Big-hearted Dons supporters have helped a drive for a permanent memorial to Gothenburg Great Neale Cooper smash its fundraising target.
Mr Cooper, lovingly known as Tattie to friends and fans, tragically died last month after collapsing in the stairwell of an Aberdeen block of flats.
At the start of the month, a campaign was set up by the Neale Cooper Tribute Fund to raise £5,000 for a one-off display of 20,000 flags to be held aloft at an upcoming Dons fixture at Pittodrie.
They also hope for a new large centrepiece banner in tribute.
The banner will then have a permanent location at Pittodrie, and will be taken to the new Kingsford stadium.
Since June 1, more than 200 supporters have dug deep and raised more than £5,000 – prompting organisers to aim even higher with a new target of £10,000.
An online statement from the fund reads: “A full-stadium display has never happened at Pittodrie before. This will be the first, and possibly the last given our imminent move to Kingsford. The custom flags and bespoke banner comes at a cost, so we propose funding one stand at a time – our target figure will change to reflect this.
“Any funds raised above and beyond the costs of the display will remain in the pot.”
Mr Cooper and his teammates made history in the successful Dons team of the 1980s- with the special highlight being beating the mighty Real Madrid at Gothenburg to lift the 1983 European Cup Winner’s Cup.
The Granite City squad’s 2-1 triumph was the last time Los Blancos lost a European final.
He went on to play for Aston Villa, Rangers and Ross County, before becoming a coach and then manager – returning to Inverness to head up Ross County and then Peterhead.
After Mr Cooper’s death, aged just 54, thousands flooded into Pittodrie for a special commemoration where hundreds of balloons were released into the air.
Famous figures and former team mates all paid tribute.
Aberdeen based Katoni Engineering Ltd donated an impressive £500 to the latest appeal.
James Breem, of the firm, said: “Neale is an Aberdeen legend and he is also a stalwart of the city community.
“As an Aberdeen based company I think it is important that we recognise our own and remember the people who have contributed so much to the life of Aberdeen.”
To donate visit:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/aleen-shinnie-4
