The visit of the famous Everton football team to Aberdeen was looked forward to with keen interest by local football enthusiasts, and when the players stepped on the field at Pittodrie Park last night they received a warm reception from the large crowd of spectators who lined the ropes. The Aberdeen officials are to be congratulated on having been able to bring the team north, as it is only too seldom that a really first class club is to be seen in any of thr localfootball fields. The teams were:- Everton: Muir; Balmer, Eccles; Wolstenholme, Booth, Abbott; Taylor, Macdonald, Proudfoot, Settle, Turner. Aberdeen: Ritchie; Douglas, J. Mackie; Thomson, Sangster, Brown; Fullerton, Davidson, C. Mackie, Shiach, Massey. Mr. J. Philip was referee.
Aberdeen won the toss, and Everton kicked off towards the sea. The visitors started off in fine style, and were soon surrounding the home goal, but J. Mackie cleared splendidly. End to end play followed, the beautiful passing of the Everton forwards being much admired by the spectators. Aberdeen continued to show up well against their more experienced opponents, and the game was not manyminutes old when Brown, accepting a neat pass from the left wing, banged the ball into the net. Flushed with this early success, the homesters played with great dash, and Shiach, amid loud applaues, scored a second goal for Aberdeen. This was the means of waking up the visitors, who now gave some really first-class play. Getting possession of the ball about midfield, the forwards by grand passing tactics, got in front of Ritchie, and Macdonald shot strongly into the net. Almost immediately afterwards, in the midst of a scrimmage, the ball was got through a second time by Everton.
The second half opened quietly, Aberdeen, however, were the first to get in close quarters, but Mackie, with an open goal in front of him, sent the ball high over the crossbar. Settle, the internationalist, is a very nimble player, but he was somewhat chagined by the way Brown and Thomson so often robbed him of the ball. Fullerton, Aberdeen's outside right, was given several glorious chances, but his shooting near goal left much to be desired. Nothing being at stake, Everton took matters somewhat easy, and several times Aberdeen almost scored. A fine rush by the Everton forwards compelled Aberdeen to grant a corner. The ball was crossed beautifully to Turner, and it was ultimately headed into the net. During the latter part of the game Everton pressed, but the home defence prevailed. An interesting game ended in a win for Everton by a single point.
Source: Aberdeen Journal, 1st May 1901