Aberdeen 1 - 1 Dundee

This return fixture was played at Pittodrie in front of 15,000 spectators. Play opened in favour of the home side, who brought great pressure to bear on the visiting goal, Murray opening the score from a well-directed pass from Halkett. This was all the scoring in the first half. Dundee reopened with a somewhat tricky goal, Hunter beating MacFarlane. The game was evenly contested to the finish, with the result:- Aberdeen, one goal; Dundee, one goal.

Source: The Scotsman, 9th December 1907

The return League match between Aberdeen and Dundee at Pittodrie on Saturday attracted an enormous crowd, and long before the hour of starting the enclosure presented an animated scene. Both clubs have achieved notable triumphs in their League fixtures this season, and this in great measure was responsible for the extraordinary amount of interest aroused in connection with Saturday's game. Aberdeen and Dundee, however, are keen rivals, and the play is generally of an exciting nature when the teams meet. Dundee were represented by their strongest eleven, while Aberdeen were also at full strength, although Lennie and O'Hagan was suffering from injuries sustained the previous week. The weather was ideal for football, while the ground was in good order, although a little hard on the surface. At 2:30 the teams lined up as follows:-

Aberdeen: Macfarlane; Colman, Hume; Halkett, McIntosh, Low; Macdonald, Simpson, Murray, O'Hagan, Lennie.
Dundee: Crumley; McKenzie, Chaplin; Lee, Dainty, Jeffrey; Webb, McDermott, Hunter, Macfarlane, Fraser.
Referee - Mr. Riddell, Edinburgh.

Aberdeen won the toss, and Dundee kicked off towards the King Street goal. No sooner had the game been started and it became evident that the struggle was to be a particularly keen one. Dundee were awarded a free kick in the first minute. Mackenzie placed the ball well into the Aberdeen goalmouth, only to see it returned by Halkett. Lennie broke away on the left wing, racing past Lee and McKenzie, but Chaplin dashed across the field and kicked into touch for safety. No time was lost by either side, and the ball travelled from end to end of the field with extraordinary rapidity. Aberdeen, if anything, were having the best of matters, and Crumley had to be on the alert when Lennie centred right in front of goal. Murray met the ball with his head, the Dundee goalkeeper clearing with little to spare. Aberdeen next attacked on the right wing, but Macdonald was pulled up for offside when in a dangerous position. The excitement amongst the spectators was intense, and every little bit of play was jeered to the echo. Aberdeen played a strong, bustling game, and indulged in a lot of hard kicking, while Dundee could not settled down to their usual style of play. The worrying tactics of the Aberdeen half-backs was responsible for this, Low and McIntosh breaking up any attempt at combination by the Dundee inside forwards. Fraser lead an attack by the visiting front rank, and Colman gave away a corner when hard pressed. The ball was dropped in front of goal, and Dainty almost scored with a fine shot, Macfarlane clearing while surrounded by a crowd of players. Dundee kept up the pressure, and Hume was responsible for a fine clearance. The ball came sharply across from the left wing, and after Lee had tried Macfarlane with a long drive, the ball was again returned, but the Aberdeen left back punted strongly up the field. Colman stopped Fraser when the left winger had a clear run-in on Macfarlane, while the next minute Halkett placed well in front to Simpson, who was checked by Jeffrey. The game was keen to a degree. Fouls were frequent, the referee being very strict, and nothing is scape his notice. Dundee and lost a find chance of opening the scoring when Webb got the better of Hume, and dashed straight ahead for goal. The right winger crossed to the centre, however, and Halkett cleared the danger. Up to this stage there was nothing to choose between the teams. Aberdeen were full of running, and withal played robust football. Their opponents also forced the pace, although the play was more studied, especially in the front rank. However, this did not pay against the strong Aberdeen defence. After 20 minutes' play Aberdeen opened the scoring. Lennie and O'Hagan worked their way along the left wing, and when Lee and McKenzie were beaten, Jeffrey came across to their assistance, and finally sent the ball behind in order to keep out the Aberdeen left wing. Lennie placed the corner kick finely, the ball landing at Simpson's feet. Murray, however, was on it like a flash, and the centre-forward quickly steered the ball safely into the net. The scoring of this goal he romped rounds of cheering. Dundee strove hard for the equaliser, and Macfarlane saved cleverly from Fraser. The Dens Park team played up strongly, and Fraser made a great effort to score with a header following upon a capital cross by Webb. For a time the Aberdeen defence was taxed to the utmost. Low, McIntosh, and Colman were prominent in keeping out the Dundee forwards, although McDermott shot wildly over the bar when he had the goal practically at his mercy. The pace was terrific. Low threw himself into the struggle which remarkable energy, while McIntosh was strongly in evidence in defending near goal. Lennie and O'Hagan were prominent on the left wing, although, owing to recent injuries, this well-known pair were afraid to rush too much on the hard ground. O'Hagan crossed squarely in front of goal, but Murray could not reach the ball in time, and Aberdeen lost a fairly easy chance of increasing their lead. Dundee were kept on the defensive, and a clever centre by Lennie was caught up by Murray. Laughter met the ball with his head, but struck the leather with his hands before it landed in the net, and the referee disallowed the goal. Then aberdeen's goal had a miraculous escape. Pressing on the left wing, Dundee monopolised to the play for a time. Macfarlane, inside left, tried a snap-shot, and when the Aberdeen goalkeeper was beaten he had the satisfaction of seeing the ball rebounding off the goalpost into the field of play. At the other end of the field Low sent in a fast shot, but Crumley had plenty of time to clear. Play was keen and very exciting up to half-time, when Aberdeen crossed over, leading by one goal to 0.

