Aberdeen 0 - 1 Heart of Midlothian

North-Eastern Cup tie at Pittodrie last night, before a small attendance, which increased as the game wore on. Play ruled even for a considerable time, but the Hearts were the first to get on the target. A well concerted move ended in Gilmour scoring. This was all that was done in the first period, though Aberdeen tried very hard to equalise. Aberdeen played exceedingly hard to square the match in the second period, but found the Hearts defence was in exceptional form. Muir was prominent by several fine saves, but all to no purpose. Result :- Hearts, one goal; Aberdeen, nothing. Owing to short time being played the crowd raised a hostile demonstration in front of the pavilion, which is reported in another column.

Source: The Scotsman, 18th August 1908

EDINBURGH FOOTBALLERS STONED.

DISTURBANCE AT ABERDEEN

The football match between the Heart of Midlothian and Aberdeen, at Aberdeen last night, was marred by a hostile demonstration on the part of the crowd, when it was announced that short time would have to be played. The demonstration did not conclude without regrettable consequences. The younger section of the crowd indulged in stone-throwing, with the result that a good many panes of glass in front of the pavilion were smashed. Early in the course of the disturbance, Mr Thomas Duncan, chairman or the directors of the Aberdeen Football Club, endeavoured to allay feeling, by announcing that admission would be free to a charitable match which is to be played on Wednesday evening, but this did not satisfy the crowd, who continued their violent demonstrations. Additional police officers were telephoned for but even after their arrival the disturbance continued for a time. Meantime the Hearts' team and officials had left the ground for the railway station to catch the last train to Edinburgh, and as they drove off several stones were thrown by the younger members of the crowd, but no one was injured. Eventually the crowd dispersed, but on leaving the grounds they resorted to malicious mischief damaging barricades, and completely smashing one of the large exit gates.

Source: The Scotsman, 18th August 1908

At the termination of a football match between the Aberdeen and the Heart of Midlothian Clubs at Pittodrie last night there was an exceedingly hostile demonstration on the part of the crowd. The match was billed as a North-Eastern Cup tie, and it was the fact that it was turned into a friendly match, and that play was stopped long before the proper time, that led to the disturbance. There were about 4000 spectators present.
Teams:-

Aberdeen: Mutch; Colman, McIntosh; Halkett, Wilson, Low; Blackburn, Muir, McNair, O'Hagan, Lennie.
Hearts: Muir; R. S. Walker, Collins; McLaren, Hynds, Nellies; Sinclair, Walker, Gilmour, Devine, Cole.
Referee - Mr. J. Bell, Dundee.

The kick-off was timed for 5:45, but at that time the official referee had not arrived, and the teams agreed to play the cup-tie under the supervision of Mr. Edwards, Aberdeen. There was a strong cross wind from the north when the game started. Aberdeen kicked off, but Cole got away on the Hears' left, and sent in a lightning cross, which Sinclair headed past. Aberdeen's internationalist left then broke away, and Walker dispossessed O'Hagan when well placed. Muir then had a great shot, which struck the bar and went over. An injury to Lennie rendered it necessary to stop play for some time. Lennie writhed in agony, but he soon came round. The ensuing play was exciting. O'Hagan initiated a fine run, and a pass close-in from Lennie was sent inches wide of the mark by McNair. At this juncture the official referee, J. Bell, Dundee, appeared, and took charge of the game, vice Mr. Edwards. Following up a spell of midfield play, Sinclair forced a corner on Hearts' right, and placed to Roddy Walker, who shot hard into the top left-hand corner of the net. Following this reverse, Aberdeen retaliated strongly, and Muir had to handle a miskick by Collins. McNair was no showing to much advantage for the homesters, and slowness on his part lost several opportunities for his side. At this stage the referee blew his whistle for half-time, and this was the signal for an outburst of shouting and hooting on the part of the crowd, as the teams had only played 35 minutes. Mr. Bell was informed of the mistake by the first referee, and he apparently then decided to continue the match as a friendly, and the teams crossed over with the score - Hearts, one goal; Aberdeen nothing.

Meantime the spectators had not been informed that the match was a friendly one. There was no special feature in the play, which continued slack until the end, with the score still standing - Hearts 1 goal, Aberdeen0.

Gate £47.

THE OUTBREAK BY THE CROWD

It was not till the teams had retired to the pavilion, fifteen minutes before time, that the spectators realised the game had come to an abrupt termination, and not a few people had paid for admission at the gates just prior to play being stopped. Then the entire crowd, almost, marched to the front of the pavilion and demanded that the game be continued or their money returned. Stones were thrown, and several of the windows on the upper storey of the pavilion were broken, the throwing of each stone being the signal for an outbreak of hooting and cheering. Matters were in no way improved by the fact that a number of youngsters to the rear of the crowd, which was about 2000 strong, were throwing stones, meant no doubt for the pavilion windows but which fell short of their mark, and alighted on the heads of those in front. The police force on the ground was totally inadequate to cope with the rushes of the angry crowd, and at one time it looked as if the building would be "rushed."
Some time later the Hearts' players appeared, and their departure was the signal for an outbreak of booing on the part of the younger members of the crowd, while some did not scruple to throw stones after the players. Stones continued to be hurled at the pavilion windows, and several of the crowd immediately in front were struck by the missiles rebounding off the woodwork.

