# 1980–81 Aberdeen F.C. season

Aberdeen competed in the Scottish Premier Division, Scottish Cup, League Cup and European Cup in season 1980–81.

## Overview

Aberdeen finished second in the Scottish Premier Division. The team played in their first-ever European Champions' Cup campaign, defeating Austrian Champions Austria Memphis, then losing 0–5 on aggregate to English club Liverpool. In the domestic cups, they lost in the quarter final of the League Cup to Dundee and were knocked out of the Scottish Cup in the fourth round by Morton.

## Results
### Friendlies

| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| 19 July | B36 Tórshavn | A | 5–1 | Scanlon (2), Jarvie, Watson, McMaster | 0 |
| 22 July | Forres Mechanics | A | 7–1 | Jarvie (3), Scanlon, Watson, McMaster, Cowan | 0 |
| 23 July | Nairn County | A | 5–0 | Scanlon (3), Strachan, Jarvie | 0 |
| 3 August | Arsenal | H | 2–1 | Watson, Miller | 0 |
| 12 August | FC Twente | H | 1–2 | McLeish | 0 |
| 31 August | Joe Harper Select | H | 8–6 | Cowan (2), Strachan, Leighton, Jarvie, Perovic, Dornan, Davidson | 0 |
| 3 May | Dundee | A | 3–0 | Rougvie, Harrow, Davidson | 0 |

### Scottish Premier Division

| Match Day | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| 1. | 9 August | St Mirren | A | 1–0 | Jarvie | 7,067 |
| 2. | 16 August | Dundee United | H | 1–1 | Strachan | 13,729 |
| 3. | 23 August | Airdrieonians | A | 4–0 | Cowan, McGhee, Jarvie, Scanlon | 5,000 |
| 4. | 6 September | Morton | H | 6–0 | Miller, Strachan, McMaster, Scanlon (2), Hewitt | 9,485 |
| 5. | 13 September | Rangers | A | 1–1 | Strachan | 30,000 |
| 6. | 20 September | Partick Thistle | A | 1–0 | McGhee | 6,000 |
| 7. | 27 September | Celtic | H | 2–2 | McGhee, McAdam (Own goal) | 23,000 |
| 8. | 4 October | Heart of Midlothian | A | 1–0 | Rougvie | 10,873 |
| 9. | 11 October | Kilmarnock | H | 2–0 | Jarvie, Scanlon | 11,000 |
| 10. | 18 October | St Mirren | H | 3–2 | McMaster, McGhee (2) | 11,000 |
| 11. | 25 October | Dundee United | A | 3–1 | McGhee, Strachan, Hewitt | 10,043 |
| 12. | 1 November | Airdrieonians | H | 4–1 | McCall (3), McGhee | 9,000 |
| 13. | 8 November | Celtic | A | 2–0 | McCall (2) | 29,000 |
| 14. | 15 November | Partick Thistle | H | 2–1 | Strachan, Bell | 12,000 |
| 15. | 22 November | Kilmarnock | A | 1–1 | McLeish | 3,200 |
| 16. | 6 December | Morton | A | 0–1 | | 5,000 |
| 17. | 13 December | Rangers | H | 2–0 | McGhee, Johnstone (Own goal) | 22,500 |
| 18. | 20 December | Partick Thistle | A | 1–1 | McCall | 4,000 |
| 19. | 27 December | Celtic | H | 4–1 | McCall, McLeish, Miller, Strachan | 24,000 |
| 20. | 30 December | Dundee United | H | 1–1 | Scanlon | 23,000 |
| 21. | 3 January | St Mirren | A | 1–1 | Scanlon | 11,100 |
| 22. | 10 January | Heart of Midlothian | A | 2–0 | McCall, McGhee | 7,999 |
| 23. | 31 January | Rangers | A | 0–1 | | 32,500 |
| 24. | 7 February | Morton | H | 0–1 | | 11,000 |
| 25. | 21 February | Airdrieonians | A | 0–0 | | 2,600 |
| 26. | 28 February | St Mirren | H | 1–2 | Jarvie | 9,500 |
| 27. | 7 March | Heart of Midlothian | H | 4–1 | Hamilton, Angus, McCall, Jarvie | 9,500 |
| 28. | 14 March | Kilmarnock | A | 0–1 | | 2,400 |
| 29. | 28 March | Celtic | A | 1–1 | Harrow | 35,200 |
| 30. | 1 April | Partick Thistle | H | 3–1 | McLeish, Simpson, McGhee | 8,000 |
| 31. | 4 April | Morton | A | 3–1 | Simpson, McGhee, Rougvie | 4,500 |
| 32. | 11 April | Heart of Midlothian | H | 1–0 | Rougvie | 5,600 |
| 33. | 18 April | Airdrieonians | H | 3–0 | McCall, McGhee (2) | 7,000 |
| 34. | 22 April | Rangers | H | 0–0 | | 15,000 |
| 35. | 25 April | Dundee United | A | 0–0 | | 6,369 |
| 36. | 2 May | Kilmarnock | H | 0–2 | | 6,300 |

