Jocky Scott holds a unique record in Aberdeen’s history – but is hoping Barry Robson can join him and make it an exclusive club of two.
Scott is the only person to have won silverware with the Dons as a player and a manager.
As a player he was part of the Reds side that lifted the League Cup in season 1976-77, and as co-manager, alongside Alex Smith, he guided the club to League Cup and Scottish Cup success in 1989-90.
Current Aberdeen boss Robson won the League Cup as a player in 2014 and is looking to triumph in the competition as a manager when the Dons take on Rangers in Sunday’s final at Hampden.
Scott, 75, didn’t know about his unique achievement, and said: “It never dawned on me that would be the case or to even think about it.
“I suppose it’s a good thing to have, but for me it was an honour to play for and to manage my hometown club.
“I’d be delighted if Barry could do it as well.
“It would be a major achievement for Barry – and it would be great for the Aberdeen fans to see the team winning something again.
“They turn up week-in, week-out, they’ve had highs over the years, but also a lot of lows, and I’d be delighted for them if Aberdeen could win the cup.”
Jocky Scott’s management success
Scott and Smith arrived at Pittodrie as co-managers in the summer of 1988.
With the trophy-laden Sir Alex Ferguson era having coming to an end less than two years earlier, Scott was aware of the demand to deliver success.
The former Dundee, Dunfermline, Arbroath, Notts County, Raith Rovers, and Stirling Albion boss added: “We knew the expectation level was high. It was only a couple of years on from the success Fergie had.
“We were quietly confident that we could achieve something. Aberdeen is a great club and a great club to work for.
“That was a good period, and for us to win trophies was great. As managers you do your little bit – but at the end of the day it’s the players that count and they win or lose trophies.
“It was great to go back to Aberdeen and win something with the club again, having done it as a player.
“The only disappointment was that we didn’t win the league when we had the opportunity (in 1991).”
Dons always had silverware belief
Looking further back, Scott has fond recollections of Aberdeen’s League Cup triumph in November 1976.
The Dons defeated Celtic 2-1 in the final thanks to goals from Drew Jarvie and Davie Robb.
But it was in the semi-final against Rangers that Scott played a starring role, netting a hat-trick as Ally MacLeod’s men thrashed the Govan side 5-1.
Scott believes such an emphatic triumph gave the side, which also contained the likes of Bobby Clark, Stuart Kennedy, Willie Miller and Joe Harper, the impetus and belief to go all the way.
He said: “Apart from my hat-trick, my memories are of a great performance by the team.
“We thoroughly deserved our win and we annihilated Rangers.
“The squad we had at that time as a team, and as individuals, we were all confident we could win any game against any of the sides we came up against.
“It just so happened that on that night everything came together and we showed how good we could be.
“To win as convincingly as we did in that semi-final against an Old Firm team gave us a big boost for the final.”
Nothing to fear against Gers
Assessing this season’s Viaplay Cup final, Scott thinks Aberdeen should draw confidence from their results against Rangers this season.
At Pittodrie three weeks ago, the Gers required a stoppage time penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw, while at Ibrox in September, the Dons prevailed 3-1 in what turned out to be Michael Beale’s last match in charge of the Glasgow side.
Scott said: “I would like to think they can go to Hampden and win the game.
“They showed with their result a couple of weeks ago at Pittodrie, and in the game before that at Ibrox, that they haven’t got any fear of Rangers.
“It was the usual Rangers penalty that got them a draw in the last game, so Aberdeen have got nothing to fear if they go there and have a go.
“Although I won’t be at the final, I’ll be rooting for Aberdeen to win the cup.”
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