# 1991–92 Aberdeen F.C. season

Aberdeen F.C. competed in the Scottish Premier Division, Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup and UEFA Cup in the 1991–92 season.

## Overview

After the disappointment of losing the league championship on the final day of the previous season, Aberdeen began with four Premier Division victories. The early promise of the season was ended when the Dons lost at home to Airdrieonians in the League Cup. A few weeks later, co-manager Jocky Scott resigned in order to become manager of Dunfermline, leaving Alex Smith as sole manager.
Following Scott's departure, Aberdeen's season rapidly fell apart. In the UEFA Cup, Aberdeen lost at home and away to Danish club Boldklubben 1903 in the first round. A run of seventeen league games which yielded just three victories between November and February cost manager Alex Smith his job as he became the first Aberdeen manager ever to be sacked, with the club dangerously close to the relegation zone. His successor, club legend Willie Miller, managed to revitalise the team and had them in contention for a UEFA Cup spot until the last day of the season, but a loss to league champions Rangers resulted in Aberdeen missing out on European football for the first time in 15 years. In the Scottish Cup, Aberdeen lost at home in the third round to Rangers. Eoin Jess finished as the top scorer with 12 goals. Major signings included Finnish striker Mixu Paatelainen from Dundee United and Theo ten Caat, who became the fifth Dutch player to join the club in recent years.

## Results
### Scottish Premier Division

| Match Day | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| 1 | 10 August | Airdrieonians | A | 2–1 | Irvine, Gillhaus | 6,337 |
| 2 | 14 August | Falkirk | A | 1–0 | Booth | 8,462 |
| 3 | 17 August | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 3–0 | Grant, Bett, Jess | 13,849 |
| 4 | 24 August | Celtic | H | 1–0 | Gillhaus | 20,503 |
| 5 | 31 August | Dundee United | A | 0–0 | | 11,961 |
| 6 | 7 September | St Johnstone | H | 1–2 | van de Ven | 12,071 |
| 7 | 14 September | Motherwell | A | 1–0 | Gillhaus | 6,452 |
| 8 | 21 September | Hibernian | H | 1–1 | Grant | 11,850 |
| 9 | 28 September | Rangers | A | 2–0 | Grant, Jess | 36,330 |
| 10 | 5 October | St Mirren | H | 4–1 | Grant, Mason, Irvine, Ten Caat | 10,154 |
| 11 | 9 October | Heart of Midlothian | A | 0–1 | | 15,569 |
| 12 | 12 October | Airdrieonians | H | 3–1 | Ten Caat, Jess (2) | 8,998 |
| 13 | 18 October | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 0–0 | | 5,157 |
| 14 | 26 October | St Johnstone | A | 3–1 | van de Ven, Jess Mason | 5,682 |
| 15 | 30 October | Motherwell | H | 3–1 | Winnie, Mason, Gillhaus | 9,092 |
| 16 | 2 November | Dundee United | H | 0–1 | | 13,728 |
| 17 | 9 November | Celtic | A | 1–2 | Jess | 36,837 |
| 18 | 16 November | St Mirren | A | 1–0 | Own goal | 3,634 |
| 19 | 20 November | Heart of Midlothian | H | 0–2 | | 15,337 |
| 20 | 23 November | Hibernian | A | 0–1 | | 8,942 |
| 21 | 30 November | Falkirk | H | 1–1 | Gillhaus | 10,614 |
| 22 | 4 December | Rangers | H | 2–3 | Irvine, Ten Caat | 20,081 |
| 23 | 7 December | Airdrieonians | A | 0–2 | | 3,071 |
| 24 | 14 December | St Johnstone | H | 4–1 | Grant, Booth, Jess, Roddie | 9,292 |
| 25 | 28 December | Celtic | H | 2–2 | Jess, Ten Caat | 20,442 |
| 26 | 1 January | Dundee United | A | 0–4 | | 7,777 |
| 27 | 4 January | St Mirren | H | 0–0 | | 8,774 |
| 28 | 11 January | Heart of Midlothian | A | 4–0 | Mason, Booth, Jess (2) | 16,291 |
| 29 | 14 January | Motherwell | A | 3–3 | Kane, Jess, Roddie | 5,221 |
| 30 | 18 January | Falkirk | A | 2–2 | Mason, Booth | 5,122 |
| 31 | 1 February | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 1–1 | Jess | 7,549 |
| 32 | 8 February | Hibernian | H | 0–1 | | 9,568 |
| 33 | 25 February | Rangers | A | 0–0 | | 38,519 |
| 34 | 29 February | St Mirren | A | 2–0 | Smith, Mason | 3,853 |
| 35 | 14 March | Celtic | A | 0–1 | | 29,380 |
| 36 | 18 March | Heart of Midlothian | H | 2–0 | Mason, Ten Caat | 10,581 |
| 37 | 21 March | Dundee United | H | 0–2 | | 10,350 |
| 38 | 28 March | Airdrieonians | H | 1–0 | Irvine | 6,805 |
| 39 | 4 April | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 0–0 | | 3,033 |
| 40 | 8 April | St Johnstone | A | 0–0 | | 4,524 |
| 41 | 11 April | Motherwell | H | 2–0 | Grant, Kane | 6,902 |
| 42 | 18 April | Hibernian | A | 1–1 | Paatelainen | 6,777 |
| 43 | 25 April | Falkirk | H | 1–1 | Booth | 6,461 |
| 44 | 2 May | Rangers | H | 0–2 | | 16,580 |

#### Final standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 4 | Dundee United | 44 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 66 | 50 | +16 | 51 | |
| 5 | Hibernian | 44 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 53 | 45 | +8 | 49 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 6 | Aberdeen | 44 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 55 | 42 | +13 | 48 | |
| 7 | Airdrieonians | 44 | 13 | 10 | 21 | 50 | 70 | −20 | 36 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 8 | St Johnstone | 44 | 13 | 10 | 21 | 52 | 73 | −21 | 36 | |

### Scottish League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R2 | 21 August | Clyde | A | 4–0 | Winnie, Grant, van de Ven, Booth | 2,107 |
| R3 | 28 August | Airdrieonians | H | 0–1 | | 13,000 |

### Scottish Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R3 | 22 January | Rangers | H | 0–1 | | 23,000 |

### UEFA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R1 L1 | 18 September | Boldklubben 1903 | H | 0–1 | | 13,000 |
| R1 L2 | 2 October | Boldklubben 1903 | A | 0–2 | | 5,237 |

## Squad
### Appearances and 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 | 43 | 1 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Scott Booth | 38 | 6 | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Ian Cameron | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Bobby Connor | 13 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Graeme Ferguson | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Andy Gibson | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | NED | Hans Gillhaus | 33 | 5 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Brian Grant | 38 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Mark Humphries | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Brian Irvine | 38 | 4 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Eoin Jess | 44 | 12 | 39 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Paul Kane | 26 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Paul Mason | 32 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Stewart McKimmie | 44 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Alex McLeish (c) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | FIN | Mixu Paatelainen | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Andy Roddie | 11 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Gary Smith | 16 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | GK | NED | Theo Snelders | 47 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | NED | Theo ten Caat | 32 | 5 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | MF | NED | Peter van de Ven | 26 | 3 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | NED | Willem van der Ark | 22 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Graham Watson | 14 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Gregg Watson | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | GK | SCO | Michael Watt | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | David Winnie | 31 | 2 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Stephen Wright | 27 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |