the interned, television, or radio, there were few options available to clubs to get the word out in an effort to draw a crowd to any given game. The alternatives were advertising in the local newspapers, which was done extensively by the Dons - in the Aberdeen Daily Journal, the Evening Express and Bon-Accord magazine. Word of mouth - the grapevine - was also a handy way of spreading interest in a match.
Posters were big business in Edwardian Britain and this one, believed to have been designed by the famous graphic artist Frank Dadd, was printed in Leeds by Petty and Sons Ltd.
The match advertised here was for an Aberdeenshire Cup tie, between Aberdeen reserves and Buckie Thistle, which was played off on Saturday 14th December 1907, it ended in a 3-0 win for the Black and Golds' Reserve team. The goals were scored by John Ritchie, John Robertson and David McKinlay. Of the Aberdeen players taking the field that day, Cody Mutch, Bobby Hannah and Johnny Edgar went on to have worthy careers with the Dons.
In an era before floodlighting, the match kicked-off at the unusual time of 2:20 p.m. to allow it to be played out in daylight. The attendance at the match is unrecorded so we can only hope that the cost of the poster was justified.
There are two examples of this poster known to exist, of which the one in The Aberdeen Collection is the most complete. It is currently on display in the Black and Gold Lounge at Pittodrie and A3 sized prints can be obtained form the Club Shop.
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