pittodrie match programme 1908

An important and unusual additions to The Aberdeen Collection is a rather rare and precious programme from 1908. It was not issued for an Aberdeen FC match at Pittodrie, but for an International Trial match organised by the Aberdeenshire Junior FA. The game took place on the 2nd of January 1908 at Pittodrie Park between Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire and ended in a 1-1 draw. The content of the publication is fascinating and includes photos of many local Junior sides of the day, including East-End, Mugiemoss, Favourite, Victoria Thistle, Shamrock, Inverurie Thistle, Inverurie Loco Works, Parkvale St Andrew? Athletic, Woodside, Northfield, Shamrock Athletic and Culter Some of these club still exits, but some of them have vanished into history. The programme is bound into an outer cover (pictured) and is a fairly standard size with a yellow/orange coloured card cover and glossy pages inside - unlike the usual newsprint type of paper that was usual up till the 1960s. The Aberdeenshire team for the match was: King (East-End); Ronald (Inverurie Thistle), Murphy (Favourites; Ironside (Shamrock), Shand (Captain)(Parkvale, Ross (East-End) ; Hay (Favourites), Brown (St Andrew's Athletic), Dalgarno (Mugiemoss), Sutherland, Carrol (East-End). East-End were best represented with four players and this may present a hint of why that particular club is still around and playing within a short walk of Pittodrie. This programme is a goldmine of old advertisements and photographs of local football officials of this this period, along with images of trophies available to local Junior football. A further significance of the programme to AFC Heritage is that Junior football in Aberdeen was a tremendous source of players for the Dons for many years. Consequently, this is a great addition to The Aberdeen Collection which seeks to tell the widest possible story of the heritage of AFC and all associated with it.