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🏆 Scottish League Cup: Aberdeen v The Spartans

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Jess in todays sun

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By mizer
in Aberdeen Football Club

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Posted
Posted

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3980180/When-we-were-bottom-I-was-scared-to-go-out-the-front-door.html

 

EOIN JESS still shudders when he thinks about it, still cringes.

 

Aberdeen finished rock bottom of the Premier League in 2000 with the ex-Pittodrie idol in the heart of midfield.

 

They were only saved from relegation because Falkirk's Brockville Stadium didn't meet top flight criteria.

 

The shame of being ranked the worst side in the country's elite still embarrasses former Scotland ace Jess.

 

He can never forget the fear of going down before it was finally confirmed the Dons were safe by default.

 

He was too scared to leave his house — so uncomfortable was he about being seen about the city by disgusted fans. Seeing his former club once again slide to the bottom of the SPL merely brings back all the painful memories of 11 years ago.

 

Jess said: "There's still a long way to go and I'm aware of Craig Brown insisting the team have played better than results have shown so hopefully that's the case.

 

"I know that it's a young Aberdeen side and maybe they just have to be given time.

 

"There are experienced players there too. Hopefully the younger ones can learn from them, improve the situation and be stronger for it but football these days means time is a precious commodity. You MUST get results.

 

"After New Year they need to start climbing the table.

 

"If they are not careful losing can become a habit.

 

"It takes hard work and a little bit of luck for things to improve in that kind of situation.

 

"In Craig and Archie Knox, Aberdeen have tremendously experienced people and they will know what's needed.

 

"I can never forget the 1999-2000 season.

 

"We just couldn't get away from the bottom of the league.

 

"Once you are stuck there it can be very difficult to get back up the table.

 

"For the fans and the club it was a nightmare season.

 

"Expectations, as they always are at Pittodrie, were so much greater. Aberdeen's a big club. They shouldn't be bottom of the league.

 

"We had no consistency that year and the results weren't good enough.

 

"It was so frustrating for me and every other player but confidence was also low.

 

"We felt we were working hard enough in training and during games but the results didn't go for us.

 

"In that kind of situation everyone at the club has to take responsibility.

 

"Defenders need to keep clean sheets and the strikers have to take chances when they come.

 

"I must admit that before the news came out about Falkirk I was worried we were going to get relegated.

 

"There are plenty of people in Aberdeen and the north-east who care for the club so you are going to get criticism when the team's not getting results they need. It's really like a goldfish bowl up there. That's all part of the package.

 

"When things are going well you take the plaudits but when they are not you have to accept the flak.

 

"You have to handle it. You have to be mentally strong.

 

"I admit I found it very uncomfortable being bottom of the league.

 

"I didn't go out the front door much! I wasn't the type to be out all the time anyway — and I was lucky I had a good rapport with the fans.

 

"Others weren't nearly so fortunate. The fans will be critical if things aren't working out for the club. I know exactly how hard it will be for the players at the moment and what the fans will be feeling like in the city.

 

"I just hope they can try and be patient with the younger players.

 

"I keep in touch with pals in Aberdeen who go to the games.

 

"They have been critical of performances, and it makes no difference they are friends of mine. They tell me it straight. I just hope that things can improve because Aberdeen will always mean a great deal to me, it pains me to see them struggling."

 

Jess, 40, who also starred for Coventry, Bradford, Nottingham Forest and Northampton is currently Forest Under-18 coach.

 

He has complete faith in Dons kids like Fraser Fyvie and Peter Pawlett.

 

Jess, part of the last Dons side to win a trophy in 1995, added: "I played against Fyvie at Pittodrie a few years ago when Manchester United were up for a friendly match.

 

"It was a half-time bounce game and I was impressed.

 

"Pawlett looks an exciting young player too "However, the situation Aberdeen are in means these boys have to learn quickly and know how to get results.

 

"Like all of the players, they have also have to be mentally strong to deal with the criticism that will be coming from all angles.

 

"It can be brutal. I hope they can cope with it and be better for it.

 

"It's depressing for me at the moment. Every team I played for is struggling!

 

"Aberdeen are bottom while Coventry are sitting bottom and Forest are third bottom in the Championship.

