Aberdeen 2 - 1 St. Mirren

ONLY 44,106 saw Aberdeen win the Scottish League Cup for their first and only time at Hampden Park in October, 1955, when they beat St. Mirren 2-1. A result summed up by the Dons manager Davie Shaw who said: "We were lucky." Maybe it was the Paisley side who were unlucky for nothing seemed to go right for them that day.
Just two minutes after the interval for instance, St. Mirren left-back Jimmy Mallan knocked the ball over his own goal-line for the opening goal. A hard cross from Jackie Hather had been missed by 'keeper Jim Lornie and Dons right-winger Graham Leggatt. Mallan, running back to cover, couldn't get out of the way of the ball which struck him on the body and flew straight into the net.
HOLMES GOAL St. Mirren. however, came back with the equaliser in 58 minutes from a Bobby Holmes header, but the winner came from Aberdeen. In the 79th minute Leggatt, way out on the right wing, held off two challenges, switched the ball to his left foot and shot from long range.
Lornie. who had come off his line, was completely deceived by the speed of Leggatt's shot, which proved to be the match-winner. So St. Mirren who had reached the final for the first and last time lost a match they should have won on the day.
The year of '55, of course, was a great year for the Dons for they had clinched the First Division championship for the first time in their history, finishing three points ahead of Rangers and eight ahead of Celtic. Some people credit them with having won the League Cup twice, but their victory over Rangers by 3-2 in 1945 has never been accepted, as this end-of-the-war tournament was really an experiment which has developed into the competition as it is known today.
The teams in the 1955 final included a lot of personality players, instantly recognisable. They were:
Aberdeen: Martin, Mitchell, Caldwell; Wilson, Clunie, Glen; Leggatt, Yorston, Buckley, Wishart, Hather.
St. Mirren: Lornie; Lapsley, Mallan; Neilson, Telfer, Holmes; Rodger, Laird, Brown, Gemmell, Callan.

Source: Match Programme, League Cup Semi-Final, 27th October 1975

The Scottish League did not issue winners' medals for this tournament, but Aberdeen's directors got permission to have some specially struck. An example is on display in the Pittodrie boardroom - it was originally given to trainer, Charlie McCaig.