An Aberdeen football anthem from decades ago – which is still wildly popular among fans today – has been picked to soundtrack a touching film about Sir Alex Ferguson.
European Song was penned by the late Harry Barry ahead of the Dons lifting the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1983.
And copies of the initial 100,000 records were in such high demand from supporters it had to be reissued.
The piece is being featured in a new documentary, Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In, directed by the footballing great’s son, Jason.
It premiered at the virtual Glasgow Film Festival on Saturday, and follows Sir Alex’s recovery from a brain haemorrhage in 2018.
The film will be shown on Amazon Prime Video from May 29, with some cinema screenings also planned, depending on coronavirus restrictions.
Sir Alex said: “Losing my memory was my biggest fear when I suffered the haemorrhage.
“In the making of the film I was able to revisit the most important moments of my life, good and bad.
“Having Jason direct the film has ensured an honest and intimate account.”
Track proved instantly popular
Having previously managed East Stirlingshire and St Mirren, Sir Alex took charge of Aberdeen in 1978.
Under his leadership the side won the Scottish league multiple times and lifted the Scottish Cup.
They also qualified for the European Cup Winners’ Cup, securing victory on May 11 1983 with a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid.
When the squad returned to the Granite City, they worked with Harry Barry on recording European Song.
Players Jim Leighton, Gordon Strachan, Alex McLeish, Willie Miller and Mark McGhee as well as winning goal scorers Eric Black and John Hewitt all featured on the track.
It was pressed as a seven-inch single in Aberdeen FC’s trademark red and white colour scheme, and led to massive queues of customers at record stores.
Some distributors even drove to Wales to collect boxes of the record in person from the manufacturers to help met demand even faster.
Barry later played drums and provided vocals for Ally’s Tartan Army with the 1978 Scotland World Cup squad, and wrote “hundreds” of songs for TV and radio jingles.
He died suddenly in 2013, but his family says European Song’s inclusion in the new documentary provides another avenue for securing his legacy.
Daughter Kate Barrie said: “We’re delighted that dad’s memory lives on in his music and look forward to the film. He was a talented man.”
