Forfar Athletic 2 - 6 Aberdeen

The great victory last Saturday of the Aberdeen F.C. Limited has come as a regular god-send to their sorely tried shareholders and supporters. Never in our wildest moments did we imagine that the team of all the talents would emerge so victoriously from the encounter with the Forfar Athletics. It would have been a great blow had they been defeated, and truth to tell, there were some who place so little trust in their skill, who firmly believed they would even be unable to defeat the much tried Forfar Athletics. But the players rose to the occasion as they generally do when they have a soft thing on, and put on the record victory of the afternoon in the Northern League competition.

It was a noble victory, and no mistake. We saw the players leave Aberdeen, and we saw by their gait as they tripped along the platform that the Forfar were in for it. One could fancy the players saying to themselves, now or never is the stigma that we can't play football to be removed from our game. We will show the Forfar that, although we are a limited company, there is to be no limit to the goals we are to score this afternoon. And they did it. But wouldn't it have looked far better had they done the same to Dunfermline the previous week. Had such been the case, we could have believed that at last the silver lining was to be seen through the cloud. But what guarantee does Saturday's victory give us that they will not be defeated on Saturday first? None, I'm afraid.

At the time of writing I am not aware which club they are to encounter this week end, but it will be a sure disappointment to their supporters should they again fall to win. This up and down form is becoming farcical, and must cease. The game against the Forfar is no criterion of the Aberdeen's play, which granting its badness, has hardly yet descended to the level of that of their, last week's opponents. To my mind, what the Aberdeen team has suffered most from is the constant juggling with the players. Nothing upsets a team so much as changes, and I am in thorough agreement with many of the shareholders that had the team which commenced the season got a proper opportunity of playing together for some time, the club would not have been in the plight it is today. There is nothing so bad as amateur team builders.

Source: Bon-Accord December 17 1903

Aberdeen visited Forfar on Saturday, and played off a Northern League fixture on Station Park. The teams were:- Forfar Athletic: Mitchell; Lees, Denholm; Melvin, Janes, Fairweather; Murray, Barclay, Boath, Carroll, Duncan. Aberdeen: Barrett; Macgregor, McNicol; Ritchie, Low, Robertson; Shinner, Wishart, C. Mackie, McAulay, Johnstone. Referee - Mr. J. Davidson, Arbroath.

During the opening stages fine play on both sides was witnessed, and the game was confined chiefly to mid-field, the forwards of both teams showing smart work. Ten minutes of the game had just gone when Johnston scored with a lovely shot. Again the Aberdonians returned and pressed, Johnston again netting, but offside was given. Mistakes were frequent owing ot the slippery nature of the ground. The visitors combined splendidly, and as the result of a pretty piece of play McAulay scored the second goal. The Aberdonians had much the better of the game, and confined the Athletic almost entirely to the home territory. The Athletic were making some serious mistakes, with the result that the visitors again got close in, and Wishart shot a third goal for the visitors. The strangers showed very smart form, travelling quickly, and shooting with deadly aim. The Athletic showed signs of improvement, but the heavy ground did not seem to suit them. The visitors again got down, and as a result of tricky play McAulay scored. Again the Aberdeen pressed, and the fifth goal was scored by Mackie. Forfar tried hard and pressed, but muddled at goal.

Forfar were first to press in the second half, and made strenuous efforts to make up the leeway. The powerful backs of the visitors were rather too strong for the homesters' forwards. Combining on the aggressive, the Athletic got the ball close in, and in a scrimmage scored a well-deserved goal. Again they returned, and with a lovely shot Carroll scored. Rushing down, the visitors got near the penalty line, when Johnston sent the ball wide. Boath had a chance, but muddled. The visitors again got forward, and Skinner (sic.) put on the sixth goal with a terrific shot.

Source: Aberdeen Journal, 14th December 1903