There is no knowing how long this might have continued had not Mr. William Russell, a well-known local junior official, come forward with a suggestion to the directors that the gates might be thrown open to the public tomorrow night, when Aberdeen are to play a select eleven of the East End and Mugiemoss Clubs. This was agreed to , and Mr. Duncan, chairman of the directors, went out on the balcony of the upper storey for the purpose of making this announcement. His appearance was the signal for a continuance of the hostile demonstration, and stones went whizzing past Mr. Duncan's head, either striking the woodwork of the building, or smashing the windows. Mr. Duncan stuck manfully to his post, however, and, after several minutes, succeeded in getting a hearing. He explained the circumstances of the match being made a friendly one, and announced that free admission would be got for the match tomorrow.
This announcement was received in different ways by the crowd, and shouts were raised of "Don't rob the juniors too." To this Mr. Duncan replied that another match would be given them later to compensate for their loss tomorrow. The crowd did not at all seem satisfied at this, however, and did not disperse. As the local players emerged from the pavilion they had a somewhat mixed reception. Some time later a number of additional policemen arrived on the scene, and they got the crowd on the move towards the gates. The injured feelings of football spectators are not easily allayed, however, and the police met with no little opposition in their effort to restore order. A number of youths took possession of the ground roller, and this was mischievously wheeled to the middle of the field, and left there; while another section swarmed round the goal posts at the east end of the ground and commenced to slacken these from the ground. There is no doubt the uprights would have been broken had not the police interfered.

Coming to the exit, the large gate at the south of the King Street entrance was torn off its hinges. Gradually the field was cleared, and the crowd made its way home.

Source: Aberdeen Journal, 18th August 1908

A Complete Fiasco.

The Hearts were billed for Monday evening at Pittodrie to play a North Eastern Cup tie. Now we always understood that the rules in cup ties were that ninety minutes had to he played, otherwise. there was no tie. There was some bungling somewhere on Monday, when the referee called a halt in the first half after playing 32 minutes, and only when about half an hour in the second period had gone he again caused the game to stop. More of this anon.
The Hearts had out all their men - new and old - which go to make up their playing strength for this season. For the short time they played we were very favourably impressed with them, except in one case, and that was Walker, the back, who deserved to get "marching orders" for the way he brought up Lennie. Aberdeen played much under Saturday's form except the defence, who again stopped likely efforts. Gilmour, the centre, scored the first and only goal of the game so far as it was. As already stated, the game cannot be counted as a cup tie, though we cannot see how the Hearts could have taken this step in view of the scarcity of dates.

Hooligans..

We had another sample of young Aberdeen let loose on Monday night immediately after the game. The crowd, or a small section of them, on finding they had been gulled, at once took the law into their hands and made an attack on the pavilion demanding their money back. Finding they could get no satisfaction, the young portion had splendid target practice at the windows, two of them getting a hole knocked through. One or two of the spectators who were standing on the outside of the crowd suffered. An extra staff of the police was sent for and on their arrival the grounds were soon cleared, and in doing so they helped themselves by clearing away anything that was handy and in general doing all manner of mischief. Though the demonstration had a nasty look about it for some little time, they eventually dispersed without doing any further damage to the property. The way the youngsters of the crowd behaved was simply scandalous, and shows a lamentable lack of control somewhere.

Chatty Bits

Monday night's fiasco has been made by far too much of in the local press.
The difficulty is on whom to apportion blame.
Aberdeen directors assert they knew nothing of any arrangement being come to for a friendly being played.
The referee said he got instructions from the Hearts' officials to only play 30 minutes in the second half in order that they might catch their train.
They could have easily got their train by playing full time, and the pity is that they did not do so for their own reputation.
It can hardly be expected that the public will stand to be gulled, and if any arrangement was come to the gates ought to have been closed at half-time.
There is no doubt about it, the way the matter has been treated by the local press, the club will be made to suffer.
The damage was so slight that it is hardly worth mentioning. Two panes of glass smashed.

Source: Bon-Accord, 20th August 1908

The Pittodrie Fiasco.

The North-Eastern Association had a pretty long sederunt on Friday enquiring into the trouble at Pittodrie over the Aberdeen-Hearts cup-tie, which ended abruptly on the 17th ult., and the spectators vented their wrath on the home team's premises. The Association decided that both clubs be fined £5 each, the money to go to the Aberdeen and Edinburgh Infirmaries, and that the tie be replayed at Dens Park. As there seems to have been faults on both sides this is a fair arrangement, and one which will satisfy the public that their interests are not being neglected.

Source: Bon-Accord, 3rd September 1908