# 1985–86 Aberdeen F.C. season

Aberdeen competed in the Scottish Premier Division, Scottish Cup, League Cup and European Champions' Cup in season 1985–86.

## Overview

Aberdeen finished fourth in the Scottish Premier Division and won the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup. In Europe, they reached the quarter finals of the Champions' Cup but lost out to IFK Gothenburg on the away goals rule.
Frank McDougall finished the season as Aberdeen's top scorer with 14 goals in the league and 20 overall, including all four goals in a 4–1 win over Celtic in November.

## Results
### Scottish Premier Division

| Match Day | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| 1. | 10 August | Hibernian | H | 3–0 | McDougall (2), Bett | 14,846 |
| 2. | 17 August | Dundee United | A | 1–1 | McKimmie | 14,339 |
| 3. | 24 August | Motherwell | H | 1–1 | McKimmie | 14,059 |
| 4. | 31 August | Dundee | A | 3–1 | Simpson, Stark (2) | 7,592 |
| 5. | 7 September | Heart of Midlothian | H | 3–0 | Stark, Black, Wright | 12,300 |
| 6. | 14 September | Celtic | A | 1–2 | McDougall | 39,450 |
| 7. | 21 September | St Mirren | H | 1–1 | McQueen | 12,585 |
| 8. | 28 September | Rangers | A | 3–0 | Stark, McLeish, Hewitt | 27,599 |
| 9. | 5 October | Clydebank | H | 3–1 | McKimmie, Black, McDougall | 11,399 |
| 10. | 12 October | Hibernian | A | 1–1 | Gray | 10,377 |
| 11. | 19 October | Dundee United | H | 3–2 | McDougall, Hewitt (2) | 15,148 |
| 12. | 30 October | Heart of Midlothian | A | 0–1 | | 12,866 |
| 13. | 2 November | Celtic | H | 4–1 | McDougall (4) | 23,000 |
| 14. | 9 November | Dundee | H | 4–1 | Stark (2), McLeish, McDougall | 12,800 |
| 15. | 16 November | Motherwell | A | 1–1 | McDougall | 4,960 |
| 16. | 23 November | St Mirren | A | 0–1 | | 5,930 |
| 17. | 12 December | Clydebank | A | 1–2 | Black | 2,095 |
| 18. | 14 December | Hibernian | H | 4–0 | McLeish, Angus, J. Miller, Weir | 11,819 |
| 19. | 21 December | Dundee United | A | 1–2 | Stark | 10,085 |
| 20. | 1 January | Dundee | A | 0–0 | | 9,096 |
| 21. | 4 January | St Mirren | H | 3–1 | Black (2), Weir | 11,500 |
| 22. | 11 January | Celtic | A | 1–1 | J. Miller | 31,305 |
| 23. | 18 January | Heart of Midlothian | H | 0–1 | | 21,500 |
| 24. | 1 February | Rangers | A | 1–1 | J. Miller | 29,887 |
| 25. | 8 February | Clydebank | H | 4–1 | Black (3), Bett | 11,000 |
| 26. | 19 February | Rangers | H | 1–0 | Angus | 18,700 |
| 27. | 22 February | Hibernian | A | 1–0 | Wright | 9,500 |
| 28. | 15 March | St Mirren | A | 1–1 | W. Miller | 4,448 |
| 29. | 22 March | Dundee | H | 0–0 | | 13,013 |
| 30. | 29 March | Motherwell | A | 1–0 | Hewitt | 4,597 |
| 31. | 9 April | Motherwell | H | 3–2 | McDougall, Bett, Weir | 10,300 |
| 32. | 12 April | Celtic | H | 0–1 | | 22,000 |
| 33. | 16 April | Dundee United | H | 0–1 | | 8,500 |
| 34. | 20 April | Heart of Midlothian | A | 1–1 | Weir | 19,047 |
| 35. | 26 April | Rangers | H | 1–1 | Hewitt | 17,000 |
| 36. | 3 May | Clydebank | A | 6–0 | Stark, Hewitt, McDougall (2), McMaster, Weir | 2,382 |

#### Final standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 2 | Heart of Midlothian | 36 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 59 | 33 | +26 | 50 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Dundee United | 36 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 59 | 31 | +28 | 47 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 36 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 62 | 31 | +31 | 44 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 5 | Rangers | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 53 | 45 | +8 | 35 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 6 | Dundee | 36 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 45 | 51 | −6 | 35 | |

### Scottish League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R2 | 21 August | Ayr United | H | 5–0 | McQueen, Stark (2), McDougall (2) | 12,400 |
| R3 | 28 August | St Johnstone | A | 2–0 | Hewitt, McDougall | 5,100 |
| QF | 4 September | Heart of Midlothian | H | 1–0 | Black | 13,100 |
| SF L1 | 25 September | Dundee United | A | 1–0 | Black | 12,837 |
| SF L2 | 9 October | Dundee United | H | 1–0 | McDougall | 20,000 |
| F | 27 October | Hibernian | N | 3–0 | Stark, Black (2) | 40,061 |

### Scottish Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R3 | 5 February | Montrose | H | 4–1 | Stark, McLeish, W. Miller, McDougall | 9,000 |
| R4 | 15 February | Arbroath | A | 1–0 | J. Miller | 6,017 |
| R5 | 8 March | Dundee | A | 2–2 | Hewitt (2) | 13,188 |
| R5 R | 12 March | Dundee | H | 2–1 | Black, Weir | 21,000 |
| SF | 5 April | Hibernian | N | 3–0 | Stark, Black, J. Miller | 19,165 |
| F | 10 May | Heart of Midlothian | N | 3–0 | Hewitt (2), Stark | 62,841 |

### European Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R1 L1 | 18 September | Akranes | A | 3–1 | Stark, Black, Hewitt | 7,000 |
| R1 L2 | 2 October | Akranes | H | 4–1 | Gray, Simpson, Hewitt, Falconer | 14,700 |
| R2 L1 | 23 October | Servette | A | 0–0 | | 8,000 |
| R2 L2 | 6 November | Servette | H | 1–0 | McDougall | 19,000 |
| QF L1 | 5 March | Gothenburg | H | 2–2 | W. Miller, Hewitt | 20,000 |
| QF L2 | 19 March | Gothenburg | A | 0–0 | | 20,000 |

## 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 | SCO | Bryan Gunn | 13 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | GK | SCO | Jim Leighton | 41 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Brian Irvine | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Tommy McIntyre | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Stewart McKimmie | 51 | 3 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Alex McLeish | 52 | 4 | 34 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Tommy McQueen | 23 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Willie Miller (c) | 51 | 3 | 33 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| | DF | SCO | Brian Mitchell | 32 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Ian Robertson | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Ian Angus | 26 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Jim Bett | 37 | 3 | 24 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Neale Cooper | 38 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Stevie Gray | 21 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| | MF | SCO | John McMaster | 9 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Joe Miller | 22 | 5 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Ian Porteous | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Neil Simpson | 36 | 2 | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| | MF | SCO | Billy Stark | 46 | 15 | 30 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| | MF | SCO | Peter Weir | 32 | 6 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Eric Black | 39 | 15 | 26 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| | FW | SCO | Willie Falconer | 10 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | FW | SCO | John Hewitt | 38 | 14 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| | FW | SCO | Frank McDougall | 39 | 20 | 26 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| | FW | SCO | Paul Wright | 14 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |