Aberdeen FC

On Tuesday night, a couple of us though it would be fun to attend a professional football (soccer) game here in Aberdeen. Since I have arrived, there have been all sorts of crazy stories about Aberdeen's fans; or as they call themselves, The Red Army. So needless to say, I needed to check it out.

The pitch (field) is only a few blocks away, so it made it convenient for us to walk there. As we started to get closer to the pitch, we noticed all sorts of people donning red. I was starting to get excited. Since we had little idea where we were going, we followed the crowd to Pittodrie Stadium. As it came into view, it did not look like anything too spectacular. In fact, it looked as if sections had been added as they were needed. It isn't gorgeous, but it has a certain working class feel to it that works.

We picked up are tickets and headed inside just before kick off (not sure if that is what its called). Has anyone ever experienced that feeling when walking through the archway into a beautiful stadium? It's a feeling that's hard to explain, but I felt that kind of awe and wonder when I stepped into the stadium for the first time.

Anyway, The Dons were playing West Fife during a leg of the Scottish Cup. Now, West Fife is not part of the Scottish Primer League like Aberdeen is. They play on the second tier level. So needless to say, when their goalie received a red card within the first three minutes, they were in for a long night. The three goals by Aberdeen in the first half looked to be enough to put the team, and their section of rowdy fans, away; but they weren't done. Aberdeen scored 2 more in the last 20 minutes of regulation to seal the deal, even though the other team's fans were still singing and chanting. So the final score was Aberdeen 5 and West Fife 0.

I must say, I had a great time at the game. Being there is much more exciting than watching it on the television. It gives you a better appreciation of the talent these players possess. Plus the atmosphere was brilliant. I hope to attend many more games in the future because I now feel like I can be called a true "supporter."