The second half opened quietly. Dundee were the first to break away, but Aberdeen soon transfer to play to the other end, where a lovely shot from the right went past. Lennie was absent for a few minutes, but soon returned. Good work by Simpson enabled Macdonald to get clear away on the right wing. He crossed right in front of Crumley, and Aberdeen would probably have scored but for the timely intervention of McKenzie. The game veered round in favour of Dundee, who began to show a glimpse of the football and has brought the club to the top of the League table. Their forwards kept the ball on the ground, and altogether were more dangerous than the Aberdeen front rank. The local left wing occasionally broke away, while Simpson and Halkett were responsible for clever work on the right. Dundee, however, were playing the more attractive football, and 5 minutes after the restart the game was equalised. Fraser got the better of Halkett, and subsequently crossed to the centre. McDermott met the ball with his head, the leather ultimately dropping at Hunter's feet. The centre-forward had a clear course for goal, and he easily beat Macfarlane with a low shot. Dundee were almost through again, and continued to maintain the upper hand for a considerable time. The Aberdeen goal had many narrow escapes, and only the smart play of Macfarlane, Colman, and Hume prevented Dundee assuming the lead. Dundee's superiority at this stage was most pronounced, and on play they ought to have been a goal up. O'Hagan and Murray raced down the centre of the field, and after they had beaten the backs, Dainty came to the assistance of his side and cleared. Chaplin was conspicuous for his fine returns - strong and well-timed. The players were evidently feeling the effects of the strain during the first half, for the game slowed down considerably. Arrears chance was lost by Dundee after clever work by McDermott. The inside right drew out the defence and then slipped the ball on to Hunter, but the centre-forward and the inside left got mixed up when either could have scored. Crumley saved a long drive from Simpson at the other end, while Hunter ran right through the Aberdeen defence, but, with only Macfarlane to beat, the centre-forward sent the ball past the outside of the post. Dundee tried every move to get the winning goal, but the Aberdeen defence never faltered. Low and McIntosh work tremendously hard, and were glad to get the ball away at any cost. The excitement round the enclosure was intense, and feeling run very high at times among the players. The referee, however, kept a firm hold of the game. Aberdeen were, for the most part, on the defensive, but Dundee's shooting was weak at times. Macdonald raised the hopes of the home team when he broke away on the right wing. Nearing goal, he crossed beautifully to the left wing. Lennie caught up the pass in a splendid position, but his shot went high over the bar. A goal at this stage would probably have meant a win for Aberdeen. Dundee attacked strongly two wards the end of the game. An exciting tussle in front of goal - during which the ball was headed in and out at least half-a-dozen times - ended in McDermott heading over the bar. The question now was to - Could Aberdeen hold out to the end? A marvellous clearance by Macfarlane close-in the vault rounds of cheering. Webb and hunter were almost under the bar, but the Aberdeen goalkeeper caught the ball away. A rush by Aberdeen was checked by Chaplin - who played superbly throughout the game - and once more the Aberdeen goal was in danger. Try as they could, however, Dundee could not get on the lead. Near the close the light got very bad, and the players could scarcely be distinguished, looking from one end of the field to the other. No further scoring took place, and the game ended - Aberdeen 1 goal, Dundee 1.

The draw was a fair criterion of the run of the play, although Dundee played the better football, but were met by determined opposition. The Aberdeen defence deserve all credit for their fine display in the second half.

The gate and stands realized £398 9s 5d - a record for the ground.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 9th December 1907

Those who do not interest themselves in football, or read the reports of the matches, will probably be surprised at the enormous amount of interest created by the Scottish League match between the Dundee and Aberdeen teams at Pittodrie Park, Aberdeen, on Saturday. For nearly two hours crowds flocked from all directions to the scene of the match, and a special service or no fewer than 32 tramway cars was provided to convey the spectators to the ground. Even this extended service, however, was hopelessly inadequate to cope with the traffic, and thousands of people walked to the ground, while practically every camp in the city was engaged for a time. The sum drawn at the gates of the football ground and for admission to the stands reached a huge total of £398 9s 5d, which the officials state represents an attendance of fully 15,000. This constitutes a record for football in Aberdeen in the matter of drawings, the next highest some having been taken at the Aberdeen v Queen's Park Scottish Cup tie match in January, 1905. On that occasion £348 was drawn. Visitors came into the town from all directions, many taking advantage of the week-end fares by the ordinary trains, although, of course, the great majority came in with the specials. The first large contingent to arrive was that from Elgin and the coast by the ordinary train, which arrived a few minutes before 1 o'clock. There were about 200 extortionists, a special low fare all over the line having been granted by the Great North of Scotland Railway Company. A special run by the Great North was from Peterhead and Fraserburgh, which conveyed about 300 passengers. With regard to the south, two special trains were run from Dundee, both arriving between one and two o'clock. These trains were crowded with enthusiasts from Juteopolis, who had come to cheer the team to victory. It is calculated that, what with railway fares, admission money, fares for street conveyances, and "incidentals," a sum of between 800 and 1000 was spent in connection with a match.
In spite of the excitement which the match created, the Aberdeen police report that the behaviour of the street crowds on Saturday night was remarkably good, the evening being the quietest they have experienced for a considerable time.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 9th December 1907

It is estimated that the Aberdeen Corporation Tramway receipts benefited to the extent of about £40 by the football match at Pittodrie on Saturday.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 10th December 1907

Record Crowd - Poor Football.

Never in the history of local football was there such an en-thusiasm aroused over a game as that between Dundee and Aberdeen last Saturday. If you were not there you can have no idea of the excitement which prevailed. First and foremost, the spectators dumped themselves down at the turnstiles by the thousands at 2:15; previous to that they had been working smoothly. Then the crush began, and it was no easy matter for those in charge of the whirlgigs, and those responsible for order, to keep good humour. The primary cause was the early kick-off; people could not get sooner, and there were hundreds who arrived too late, while not a few, in their impatience, scaled the walls, more from excitement than with a desire to cheat the exchequer. There was a heartfelt sigh of relief on the part of those responsible for guiding in the crowd, who got more threats than thanks for their labours when the crowd were safely housed without any serious accident. It was quite apparent to the novice that the management were taken by surprise at the numbers which turned out to see the game. Hitherto a dozen turnstiles, have easily overtaken the crowds that have patronised the game at Pittodrie, but another half-dozen will be required to meet the same sort of crowd in the near future. But before all this was done the game had commenced, and those outside were soon aware of this by the cheering inside. The attendance proved to be a record one for Aberdeen, the drawings amounting to £398 9s. 6d., which beats the previous Queen's Park cup tie by about £50.

