Topic: Naming the six training pitches

[LA-Don]

So, Scott, Jess, Cooper, Miller, Harper, and Leighton. Interesting choices, definitely a popularity contest for some, a little surprised by Jess and maybe even Leighton. But then again, can’t really say who I’d replace them with.

[TheDeeDon]

So, Scott, Jess, Cooper, Miller, Harper, and Leighton. Interesting choices, definitely a popularity contest for some, a little surprised by Jess and maybe even Leighton. But then again, can’t really say who I’d replace them with.

Leighton was the only surprise for me, but you cannot argue with his service to the club and he was an excellent keeper for us.

Jess is deserving for his talent, a sublime player, possibly the most talented player I have ever seen come through the ranks and who had the misfortune to be around for some of the worst players in AFC history in the later part of his Dons career.

[rocket_scientist]

Jess is deserving for his talent, a sublime player, possibly the most talented player I have ever seen come through the ranks and who had the misfortune to be around for some of the worst players in AFC history.

That's not my opinion. He played with some of the very best AFC footballers. The best central defence without question in Miller and McLeish. The best left back in Davie Robertson. The mercurial Hans Gilhaus was equally sublime. He and Eoin used to bang in goals for fun. Without looking back at his regular teammates, I don't remember many duds. Charlie Nicholas was supreme, Jim Bett was arguably the best footballer we ever had and for me the 1990/91 season was the best footballing side Pittodrie has ever seen.

Edit: just looked back at the records. You're right. He played with some shit in his last few years but when he broke through as a teenager, he was playing with some of the best.

[manc_don]

Opening is live on youtube later today:



And RedTV

[Madbadteacher]

I would have liked to see one named for Bobby Clark or Ally Shewan.
I guess the demographic of voters is significantly younger than I

[Elgindon]

I would have liked to see one named for Bobby Clark or Ally Shewan.
I guess the demographic of voters is significantly younger than I

with you on the Bobby Clark vote.Ally Shewans an unusual name to be on the list.Long service aye,but in a mostly poor Dons era

[Ten Caat]

I've always said that once the stadium is built, the  4 stands would be named thus....Mainer (The Gothenburg Greats)…...opposite side (Sir Alex Stand.....of which he will be pwoud, vewy pwoud)…...home end (Willie Miller Stand) and away end (Donald Stand although wouldn't surprise me if it was the Wiggy Stand alternatively)

When Miller gets his stand I think his pitch would go to another deserving case. Clark has got the youth academy named after him.....there's probably a few deserving cases and Id have no problem if Shewan got the pitch

[LA-Don]

with you on the Bobby Clark vote.Ally Shewans an unusual name to be on the list.Long service aye,but in a mostly poor Dons era

I though Clark wouldn't get a pitch since he got the academy named after him. Would be weird to have your name on multiple things.

[TheDeeDon]

That's not my opinion. He played with some of the very best AFC footballers. The best central defence without question in Miller and McLeish. The best left back in Davie Robertson. The mercurial Hans Gilhaus was equally sublime. He and Eoin used to bang in goals for fun. Without looking back at his regular teammates, I don't remember many duds. Charlie Nicholas was supreme, Jim Bett was arguably the best footballer we ever had and for me the 1990/91 season was the best footballing side Pittodrie has ever seen.

Edit: just looked back at the records. You're right. He played with some shit in his last few years but when he broke through as a teenager, he was playing with some of the best.

I amended my post as I should have said the later part of his Dons career as we well know he had some cracking players around him when he broke through.

[DantheDon]

I know a lot of you saying that Jess is a surprise but as a younger (ish) supporter him and Leighton are the only two on this list I actually remember playing for Aberdeen. Maybe that's why Jess is on there because it makes it more relevant to my generation.

[Ten Caat]

Any player that was part of a side to win us a trophy in my opinion automatically gains club legendary status. Some may "taint" their reputations later on (mainly by joining one of the arse cheeks in whatever capacity/becoming an utter cock in character) but their legendary status should never be removed.

Guys like me lucky enough to remember the golden era stretching from Ally MacLeod's reign through to the end of the Smith/Scott era were spoilt. Virtually any player in that era had a reasonable call to have a pitch named after him but obviously the Gothenburg team will be revered as the ultimate side in all our history. If you were born later I can understand why guys more relevant to your era would gain your support. Jess, therefore should not really be a surprise to anyone. He was without doubt the best home grown player in the time he was with us. There is no doubt that had he been 10 years older he would have been in the Gothenburg squad ahead of Hewitt....maybe Black too but that would be a bit more up for debate.

Bottom line is.....every player who has received the honour of a pitch being named after him fully deserves the accolade

[TheDeeDon]

Looking at the photos it is clear the weather will be shit out at Westhill in the Winter months and have been surprised we didn't build an indoor training pitch at the site. I dont think a breeze block structure around one of the pitches would have cost that much and appears to be short sited.

Milnes speach was awful. Bad enough him being Chairman, but does he really have to speak. He clearly hates us fans.

For the record the training facility should have been named Teddy Scott Park in my opinion as our greatest ever club servant.

[Garlogie_Granite]

Looking at the photos it is clear the weather will be shit out at Westhill in the Winter months

[Ten Caat]

Looking at the photos it is clear the weather will be shit out at Westhill in the Winter months and have been surprised we didn't build an indoor training pitch at the site. I dont think a breeze block structure around one of the pitches would have cost that much and appears to be short sited.

I'm sure I read that they do intend to do so as phase 3....after the stadium is built. IIRC they just wanted to get the training ground up and running as quick as possible without running into further planning application difficulties. As I said on another thread.....there are height restrictions imposed on the whole site. I agree another million on top of the final cost of phase 1 would have enabled us to do it but it might have given the W.A.N.K.S more ammo in their quest to have had the whole project abandoned

[TheDeeDon]

I'm sure I read that they do intend to do so as phase 3....after the stadium is built. IIRC they just wanted to get the training ground up and running as quick as possible without running into further planning application difficulties. As I said on another thread.....there are height restrictions imposed on the whole site. I agree another million on top of the final cost of phase 1 would have enabled us to do it but it might have given the W.A.N.K.S more ammo in their quest to have had the whole project abandoned

I suspect it was all down to doing things on the cheap, I doubt it would have taken a million to do it, I would imagine around £300k, I think the objection is to the stadium and I cannot blame them as a stupid place to have it, but I'm happy we have the training facility, but just seems another lack of vision from Milne, you either do these things properly or you don't bother.

[donsdaft]

They can train where they bloody like, an indoor pitch is an obvious necessity.

When Aberdeen Football Club play matches though, they play at Pittodrie.

[rocket_scientist]

According to Cormack on the radio today "we have a strategy, a vision and a plan". If he said it once he said it a hunner times.

Newsflash. Corporate management consultancy type spik doesn't work. It has to be based on passion, focus and belief. It's all bollocks and it won't change the direction of the ship, which has been heading to Port Bollocks for many years.

[Slim]

Naming one of the pitches after Willie Miller to me looks like they’re not expecting to have to think about naming stands at the stadium for a very long time.

If they had to squeeze all their funding avenues just to get the training facilities done, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the stadium being quietly pushed to the background.

[Garlogie_Granite]

If they had to squeeze all their funding avenues just to get the training facilities done, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the stadium being quietly pushed to the background.

Already back to 2023, I fear this may be starting to happen already

[Garlogie_Granite]

I doubt it would have taken a million to do it, I would imagine around £300k

go on then, show us yer workings?