 

"Northampton are fourth bottom and Bradford are third bottom in League Two.

 

"I have got my fingers crossed for every one of my old clubs."

 

Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3980180/When-we-were-bottom-I-was-scared-to-go-out-the-front-door.html#ixzz1fkOkapNf

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fatjim

fatjim

Posted
Posted

Broken record I know but

we were saved from A FUCKING PLAYOFF. Motherwell were the team that were saved from relegation thanks to brockville

 

How could Motherwell have been saved when they finished 4th that season?

 

1 Rangers 36 28 6 2 96 26 70 90

2 Celtic 36 21 6 9 90 38 52 69

3 Hearts 36 15 9 12 47 40 7 54

4 Motherwell 36 14 10 12 49 63 -14 52

5 St. Johnstone 36 10 12 14 36 44 -8 42

6 Hibernian 36 10 11 15 49 61 -12 41

7 Dundee 36 12 5 19 45 64 -19 41

8 Dundee United 36 11 6 19 34 57 -23 39

9 Kilmarnock 36 8 13 15 38 52 -14 37

10 Aberdeen 36 9 6 21 44 83 -39 33

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tom_widdows

tom_widdows

Posted
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How could Motherwell have been saved when they finished 4th that season?

 

1 Rangers 36 28 6 2 96 26 70 90

2 Celtic 36 21 6 9 90 38 52 69

3 Hearts 36 15 9 12 47 40 7 54

4 Motherwell 36 14 10 12 49 63 -14 52

5 St. Johnstone 36 10 12 14 36 44 -8 42

6 Hibernian 36 10 11 15 49 61 -12 41

7 Dundee 36 12 5 19 45 64 -19 41

8 Dundee United 36 11 6 19 34 57 -23 39

9 Kilmarnock 36 8 13 15 38 52 -14 37

10 Aberdeen 36 9 6 21 44 83 -39 33

 

2002/2003 season

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002%E2%80%9303_in_Scottish_football

now fuck off

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Dandy_Don

Dandy_Don

Posted
Posted

Pretty fucking depressing stuff all round, and of course the worst part is that the vast majority of Dandies don't really give a fuck anymore.

 

When I think back to 99/00, which seemed totally depressing at the time, I think we had the following players in the team:

 

Jim Leighton

Derek Whyte (  :o )

Russel Anderson

Paul Bernard

Cato Guntveit

Ilian Kiriakov

Andreas Mayer

Zero

Jess

Stavrum

 

Yes some of them were shite (missed out the likes of Solberg and Gary Smith!), but a damn site better than the utter morons playing right now. It says a lot that Fyvie has probably been our most consistent player recently - an 18 year old that was out half of last season with ligament damage.

 

Come on Aberdeen - get the fucking finger oot!

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14Fosters

14Fosters

Posted
Posted

Well it had nothing to do with a play off did it?

 

Pretty sure bottom of the league were always going to go in to a play-off with third place in the first division that season.

 

Or some variation on that anyways (maybe a wee playoff league). 

 

EDIT: So we were saved from relegation by league reconstruction, and saved from a play-off by Brockville nae being up to scratch.

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manc_don

manc_don

Posted
Posted

Pretty sure bottom of the league were always going to go in to a play-off with third place in the first division that season.

 

Or some variation on that anyways (maybe a wee playoff league).

 

Really? I was definitely under the same impression as FJ ??? Sad state of affairs when we're discussing how we managed to avoid relegation....

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rocket_scientist

rocket_scientist

Posted
Posted

Pretty sure bottom of the league were always going to go in to a play-off with third place in the first division that season.

 

Or some variation on that anyways (maybe a wee playoff league). 

 

EDIT: So we were saved from relegation by league reconstruction, and saved from a play-off by Brockville nae being up to scratch.

Is the correct answer! Or at least, this hits the spot with my ageing memory.

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glasgow sheep

glasgow sheep

Posted
Posted

Fact of the matter is, we should never again have been in that sorry state.  Lessons should have been learned.

 

But low and behold, look where we are now.

 

Did everyone read "Never Again" by The Red Final?  Excellent book and I think we really did think that "never again" would the club allow this to happen again.....that was written in 1995  :hammer:

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