The Scotsman SPL Fanzone Article Special - 19 Mar 2008

SATURDAY'S game with Gretna was never going to be one for the purist.

Rumour has it that a press gang was hiding round the back of the old smiddy on Friday trying to muster up a team to make the trip North.

The transit van was filled and the paying public were asked to turn up to witness a game that may well be wiped from the record books by the time the season is over.

Three goals and three points, given our recent home form that's not bad.

The pessimists may well say that it's too late. The optimists will claim that we can still make the top half of the cut and the bleezing drunk amongst us still expect to challenge for a European place.

WEEKS after our inept showing against Dundee United in the semi-finals of the League Cup, Aberdeen fans have been debating whether winning that trophy would have meant more or less than a run in Europe. Do we want memories or entries in the history books?

I've enjoyed this season's return to European action and the memorable trips to Madrid and Munich. There can also be no doubt that when Pittodrie lit her candles and tarted herself up in red and white on Valentine's night, that it was easy to be seduced by the glamour of it all. However, no matter how glamorous the opposition or awesome the stadiums, getting to the last 32 of one cup does not beat the feeling of actually winning another.

Aberdeen have only one meaningful entry in the history books since that nerve-shredding Scottish Cup triumph in 1990 - our League Cup win over Dundee in 1995 - and it's about time we got some more silverware. After all, you can't polish memories, no matter how nice they are.

ABERDEEN were on a bit of a hiding to nothing on Saturday. They became the unwitting sideshow to the Gretna village administration circus last week, which led to the club being unwittingly namedropped on Sky Sports News more often than at any other point during the season, despite the terrific UEFA Cup run. Go figure.

So while Gretna walked the tightrope, the Dons had to prepare for a game that might not exist. And even though it did go ahead, there is still the possibility that the result will be cleansed from the annals if Gretna goes under before the end of the season.

A difficult game to get 'up' for then, compounded no doubt by the excitement of the looming vital Scottish Cup replay forming in the minds of the players and support.

So three goals and three points was a most welcome return from a game that had 'potential humiliation' writ large on it, and the lack of sympathy for Brooks' Big Top showed professionalism that will be required in the coming weeks if the Reds are to scrape into the Top Six.

So whose was used? Check out http://news.scotsman.com/sport/SPL-fanzone.3891421.jp to find out...