A Gothenburg Great will visit Deeside this weekend to meet and greet young players and fans.
John McMaster, who spent 14 years at Aberdeen FC, will be hosting an informal event in Aboyne on Saturday, April 23.
The event has been organised by Aboyne Highland Games and will give young players the chance to chat to Mr McMaster about his footballing career.
He will also showcase some of the Aberdeen memorabilia he collected and share some stories of his time playing under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Local football clubs and members of the public have been invited to attend the free event at Victory Hall from 10am until noon on Saturday.
John McMaster’s footballing career
Mr McMaster made over 315 appearances for Aberdeen over the 14 years he spent with the club. He went from playing junior football and working as an apprentice plumber to the top of Scottish football in the 1980s.
He was first spotted by an Aberdeen scout when he was playing for junior side Port Glasgow Rovers 16s/18s.
From there, he signed for Aberdeen when he was 17 and during his 14 years at the club, scored 33 goals and helped them win two Scottish League titles and three Scottish Cups.
Mr McMaster was inducted into the Aberdeen FC Hall of Fame in 2017 to acknowledge his service over his time at the club.
He left the club in 1986 and signed for a season with his home club Greenock Morton in 1987 before retiring.
An ‘inspiring tale’ for young footballers
Today, the old Aberdeen player delivers motivational talks to companies about leadership and management using experience from his footballing career.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s event, Mr McMaster said: “I have terrific memories of my time in the north-east and it is always great to return area.
“It is always a privilege to speak to young footballers and help inspire them to play their best football, while chatting to Dons fans and hearing their recollections of the 1970s and 1980s at Pittodrie is a joy.”
The Gothenburg Great is also the guest speaker at the Aboyne Highland Games’ annual dinner on Friday evening. This is the first time the event is taking place since Covid.
Games chairman Alistair Grant said: “The story of John’s footballing career is an inspiring tale, and like the rest of the Gothenburg Greats he continues to be revered among Dons fans.
“There will be plenty of anecdotes to hear on Saturday morning, which will no doubt encourage local footballers to train hard and not be afraid to go the extra mile to succeed.
“For older Aberdeen fans, I am sure stories of 1983 and playing under Fergie will bring memories flooding back. It is set to be a really interesting morning.”
Pre-booking is not required for the event on Saturday morning. It will run from 10am until noon in the Victory Hall in Aboyne.
