Aberdeen

Aberdeen FC was formed in 1903 from a merger of Aberdeen, Victoria United, and Orion, playing their first match that August. They quickly joined the Scottish League and established themselves in the top tier, with early highlights including Scottish Cup semi-finals and first wins over Celtic and Rangers. Jimmy Philip and Paddy Travers shaped the early years, and in the 1930s the club pioneered the idea of a team dugout, set just below the level of the pitch.

Post-WWII, under Dave Halliday, Aberdeen won their first major trophies: the 1947 Scottish Cup and the 1954–55 league title. The club saw mixed success through the 1960s and 1970s, with occasional cup wins but frequent managerial changes.

Alex Ferguson’s tenure (1978–1986) marked the club’s golden era; they won three league titles, four Scottish Cups, a League Cup, the European Cup Winners’ Cup (1983), and the European Super Cup, with players like Jim Leighton and Gordon Strachan becoming club legends. They are the only Scottish side to have won two European trophies, and they were the last team — in 1985! — other than Rangers and Celtic to win the Scottish league title.

After Ferguson left for Manchester United, Aberdeen struggled with financial issues and managerial instability through the 1990s and 2000s, enduring heavy defeats and inconsistent performances. Craig Brown and Derek McInnes later stabilized the club, with McInnes winning the 2013–14 Scottish League Cup and achieving multiple second-place league finishes and European appearances.

Recent years saw more managerial changes, investment from Atlanta United, and finally a major triumph in 2025, when Aberdeen won their first Scottish Cup in 35 years under Jimmy Thelin.

2024-25 SEASON: 5th in Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup Champions

2025-26 SEASON: Scottish Premiership (top-flight since 1906), Europa League, then dropped to Conference League

Aberdeen’s local neighbors – Cove Rangers, Peterhead, and Montrose – are almost always in different divisions, hence they don’t really have a local derby.

In the 1980s, Aberdeen and Dundee United were dubbed the “New Firm” due to their domestic and European success, but the rivalry was not always mutual since Dundee United’s main focus was local rivals Dundee. Aberdeen’s rivalry with Rangers emerged in the 1980s, fueled by key on-field incidents, Aberdeen’s dominance, and Alex Ferguson’s personal history with Rangers. Supporter clashes have persisted over the years. Minor rivalries exist with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, known as the “North derby,” and competitive tensions with Celtic resurfaced in the 2010s as Aberdeen regained top-tier status.

Aberdeen F.C. Ladies was formed in January 2011 through the merger of four local clubs. The senior team struggled in the top tier, being relegated from SWPL 1 in 2017 and again in 2018 after finishing seventh with a very young squad. In November 2018, the club formalized its women’s section as Aberdeen F.C. Women, integrating the senior team and youth sides. They quickly rebounded by winning the 2019 SWFL Division 1 – North, earning promotion back to SWPL 2.

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Aberdeen has called Pittodrie Stadium its home since 1903, even though the stadium has been in use since the original club in 1899. With a capacity of 20,866, it is the fourth largest stadium in the SPFL and the biggest outside Scotland’s Central Belt. Pittodrie is notable for innovations in stadium design, including the invention of the dugout, and became one of the UK’s first all-seater stadiums in 1978. It has also hosted Scotland national football matches and rugby internationals, and it temporarily served as a home for Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

TOURS: Available several days per week for £13. See the club’s website for more.

GETTING THERE: It’s 1.5 miles from the train station, and the city center is even closer. You can easily get a taxi or bus. The club’s website says this about buses: “A number 13 (towards Seaton) will drop you off on Golf Road with Pittodrie on the left. A number 1 (towards Danestone), 2 (towards Ashwood), or X40 (towards Dubford) will drop you off on King Street. The best stop is the one after King Street Bus Depot, then make your way down Pittodrie Street or Merkland Road on the right.”

PUBS and GRUB: There is really nothing by the stadium, so grab a pint and pie in the city center.