#### Final standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Celtic (C) | 36 | 26 | 4 | 6 | 84 | 37 | +47 | 56 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 36 | 19 | 11 | 6 | 61 | 26 | +35 | 49 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Rangers | 36 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 60 | 32 | +28 | 44 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 4 | St Mirren | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 56 | 47 | +9 | 44 | |
| 5 | Dundee United | 36 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 66 | 42 | +24 | 43 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |

### Drybrough Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| QF | 26 July | Airdrieonians | H | 4–1 | Scanlon (3), Watson (2) | 0 |
| SF | 30 July | Morton | A | 4–2 | Scanlon (2), Strachan, McGhee | |
| Final | 2 August | St Mirren | N | 2–1 | Jarvie, Cowan | 8,000 |

### Scottish League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R2 L1 | 27 August | Berwick Rangers | H | 8–1 | Watson (2), McGhee (3), Jarvie (2), Bell | 7,570 |
| R2 L2 | 30 August | Berwick Rangers | A | 4–1 | de Clerck, Kennedy, Strachan, Hewitt | 1,188 |
| R3 L1 | 3 September | Rangers | A | 0–1 | | 30,000 |
| R3 L2 | 24 September | Rangers | H | 3–1 | Strachan (2), McMaster | 23,926 |
| QF L1 | 8 October | Dundee | A | 0–0 | | 10,500 |
| QF L2 | 29 October | Dundee | H | 0–1 | | 14,060 |

### Scottish Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R3 | 24 January | Raith Rovers | A | 2–1 | Jarvie | 10,000 |
| R4 | 14 February | Morton | A | 0–1 | | 8,350 |

### European Champions' Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R1 L1 | 17 September | Austria Memphis | H | 1–0 | McGhee | 20,000 |
| R1 L2 | 1 October | Austria Memphis | A | 0–0 | | 37,000 |
| R2 L1 | 22 October | Liverpool | H | 0–1 | | 24,000 |
| R2 L2 | 5 November | Liverpool | A | 0–4 | | 36,182 |

## 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 |
| | GK | BEL | Marc de Clerck | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | GK | SCO | Jim Leighton | 46 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Doug Considine | 14 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Willie Garner | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Andy Harrow | 11 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Stuart Kennedy | 41 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Alex McLeish | 43 | 3 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Willie Miller (c) | 44 | 2 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Doug Rougvie | 38 | 3 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Ian Angus | 20 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Dougie Bell | 29 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Neale Cooper | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Steve Cowan | 9 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Duncan Davidson | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Andy Dornan | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Derek Hamilton | 9 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | John McMaster | 17 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Steve Morrison | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Ian Scanlon | 45 | 6 | 35 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Neil Simpson | 16 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Gordon Strachan | 30 | 9 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Andy Watson | 42 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Drew Jarvie | 31 | 9 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Walker McCall | 21 | 10 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Mark McGhee | 47 | 17 | 36 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| | FW | SCO | Joe Harper | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | John Hewitt | 28 | 3 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 |

### Unofficial Appearances & Goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Drybrough Cup | Drybrough Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals |
| | GK | SCO | Jim Leighton | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Willie Miller (c) | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Stuart Kennedy | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Alex McLeish | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Doug Rougvie | 2 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Ian Scanlon | 3 | 5 |
| | MF | SCO | Andy Watson | 3 | 1 |
| | MF | SCO | Gordon Strachan | 3 | 1 |
| | MF | SCO | John McMaster | 3 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Dougie Bell | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Drew Jarvie | 3 | 1 |
| | FW | SCO | Steve Cowan | 3 | 1 |
| | FW | SCO | Mark McGhee | 3 | 1 |
| | FW | SCO | John Hewitt | 2 | 0 |