# 1990–91 Aberdeen F.C. season

Aberdeen F.C. competed in the Scottish Premier Division, Scottish League Cup, Scottish Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup in season 1990–91.

## Overview

The 1990–91 season finished on a low note for Aberdeen, as they led the championship going into the final day of the season but lost to Rangers, which gave the opposition the league title. Aberdeen's defence of the Scottish Cup ended at the first hurdle when eventual winners Motherwell defeated them at Pittodrie in January 1991. In the League Cup, Aberdeen lost to Rangers in the semi-final, while in the European Cup Winners' Cup, they lost at the second round stage to Polish club Legia Warsaw. Hans Gillhaus and Eoin Jess finished as joint top scorers with 15 goals each.

## Results
### Scottish Premier Division

| Match Day | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| 1 | 25 August | Hibernian | H | 2–0 | Connor, Gillhaus | 15,500 |
| 2 | 1 September | Celtic | A | 3–0 | Connor, Gillhaus, Mason | 45,222 |
| 3 | 8 September | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 1–1 | D. Robertson | 10,200 |
| 4 | 15 September | Dundee United | H | 1–1 | Bett | 15,500 |
| 5 | 22 September | St Mirren | H | 2–1 | Irvine, Bett | 12,500 |
| 6 | 29 September | St Johnstone | A | 0–5 | | 8,711 |
| 7 | 6 October | Rangers | H | 0–0 | | 24,000 |
| 8 | 13 October | Motherwell | A | 0–0 | | 6,602 |
| 9 | 20 October | Heart of Midlothian | H | 3–0 | Grant, Bett, Gillhaus | 14,800 |
| 10 | 27 October | Hibernian | A | 1–1 | Gillhaus | 10,500 |
| 11 | 3 November | Celtic | H | 3–0 | Jess (2), Gillhaus | 21,500 |
| 12 | 10 November | St Mirren | A | 4–0 | Jess, Gillhaus, Grant, C. Robertson | 7,638 |
| 13 | 17 November | St Johnstone | H | 0–0 | | 16,000 |
| 14 | 24 November | Dundee United | A | 3–2 | Jess (3) | 12,344 |
| 15 | 1 December | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 3–2 | Irvine, Mason, Gillhaus | 12,000 |
| 16 | 8 December | Heart of Midlothian | A | 0–1 | | 9,811 |
| 17 | 15 December | Motherwell | H | 1–1 | Jess | 9,500 |
| 18 | 22 December | Rangers | A | 2–2 | Bett | 37,998 |
| 19 | 26 December | St Mirren | H | 1–0 | Jess | 8,755 |
| 20 | 2 January | Dundee United | H | 0–1 | | 19,000 |
| 21 | 5 January | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 4–1 | Jess (4) | 7,422 |
| 22 | 12 January | Hibernian | H | 2–0 | Cameron, Booth | 13,500 |
| 23 | 19 January | Celtic | A | 0–1 | | 18,187 |
| 24 | 2 February | Heart of Midlothian | H | 5–0 | Booth (2), Connor, Gillhaus, Mason | 9,500 |
| 25 | 13 February | St Johnstone | A | 1–0 | Booth | 7,046 |
| 26 | 2 March | Rangers | H | 1–0 | Gillhaus | 22,500 |
| 27 | 5 March | Motherwell | A | 2–0 | Wright, Bett | 5,567 |
| 28 | 13 March | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 0–0 | | 10,400 |
| 29 | 23 March | Dundee United | A | 2–1 | van der Ark, Gillhaus | 10,643 |
| 30 | 30 March | Hibernian | A | 4–2 | Booth, Gillhaus (3) | 7,400 |
| 31 | 6 April | Celtic | H | 1–0 | Jess | 22,500 |
| 32 | 13 April | Heart of Midlothian | A | 4–1 | McKimmie, Connor (2), Gillhaus | 16,771 |
| 33 | 20 April | Motherwell | H | 3–0 | van der Ark (2), Connor | 14,500 |
| 34 | 27 April | St Mirren | A | 1–0 | Bett | 8,513 |
| 35 | 4 May | St Johnstone | H | 2–1 | Booth, van der Ark | 18,000 |
| 36 | 11 May | Rangers | A | 0–2 | | 37,652 |

#### Final standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Rangers (C) | 36 | 24 | 7 | 5 | 62 | 23 | +39 | 55 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 36 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 62 | 27 | +35 | 53 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Celtic | 36 | 17 | 7 | 12 | 52 | 38 | +14 | 41 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Dundee United | 36 | 17 | 7 | 12 | 41 | 29 | +12 | 41 | |
| 5 | Heart of Midlothian | 36 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 48 | 55 | −7 | 35 | |

### Scottish League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R2 | 21 August | Queen's Park | A | 2–1 | Jess, Bett | 2,201 |
| R3 | 29 August | Stranraer | H | 4–0 | Irvine, Van de Ven, Mason (2) | 10,000 |
| QF | 5 September | Heart of Midlothian | H | 3–0 | Van de Ven, Bett, Mason | 15,500 |
| SF | 26 September | Rangers | N | 0–1 | | 40,855 |

### Scottish Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R3 | 26 January | Motherwell | H | 0–1 | | 15,000 |

### European Cup Winners' Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R1 L1 | 19 September | New Salamis | A | 2–0 | Mason, Gillhaus | 7,000 |
| R1 L2 | 3 October | New Salamis | H | 3–0 | Own goal, C. Robertson, Jess | 7,500 |
| R2 L1 | 24 October | Legia Warsaw | H | 0–0 | | 16,000 |
| R2 L2 | 7 November | Legia Warsaw | A | 0–1 | | 5,665 |

## Squad
### Appearances & Goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Premier Division | Premier Division | Scottish Cup | Scottish Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Europe | Europe |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | MF | SCO | Jim Bett | 44 | 9 | 36 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Scott Booth | 22 | 6 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Ian Cameron | 12 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Bobby Connor | 37 | 6 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| | GK | WAL | Andy Dibble | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Lee Gardner | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | NED | Hans Gillhaus | 43 | 15 | 35 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| | MF | SCO | Brian Grant | 39 | 2 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Brian Irvine | 38 | 3 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Eoin Jess | 35 | 15 | 27 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| | MF | ENG | Paul Mason | 35 | 7 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| | DF | SCO | Stewart McKimmie | 33 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Alex McLeish (c) | 41 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Willie Miller (c) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Craig Robertson | 11 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| | DF | SCO | David Robertson | 44 | 1 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Ian Robertson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | GK | NED | Theo Snelders | 28 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | MF | NED | Peter van de Ven | 41 | 2 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| | FW | NED | Willem van der Ark | 11 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Gregg Watson | 9 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | GK | SCO | Michael Watt | 12 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Stephen Wright | 19 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |