Injured Stuart Kennedy hoped for divine intervention to save his European Cup Winners’ Cup final dream.
Suffering from a knee injury, the right-back revealed he hoped for help “from the big man in the sky” so he could face Real Madrid.
There was no miracle recovery and Kennedy’s worst fears were realised when it was clear he was unfit to face the Spanish giants in Gothenburg.
That devastating confirmation came on the Pittodrie pitch after boss Sir Alex Ferguson had challenged Kennedy to prove his knee was OK.
He couldn’t and it was a knee injury that would end Kennedy’s career.
However, Sir Alex delivered his own miracle when naming Kennedy as a substitute for the final – even though he was unable to play.
It was an act of compassion from the legendary manager, borne of the immense respect he had for the defender.
Kennedy, 69, said: “In the lead up to the final, I was trying to ignore the fact my right knee was like a balloon.
“I was thinking: ‘I’m going to go to my bed at night and the big man in the sky is going to zap my knee and I’ll wake up with it all better.’
“I know you’re busy, big man, but if you could perform a miracle on my knee and fix it for me.
“However, on the Tuesday afternoon at Pittodrie, Sir Alex took me on to the track and told me to jog up to the half-way line.
“I could hardly put my foot on the ground, but I jogged.
“He called me over and asked me how I thought it went – ‘Fantastic, boss.’
“My nose was like Pinocchio.
“There was only me, him and two or three seagulls.
“Sir Alex told me to come in closer, then he said: ‘Stop all this charade with your knee.’
“He put his hand out, and said: ‘Just shake my hand son, you’re on the bench. I’m guaranteeing you a place on the bench in the final.’
“I was reluctant, because I thought the big man in the sky could still pull off a miracle.
“But I shook his hand.”
‘Everybody stood up and clapped’
Kennedy had played in every European game that season in the run to the final.
He was on the scoresheet in the first match of the tournament, a 7-0 defeat of Swiss side Sion in the preliminary round first leg.
As team-mates battled for a starting slot in the biggest game in the club’s history, Sir Alex gathered the squad to inform them there was one certainty – Kennedy was going to be on the bench in Gothenburg.
The compassion of his manager and the reaction of his team-mates still resonate 40 years on.
Kennedy said: “The next day he waited in the dressing room until everyone was prepped.
“Then Sir Alex said to everyone he hadn’t made his mind up on the team for the final yet.
“But he had made one decision – he was putting me on the bench.
“Everybody stood up and clapped.
“I feel quite emotional talking about it now.
“During my career, I always thought positively for myself and for the team.
“I had played in every game up until the final when I was injured.
“I am quite a vocal person in the dressing room before a game and I still had to give my encouragement and opinion to everyone before the final.
“The manager putting me on the bench was a great thing and I really appreciate that.”
Stuart Kennedy suffers injury heartache before Gothenburg clash
A fundamental part of Sir Alex’s team, Kennedy had suffered the knee injury in a 1-0 Scottish Cup semi-final defeat of Celtic on April 16.
Littered with “foul after foul”, Kennedy remembers it as one of the most brutal games he ever played in.
An away tie to Waterschei in Belgium – the European Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final second leg – was just three days later.
Kennedy knew he was struggling with his knee and told his manager he was not 100 percent fit.
Although the Dons were 5-1 up from the first leg, Sir Alex was reluctant to change such a solid defence with the final within touching distance.
Sir Alex addressed the squad and said he believed Kennedy could play “with his suit on, at 55 percent and not break sweat”.
Kennedy fell for it and aggravated the injury against Waterschei in a 1-0 loss, admitting he should have been “more forceful”.
He said: “The semi-final against Celtic at Hampden was the Saturday before the Waterschei away game.
“Celtic had built up hysteria before the game and were going to try to muscle us off the park.
“It was a case of let’s not give Aberdeen any continuity or allow them to do their free flowing football.
“The game was foul after foul.
“It was probably one of the most brutal games I have played in, in terms of fouling.
“I was injured in that game.
“In the second half, I went past big (Roy) Aitken in the middle of the park and he had a high tackle on the inside of my right knee.
“I felt it, but I played on.
“I said to the boss I wasn’t 100 percent for the Waterschei game and we were up 5-1.
“However, he said he wasn’t going to upset his back four and was keeping it intact.
“In the dressing room in front of everyone, he said: ‘Stuart says he’s not 100 percent fit.
“’I believe he could play with his suit on, 55 percent fit and not break sweat’.
“Well, I fell for that. I shouldn’t have played in that game.
“I further injured myself against Waterschei and it finished my career.
“If only I had been more forceful.”
Torrential rain – ‘the big man in the sky was giving us a sign’
For days, Kennedy watched heavy rain batter the Swedish city ahead of the final.
Thunder and lightning accompanied the torrential downpour – and Kennedy saw it as a sign.
He said: “It rained and rained in Gothenburg.
“As we were lining up to go out on to the pitch, I said: ‘Look boys, it’s rained solid for three days. It’s Scottish weather. The big man in the sky is giving us a sign.”
Dreaming of a fairy-tale appearance
Even amid the maelstrom of the cup final, Kennedy, sitting on the bench, never gave up hope of getting game time.
He played out the scenario of, against the odds, coming on to the pitch, rounding Madrid keeper Agustin and scoring.
The right-back thought that moment had arrived when Sir Alex told him to warm up.
He said: “The manager told me to get warmed up with about 15 minutes to go.
“I have about a five-gallon drum of cortisone in my leg and can run straight.
“I’m thinking: ‘I will get through on the keeper with my pace, run past him and get the winner.’
“Dreaming. Fairy-tale stuff.
“I ran down the side and waved to the fans, laughing that I’ll come on and score the winner.
“When I returned to the dugout, he turned to John Hewitt and told him to get stripped.
“When I asked why John was getting stripped, Sir Alex said: ‘I gave you a run in front of the fans now sit in the corner.’
“He could have just let me sit on the bench, but gave me that run out.
“After the game finished, I said: ‘By the way boss, that wasn’t a bad substitution.’”
‘That team was no flash in the pan’
It was substitute Hewitt who would secure the fairy-tale ending, heading home the winner.
The Aberdonian had only turned 20 two months prior to securing the greatest result in the club’s history.
Kennedy said: “Aberdeen winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup sometimes gets overlooked.
“We had exciting young players like John, Eric Black, Neil Simpson and Neale Cooper.
“Let’s not forget Aberdeen also won the European Super Cup later that year.
“And in the following season got to the European Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final in defence of the trophy.
“That team was no flash in the pan in Europe. “
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