frank mcdougall cup final shirt

One of the most exciting acquisitions of 2023 was Frank McDougall’s shirt from the 1986 Cup Final where the Dons overwhelmed Hearts to win the trophy by three goals to nil. Although Frank did not score in the match, he played an important part in securing the trophy despite carrying a long-time back injury.

At the end of the match after the presentation of the Cup and Medals, apparently Frank disappeared off into Glasgow leaving his shirt behind in the dressing room at Hampden. None other than Alex Ferguson spotted it and retrieved it to make sure that it was returned to the great striker. He shoved it in a carrier bag and took it back to Aberdeen. Unfortunately, in all the ensuing celebrations and the arrival of the summer break, the shirt was forgotten about and didn’t see the light of day for many years.

In fact, it was only early lin 2023 that Sir Alex was tidying up the loft in his house when he unearthed the bag with the shirt in it. Being the great man that he is, he had it cleaned and then invited Frankie to visit him to present it to him thirty-seven years after it was left lying in the dressing room on that special day.

We have been fortunate to take ownership of the shirt and it will nicely complement Frank’s Golden Shoe that is also in The Aberdeen Collection at Pittodrie. On the day that the two legends sat down to reminisce they both signed the front of the shirt to make it that bit more special. Sadly, this was likely one of Frank’s last autographs, but it will be treasured by the Heritage Trust and shared with the Red Army whenever we get the chance to put it on show – a shining part of The Aberdeen Collection.