Were you one of the lucky schoolchildren chosen to be a Gothenburg Ambassador in 1983?
Lucky lads and lassies from Aberdeen enjoyed the trip of a lifetime as young ambassadors for the city at the Dons’ European Cup Winners’ Cup Final in Gothenburg in 1983.
And now, as the 40th anniversary of Aberdeen’s 2-1 triumph over Real Madrid beckons, one of the original chaperones from the trip, George Wyatt, is trying to reunite the group.
Trip of a lifetime for devoted Dons fan
As football fever hit Aberdeen ahead of the cup tie in May 1983, the city council surprised young Dons supporters with the dream opportunity to be there.
Councillor Charles Devine came up with the idea, and given how close the cup final was, in an unprecedented move he was given full council powers by Lord Provost Alexander Collie to “take whatever action thought appropriate” to make it happen.
The council agreed to dip into its Common Good Fund and pay £12,000 to cover the costs of the adventure for 33 pupils at city schools.
Youngsters could only stake their claim for a seat on the plane if they met two specific conditions: they had to be ardent Dons fans who regularly attended Pittodrie, and be within the 11-14 age bracket.
Lucky Dons fans chosen by random ballot
To keep it fair, the chosen few were to be picked by a random ballot, giving those city pupils with a demonstrable interest in football a sporting chance.
Special coupons for the exclusive raffle were printed in the Evening Express, to be filled in and returned ahead of the draw.
With only a week to enter, organisers were inundated with entries.
Dons stars Stuart Kennedy and Dougie Bell drew the names out of the hat helped by councillors Nan Keay and Charles Devine.
Like Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets, the lucky ones were about to embark upon a magical, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Then Evening Express editor Robert Smith said it was a “historic occasion” that only needed “a Dons victory to cap a glittering occasion”.
Kids had a whale of a time in Gothenburg
George Wyatt was one of the chaperones on the trip through his role on the organising committee of the Aberdeen International Football Festival in the 1980s, alongside John Taylor, Bill Grant and the late Jim Rust.
Many people will remember the football festivals at Seaton Park, and the provost chose the four to accompany the children due to their renowned footballing background.
And with joy and clarity, George can remember the trip as though it was yesterday.
Not only did the group of devoted young Dons fans enjoy watching a historic victory, but their whirlwind adventure also involved other surprises too.
He said: “The kids had a whale of a time. We landed in the morning, then had a sightseeing tour, then all the kids got taken to the hotel where Aberdeen team stayed and got to meet all the team.”
During the stay they also visited an amusement park and had a guided tour of the stadium before the game.
In a twist of Doric humour, the hotel in Gothenburg was called Fars Hatt – unforgettable to any Aberdonian because of course that’s “Fars at?” in our native tongue.
‘It was a real adventure’
There were lots of other memorable moments for George, and he’s sure the kids that went must have lasting memories of the trip too.
He added: “We all went to the game in the pouring rain. It was so wet, it was like rivers of water on the night of the game
“And I remember there was one of the lads and he had a broken leg or ankle, and had a plaster stookie on.
“The bottom of his plaster fell off and we had to take him to hospital after the game to get a new bottom on his plaster!
“Then we couldn’t find any restaurants to eat in, Gothenburg was just so busy with supporters, so we got pizzas delivered to the bedrooms, they loved it.
“They were at an age where we couldn’t take them out in the evenings.
“But it was a real adventure, and I must say they were all so well behaved, there was not a problem with any of them.”
Chance meeting sparked reunion idea
Now, George would like to reunite the ambassadors as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, and has been in talks with Aberdeen FC and the Lord Provost about organising something.
The idea came about after a chance meeting in Aberdeen pub McNasty’s at the end of last year.
He explained: “This guy came up to me and said ‘George, you won’t remember me, but I was one of the kids you took to Gothenburg in 1983’.
This guy came up to me and said ‘George, you won’t remember me, but I was one of the kids you took to Gothenburg in 1983’.”
“We chatted for half an hour, but the minute he said that, I thought ‘what a great thing – where are these kids now?’
“I thought a reunion would be a good thing to do, because over the last 40 years it’s the same photos and stories you hear about Gothenburg, and this was something different.
“A lot of people probably don’t remember it or didn’t know about it.”
George added: “My intention would be to time it with the Freedom of the City, and do something at the Town and County Hall where it all began; where that photo was taken outside the Town House.”
How to get in touch for Gothenburg Ambassador reunion
It’s hoped that many of those young ambassadors will get in touch with their own stories and photos to share, and the reunion would be an opportunity to reminisce.
If you were one of the young ambassadors, we would be delighted to hear from you as soon as possible, and pass your details on to George.
Get in touch
Email: kirstie.waterston@eveningexpress.co.uk
By post: Kirstie Waterston, 1 Marischal Square, Broad Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1BL.
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