I’ve never been at Hampden when Aberdeen have won but I’m hoping my luck changes on Sunday when we play Rangers in the League Cup semi-final.
I had my ticket bought as soon as I could, so I’ll be travelling up to Glasgow from Birmingham with my uncle, where we’ll meet my mum who will have travelled down from Aberdeen.
My mum is the main reason why I support the Dons – she’s been a loyal season ticket holder in the South Stand at Pittodrie for over 30 years.
I’m looking forward to going with her because it’s rare we get to watch games together.
I’ve never seen Aberdeen win at Hampden but even with that track record, which I hope doesn’t continue, a game like Sunday is one you want to be part of as a football fan.
There will be such a great atmosphere with all the travelling fans. I’m so excited to be in the crowd – I’ve had my retro Aberdeen top looked out and ready to go for days now.
My earliest memory of being at Hampden to watch the Dons was the 2000 Scottish Cup final when I was 10 years old, where after two minutes Jim Leighton was off injured and Robbie Winters replaced him in goal.
Even now, I remember how watching from inside Hampden felt like a big deal to a little kid, so despite the result, I have fond memories of the grand scale of the occasion.
There have been other games at the national stadium where I’ve unfortunately seen us end up on the wrong side of the result, namely the 2008 defeat to Queen of the South, but I was at Celtic Park when we lifted the League Cup trophy in 2014.
I want my Dons Hampden hoodoo to end, and I believe Aberdeen have the quality in the current squad to do it once and for all.
Dons can make the final
I watched the most recent Aberdeen v Rangers game from home, and although it ended in bitter disappointment – in hindsight and ahead of the cup semi-final, we should remind ourselves of some of the positives.
We managed to go 2-1 up, before losing 3-2 in injury time, and controlled the game for large spells where we played some really good stuff – you don’t do that for a sustained period of time if you don’t have quality players.
However, the game showed some of our vulnerabilities so we will have to be well aware and switched on to cope with the threat Rangers will offer up.
I feel optimistic and after some of the recent results, it’s good for us to be going to Glasgow after a good win over St Johnstone at Pittodrie.
The return of Graeme Shinnie was fantastic news for us Aberdeen fans, and even though I won’t go as far to say he’ll be the absolute difference between a win or a loss at Hampden, it does give the team a big boost.
Shinnie is a big game player so the occasion won’t faze him – we need people like that in amongst it and with him in the middle of the park, there’s not a more important place for him to be to influence things.
Although not the captain, he is a leader and will help rally the team and encourage the younger and new players who might not have played in the same kind of occasion before.
Emma Mukandi speaks out on maternity experience
This week, my Scotland teammate and Reading captain Emma Mukandi spoke out about her experiences of returning to football following the birth of her daughter.
She’s put a spotlight on an important conversation that needs to be had.
Emma was very honest about how she felt let down in a number of instances regarding her own maternity leave and return to work, so it’s important clubs take notice of how players feel.
I appeared on a podcast recently and spoke about my experience of becoming a mum while being a professional footballer, I gave my opinion on the FA WSL maternity policy and the difficulties I’ve experienced returning to top level football, mentally and physically… (1/3)
— emma mitchell (@emsmitch3) January 13, 2023
It might be uncomfortable for clubs to admit they did things wrong but it’s an important thing to do and it has to be a learning experience for them because player welfare is imperative.
There are more players now who are taking a break in the midst of their careers to have children, so what was once maybe unfamiliar territory now has to be navigated correctly with the right policies and support.
SWPL and WSL return after festive break
After a long month off, both SWPL 1 and the WSL return this weekend and I’m excited to see how teams return to action following the break.
In SWPL 1, Aberdeen have a good chance to move out of the relegation zone when they host Hamilton Accies, and they will have benefitted from minutes in the legs after last weekend’s Scottish Cup win.
Although that might have been a lacklustre performance, it’s a platform to keep building on and Hamilton looks like a good a chance as any to pick up points when you look at their run of results.
I’m expecting a lot of the games in WSL to be quite open following a month away from competitive action, as teams get back into the swing of things again, and some with the advantage of new additions.
The WSL be without its all-time record appearance maker, though, as Gilly Flaherty announced her retirement on Thursday due to family reasons.
A record breaker and history maker 💜
We wish you all the best in retirement, Gilly Flaherty! pic.twitter.com/1sNvMLHLSw
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) January 12, 2023
It was sad to hear that Gilly has called time on her career, after making 177 WSL appearances, but you have to respect her reasons for stepping away.
She’s been ever-present in the league since it was established, turning out for Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool, and undoubtedly made a massive contribution to the women’s game.