The Game.

The excitement was intense outside the enclosure, and spread itself amongst the players, who signally failed to do themselves justice from a football point of view. Aberdeen were never seen to approach the same high level in play as they were seen on the May holiday against the Celts, nor did Dundee show the fine forward work we saw when they played Queen's Park. In¬dividually and collectively the players failed to give a great exhibition of sustained brilliance. There was a flash now and again, but the shooting was exceptionally wide of the mark. In our opinion Dundee made a bad mess of their finishing work, which compared unfavourably with Aberdeen's. Evidently Aberdeen were well prepared for Dundee's bursting tactics at the start, for the defence collared the ball every time before there was the semblance of danger. Aberdeen's hopes rose when play went towards Crumley, and a splendid header by Halket all but took effect. Where Ecky failed Murray made sure with his foot; in the melee which occurred Tom drove fast and sure into the net. There was just a little too much of the clear at any price after this, until towards the finish of the half O'Hagan planted a beauty in goal, which Murray assisted through with his fist. This was the only mistake Tom made, and it was pardonable in a way; otherwise the goal was a good one, but had to be disallowed for the infringement mentioned. Without leaving the field the teams set off again, this time with more vim. Everybody was taken by surprise when Hunter eluded the defence, and scored a soft goal before minutes had elapsed. There was some spirited runs till the finish, but the defence on each side proved stronger than the attack. Many chances were missed, tricky touches were observed and checked, while the referee administered one or two well-merited rebukes for shady work. All these things in the nature of the game occurred, but there was nothing tangible in the way of scoring, the game ending in semi-darkness with the score 1 goal each.

The Players.

Crumley did well in goal, but his backs in front of him bore the brunt of the attack. Dainty was the star in the middle line, Lee being too unscrupulous in his work to our fancy. A fine forward line who worked well together made it difficult to say who was most prominent, but Tommy McDermott made some lovely openings for Webb and Hunter. Macfarlane we have often seen to better advantage, while Fraser was troubled with nerves. "Rab" gave much the better show as a custodian; what he did get to do was done in his own way. Though not so powerful looking as their opponents, Colman and Hume did everything equally as well as their more experienced rivals. At half our trio were sometimes brilliant; not one was better than the other, and their share in the result was no mean one, Halket and O'Hagan were below their form, due to their both suffering from injuries. Murray was the best of the bunch, while Simpson and Macdonald were a trifle timid. You will find many backing each side as being superior to the other, but on the day's play a draw was a fair index of what occurred.

Chatty Bits.

The great game has come and gone, and everybody seems satisfied with the outcome.
The drawing proved a record, and so did the attendance, and still there was room for more.
Dundee officials were quite satisfied with the result, and their share was something worth going home with.
The divisible gate totalled £324. 13s. 8d., and the stands £73 15s. 10d: a total of £398 9s. 6d.
This would represent, ticket-holders included, an attendance of over 16,000.
There was much anxiety amongst the home officials as to whether Lennie would be able to turn out.
Muir was in readiness, in case of emergency, but was not required.
We suppose the Abercleen officials could be doing with a few more gates like Saturday's before the season closes.
If the team goes on as well as they are doing there is no doubt the public will support them.
Everybody who was anybody was at Pittodrie on Saturday.
City Fathers, ministers, lawyers, busy business men, staid journalists, men of letters, and all sorts were rubbing shoulders with each other.
There will be some difficulty in getting all the men fit for Saturday's game.
The want of good reserve forwards will tell on the success of the team, if any of them are laid aside for a spell.
Macfarlane, of Dundee, is reported to have twisted his knee. on Saturday, and will-be unable to play this week. He may all right by that time.
Had Tommy Murray not touched that ball with his hand, it was through, in our opinion, before the offence happened. Aberdeen would have had a second goal.
To take a point from Dundee just now is regarded, by those -competent to judge, as a great performance.
At this time last year Aberdeen were struggling away further down the table, with little prospect of improvement.
If they keep up their present form their position at the end of the season should not be far off the top lot.

Source: Bon-Accord, 12th December 1907