From todays record.

 

QUOTE

Former Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood opens his heart on his exit from Pittodrie.

 

I knew there was a problem when people at Pittodrie changed towards me. Instead of coming around my office, they stayed away and avoided me in the corridors.

 

For instance, I hadn't spoken a word to the managing director, Duncan Fraser - a guy I used to go for a drink with - for two months.

 

And I knew that two directors were plotting behind my back to get me out. After the worst result in my career, the defeat by Queen of the South in the Scottish Cup semi-final last season, I'm certain one of them briefed the media that I was a dead man walking.

 

When we were knocked out the same competition by Dunfermline this season, this director never said anything to my face but told others we had to qualify for Europe or I would be sacked.

 

The other director ludicrously claimed the inconsistent results were caused by a lack of fitness.

 

LastTuesday, with the rumour mill in full flow, I asked for a meeting with chairman Stewart Milne to clear the air and tell him what was going on.

 

The great Rinus Michels once said to me that if there is a cancer within the club, you must cut it out. But within a minute, I knew there was a serious problem because he was not 100 per cent behind me.

 

He complained I was too critical of the players, that I changed the team too much and thatsometimes he couldn't understand my tactics.

 

Progress

 

I told him any criticism of the players had been said to their faces before I went to the media and they didn't have any problem and that teams and tactics were picked to suit the opposition and win games.

 

Surprisingly, Willie Miller also said he couldn't understand what I was trying to do in certain games and he mentioned a cup tie at Tannadice.

 

This was the one in which we trailed 2-0 at half-time and came back to win 3-2 so I must have done something right. As Aberdeen manager, I tried to win every match and won a lot more than I lost.

 

We have been top six every season, finished third once and fourth twice and qualified for Europe twice which I believe is real progress. We also made a £700,000 profit in the transfer market.

 

Our last campaign in Europe was a wonderful adventure that lifted everyone associated with the club and generated record turnover and a £2.7million profit.

 

By comparison, our record in the domestic cups was really poor and that is where I have been judged.

 

I always felt I was just one bad cup result away from the sack and that is no way to operate when your board isn't fully behind you.

 

The chairman said there was a board meeting the following day when my position would be discussed.

 

I said there was no need for a board meeting, it was his club and just get the severance cheques written.

 

When your bosses doubt your ability and your methods, it's time to go. It was all done very calmly. There was no shouting match but I still felt gutted that my five-year reign at Pittodrie was over. It was a sore one. My pride was hurt because I'd never been in this position before where my employers questioned if I was the right man to take the club forward.

 

They felt they couldn't sell enough season-tickets and that corporate hospitality would suffer if I stayed on. Fair enough, that was their decision.

 

But I insisted this be kept away from the players in case it affected them before the match with Hibs and cost the club a place in Europe.

 

The next few days were like walking through a minefield. Staff kept asking about contracts, pre-season plans, squad numbers and a thousand other things and I felt like a fraud because I couldn't give them an honest answer.

 

But everything worked out.

 

We beat Hibs with a superb performance to qualify for the Europa League and Jimmy Nicholl, Sandy Clark and I walked away with our heads held high.

 

Face to face, the fans were brilliant with me apart from the night a bunch of kids came to my house. My wife thought they'd come to get autographs but they were there to have a go at me.

 

It was the faceless cowards who went on to websites and phone-ins that did the real damage. Fan power is a new phenomenon in the game and every manager in the SPL, apart from Craig Levein and Billy Reid, have had to put up with unwarranted abuse.

 

I am proud of my record at Aberdeen considering the state the club was in when we arrived. There was little money to spend because of debts run up by previous managers.

 

Real quality such as Scott Severin, Stevie Crawford, Jamie Langfield, Lee Miller, Gary McDonald, Mark Kerr, Jamie Smith and Craig Brewster was brought in on free transfers.

 

Healthier

 

We also got Sone Aluko for a bargain fee and the kid, along with Miller and Langfield, will eventually go on to earn the club millions.

 

It's satisfying to me that the players who left, Russell Anderson, Markus Heikkinen, Kevin McNaughton, Michael Hart and Chrissie Clark, are all playing at a higher level.

 

I often dream that if they'd all stayed, we might even have had a team capable of winning the league. But that could never happen and never will because Aberdeen, like every other club in Scotland except Celtic, have to sell their best players.

 

Aberdeen is in a much healthier condition than the day I arrived and it was the same story at Dunfermline. My successor will take over a team with the basics in place and a youth system producing talent such as Peter Pawlett.

 

I don't know what the future holds. I could have gone to England twice but didn't believe the clubs there were as big as Aberdeen and there were opportunities to return to Holland.

 

I plan to go and watch Manchester United, Barcelona and Arsenal train and expand my knowledge. It's a thing I've always wanted to do but have never had time to leave the job in hand. I will stay in football but you need to be asked first.

Post of the year i agree with everything said especially the bit about tactics they have been abysmal

Team selection don't get me started on that as they have been nothing short of a joke and i have been saying this all year

Makes some of the regulars on here look silly now as they defended him, the team selections and tactics all along and have now been proved wrong

God what does it take with Willie Miller even saying his tactics were crap.

 

 

 

 

I am not a fan of the spastics who say they were right all along, they were the same ones that were saying we wouldn't be in europe next season.  

Post of the year i agree with everything said especially the bit about tactics they have been abysmal

Team selection don't get me started on that as they have been nothing short of a joke and i have been saying this all year

Makes some of the regulars on here look silly now as they defended him, the team selections and tactics all along and have now been proved wrong

God what does it take with Willie Miller even saying his tactics were crap.

 

Ok, I'll bite.

 

Willie Miller himself in his own response to JC says:

 

"I can also state, hand on heart, that I have never once doubted Jimmy's football knowledge or indeed questioned his tactics and at Board level, that was the message I preached, namely leave the football side of things to the manager as that's what he's there for"

 

Are you really that fucking dense?

 

So who do you believe? Our DoF, God, Sir William of Miller or that 'Fat Orange C*nt', 'buffoon' or whatever else you want to call him?

 

You can't have it both ways you utter, utter gonk.

 

We're in Europe and JC is gone. Get over it and lets move on.

 

 

We're in Europe and JC is gone. Get over it and lets move on.

 

 

Yes we are in Europe big deal a team like Aberdeen should be in Europe every year

And i have got over it in fact i am still celebrating

From todays record.

 

 

"First of all, can I say I know exactly how Jimmy Calderwood feels right now and can empathise with the pain he's going through at a difficult time such as this.

 

"That said some of the comments allegedly from Jimmy made in one paper this morning do require some clarification and interestingly, are at odds with what Jimmy said to a number of other journalists of the course of yesterday.

 

"I would like to reiterate that during the course of Jimmy's tenure at Pittodrie, right up to the point of the announcement of his departure at Sunday evening's end of season staff party, he and his team have received the full and unwavering support of the Board of Directors.

 

"And, while there have been so many positives to celebrate during the five years Jimmy was here, we also stood shoulder to shoulder with him during the occasions we would probably prefer to forget, such as the Queen's Park defeat, after which we underlined our support by awarding him a new contract.

 

"We also remained solidly behind Jimmy following the massive disappointment of the Queen of the South Scottish Cup exit and all of the implications that went with it. That game, coming on the back of the Dundee United League cup last four reversal, understandably resulted in a raft of negative coverage but our support remained one hundred percent.

 

"There were difficult times during the season just completed, such as when we spent a fortnight at the foot of the league following St. Mirren's defeat of Rangers, and then, more recently, against Dunfermline, when we blew the opportunity, in front of 14,000 fans at Pittodrie, to lay the ghost of Queen of the South. Again, Jimmy received our complete support and I personally spent considerable time doing everything I could to assist in taking some of the pressure off Jimmy and his staff.

 

"I can also state, hand on heart, that I have never once doubted Jimmy's football knowledge or indeed questioned his tactics and at Board level, that was the message I preached, namely leave the football side of things to the manager as that's what he's there for. Indeed, after the cup tie he refers to at Tannadice, I made the point of congratulating him for changing things at half time and ultimately getting it right, something he invariably managed to do!

 

"Having been in Jimmy's position in the past, I was acutely aware of exactly where the demarcation line was between his role and the duties of myself as Director of Football and the other Directors and that was a line I made sure was never crossed.

 

"I'm also not sure where any perceived criticism of squad's fitness came from and, as far as I am aware, there was never any feeling among everyone at the Club that the players were anything other than extremely fit.

 

"In terms of youth development at Pittodrie, that aspect of our operation is one that is underpinned by club policy and, while Jimmy most certainly bought into it, I made the establishment of a Youth Academy one of my top priorities on my return to Pittodrie in 2004. It is an area in which we have invested heavily and I brought in Lenny Taylor, along with Peter Weir and Andy Dornan to head up our operations in Glasgow and Edinburgh, the latter being an area never previously targeted, as well as redefining the role of Neil Simpson. Those initiatives have paid dividends already as witnessed by the progression of Chris Maguire, Michael Paton and Peter Pawlett among others and youth development will continue to be at the forefront of this Club going forward, irrespective of who is the next manager.

 

"Having stated the above, I do feel the time is right to draw a line under what has occurred over the past few days and move on. In terms of the appointment of a new manager, while it is impossible to put a timescale such matters, the Board is well aware that the quicker things are finalised, the better for all concerned as we prepare for the new season. That said, we must also take the time and effort that will be required to ensure that the choice we make is the correct one for Aberdeen Football Club and that is a process that is now underway."

Yes, his tactics have been wrong all along. I can't believe he got it so wrong, and we're playing in Europe next season instead of the first division.

 

So why is he still not in his job then smart arse

Yes we are in Europe big deal a team like Aberdeen should be in Europe every year

And i have got over it in fact i am still celebrating

 

24 carat, complete fucking trumpet.

Yes we are in Europe big deal a team like Aberdeen should be in Europe every year

And i have got over it in fact i am still celebrating

 

Boring. Disgrace. Pathetic.

So why is he still not in his job then smart arse

 

You know her then?

So why is he still not in his job then smart arse

 

For a variety of reasons, the board weren't giving him full support and decided it may be time for a change, the minute Calderwood sensed he wasn't getting full support he left.

For a variety of reasons, the board weren't giving him full support and decided it may be time for a change, the minute Calderwood sensed he wasn't getting full support he left.

 

"Officially" but we all know he was sacked

"Officially" but we all know he was sacked

 

i said he was sacked in another of my thoughts, bhe was given no option but to leave

For a variety of reasons, the board weren't giving him full support and decided it may be time for a change, the minute Calderwood sensed he wasn't getting full support he left.

 

He claims nothing was mutual ergo he was sacked!

Yes, his tactics have been wrong all along. I can't believe he got it so wrong, and we're playing in Europe next season instead of the first division.

 

So sorry to piss on your parade MA but, our final league standing says more about the state of Scottish football than JC's wizardry as a manager. 5 points from our final 5 games!!!!

 

A lot of our points have come despite his tactics rather than because of them. Unentertaining football has become our trademark. Gate receipts would tend to confirm this. Seeing Russell Anderson, just as a single example, shrug towards the bench, clearly unsure of what was going on, as a substitution was made, shows even the players didn't fully understand what he was trying to do.

 

He is good at what he does best - taking a team who are struggling a bit (and we were) and stabilising the situation. He didn't seem to have the ability to take us that step further, even to a domestic cup final/win.

He claims nothing was mutual ergo he was sacked!

 

Thought 36, get to speed with the program

So sorry to piss on your parade MA but, our final league standing says more about the state of Scottish football than JC's wizardry as a manager. 5 points from our final 5 games!!!!

 

A lot of our points have come despite his tactics rather than because of them. Unentertaining football has become our trademark. Gate receipts would tend to confirm this. Seeing Russell Anderson, just as a single example, shrug towards the bench, clearly unsure of what was going on, as a substitution was made, shows even the players didn't fully understand what he was trying to do.

 

He is good at what he does best - taking a team who are struggling a bit (and we were) and stabilising the situation. He didn't seem to have the ability to take us that step further, even to a domestic cup final/win.

 

Just a small note, but Aberdeen FC average attendances are up by 935 fans per game on last season, from an average of 11,994 to 12,929. If you assume that these supporters that fluctuate are pay at the gate fans then for an average ticket, receipts over the course of the season are 'up' approx £375k.

 

In fact, over the last few seasons in the SPL (relative to our peers):

 

 

Even though attendances under JC have sliden from his initial high (as with any new manager), they are still on average 2,540 higher than the season prior to him joining AFC. I don't doubt that crowds show a decline in the last few seasons under JC, however they are not exactly in freefall either as others would suggest. Comparing with our peers, they are probably the most stable attendance figures and this season they are back up to our 1995 - 2000 average of just under 13k.

 

 

Just a small note, but Aberdeen FC average attendances are up by 935 fans per game on last season, from an average of 11,994 to 12,929. If you assume that these supporters that fluctuate are pay at the gate fans then for an average ticket, receipts over the course of the season are 'up' approx £375k.

 

In fact, over the last few seasons in the SPL (relative to our peers):

 

 

Even though attendances under JC have sliden from his initial high (as with any new manager), they are still on average 2,540 higher than the season prior to him joining AFC. I don't doubt that crowds show a decline in the last few seasons under JC, however they are not exactly in freefall either as others would suggest. Comparing with our peers, they are probably the most stable attendance figures and this season they are back up to our 1995 - 2000 average of just under 13k.

 

 

 

Excellent post JJ  Actual facts are always welcome among the hysteria.

 

I assume that revenue might be impacted this season as there have been a few price promotions, possibly more than previous seasons, although I could be wrong on that.

So sorry to piss on your parade MA but, our final league standing says more about the state of Scottish football than JC's wizardry as a manager. 5 points from our final 5 games!!!!

 

A lot of our points have come despite his tactics rather than because of them. Unentertaining football has become our trademark. Gate receipts would tend to confirm this. Seeing Russell Anderson, just as a single example, shrug towards the bench, clearly unsure of what was going on, as a substitution was made, shows even the players didn't fully understand what he was trying to do.

 

He is good at what he does best - taking a team who are struggling a bit (and we were) and stabilising the situation. He didn't seem to have the ability to take us that step further, even to a domestic cup final/win.

 

Jesus wept. Don't let facts get in the way of good load of bollocks.

If we are back dealing with facts then funster - 5 wins from 19 in the league in 09.

 

If we are back dealing with facts then funster - 5 wins from 19 in the league in 09.

 

 

If we want to get back to facts, that season is finished as is that manager's tenure.

 

 

 

If we are back dealing with facts then funster - 5 wins from 19 in the league in 09.

 

 

If we're dealing with facts, then that record was good enough to get us into Europe. Again. 

You can only compete in the league you are in and the FACT is that we got enough points to get into Europe.

JC is a clown.

Nice one! Any other belters you want to share?

Useless...

Do go on.