Fixture List 2000/2001
July			F-A
Sat 8	F	Elgin City (a)	4-0	Darren Young, Thomas Solberg, Robbie Winters 7 Derek Young scored in a dull match watched by 1,602 punters.
Tue 11	F	Montrose (a)	2-0	Chris Clark and Eoin Jess whacked 'em home courtesy of Robbie Winters' passes.
Sat 15	F	Hartlepool United (a)	3-4	Yes! We have managed to slump to defeat at the hands of the awe-inspiring Hartlepool United. Goals from Jess, Stavrum and Solberg were not enough to prevent our defence from screwing up. I don't care if this was only a pre-season warm-up, we should never be losing so many goals to the likes of these.
Tue 18	F	Carlisle United (a)	2-1	Stavrum scores twice in this closed doors flummery.
Sat 22	F	Inverness Caley Thistle (a)	0-1	Caley may be the toughest opposition so far, but we should be winning these at a canter.
Tue 25	T	Middlesbrough (h)	0-0	Dons win 7-6 on penalties thus ensuring a piece of early season silverware comes home. Shame about the size of the crowd but it kinda reflects the apathy towards the club these days.
Sat 29	L	Pars (a)	0-0	A tough ( maybe shaky would be a better word) start, with Solberg subbed after 6 minutes because of injury and Derek Young sent off. Willie Miller said that the defence was the worst he had EVER seen. (Actually he said "I have ever saw" but we get the message.) It may have been a makeshift defence, but we are going to need extremely rapid improvement before we hit some of the tougher matches of the season. Mind you, they did well to hold out for an entire 2nd half with only 10 men. POINTS: 1
August
Sat 5	L	St. Mirren (h)	2-1	Stavrum and Perry goals made sure that this enthusiastic Buddies side didn't get the better of us but it was closer than we'd have liked. Still, with an under strength team (even for us) it is hard to gauge what is yet to come. Overlooked by John McRuvie, Kevin McNaughton made his competitive debut as a half-time sub for Jamie McAllister and looked good in the left back role. Phil McGuire also did well in the middle of the defence but Rowson is wasted at right back - we could do with his dig in midfield. POINTS: 4
Thu 10	E	Bohemians (h)	1-2	This was an appalling result, against a team that any self respecting Northeast pub side would expect to give a hard time. Not that the Dons were all bad - they were perfectly watchable for most of the match and Winters took his goal well. Jess was on fire in the second half but sadly nothing came of it. We can still win this tie but there must be no screwing around like the defence did at the corner that brought the equaliser. Bohemian have the initiative.
Sun 13	L	Jambos (h)	1-1	This was a good game with plenty of entertainment and thrills. Hearts don't look any better than us, especially since we had to play so many kids. Derek Young claimed his first goal of the season and looked terrific. McNaughton and McGuire did tremendous work too and we have to take encouragement from that. On the other hand, if there had been some closed season investment in the squad we might well have won this game. POINTS: 5 POSITION: 5
Wed 16	L	huns (a)		Postponed till December when we'll have 4 aways on the trot.
Sat 19	L	Hibees (h)	0-2	We didn't deserve to lose this. Perry's sending off and the penalty for his handling were a disaster but the Redz fought hard and had the visitors on the back foot for a huge part of the game. The Hibees second was a real slap in the face but the youngsters can hold their heads up after a magnificent fight. POINTS: 5 POSITION: 7
Thu 24	E	Bohemians (a)	1-0	Biffed out of Europe by a bunch of second-raters. Make no mistake, the Dandies were by far the better side but we desperately need to get the goalgetting department sorted out. Even tonight it was an o.g. that won us the second leg.
Sun 27	L	Motherill (a)	1-1	One point, thanks to a Robbie Winters bullet header and our defence being suckered by a simple pass from midfield. We really must win these games. Now for a wee break whilst Scotland strut their stuff (?). POINTS: 6 POSITION: 8
September
Wed 6	LC	huns (a)	2-4	The huns didn't half get a fright when Winters equalised and then Young put us in front, but sadly they rallied and came out on top yet again. We'll get 'em yet.
Sat 9	L	St. Johnstone (h)	1-1	A draw against 10 men (or thugs, depending on your point of view). Robbie Winters earned his corn,with the equaliser and Belabed might have given us the winner, but the tiredness amongst the young lads from the midweek efforts against the huns was evident. Saints never looked a serious threat and their goal came from nothing. POINTS: 7 POSITION: 9
Sat 16	L	Killie (a)	0-1	It took the Dons till the second half to get into this but the damage was already done. Again the youngsters battled hard but there was no killer touch. The fighting spirit is there but how long will it last without a victory to go with it? Oh for a target man. POINTS: 7 POSITION: 9
Sat 23	L	Arabs (a)	5-3	A Winters hat-trick, plus one from Derek Young and a sweet free kick from Eoin Jess gave the dandies victory. Most of the second half was played without Darren Young who was red-carded for hacking down Jamie Buchan. The refereeing was dire the Dandies have restored their Tannadice supremacy and Smiffy is a win free manager. POINTS: 10 POSITION: 8 - Moved to 7 after Hearts lost on Sunday.
October
Sun 1	L	Timz (h)	1-1	The young Redz deserved much more from this game. Their up-and-at-em style combined with great passing play and great organisation had the Tims in a spin. In fact the way things went we now know of an Achilles heel for the Tims don't like it up em. In the early stages of the game it looked like there would be the usual Glasgow cheating for victory, nut the Dandies weren't having any of it and deserved to go in front just on half time with a Robbie Winters strike. Shame we let Larsen equalise (they'd be nothing without him) but even then we had a go and might well have come out on top by the end. Sutton is mutton. McCurry couldn't referee his own job application. POINTS: 11 POSITION: 7
Sat 14	L	Dundee (h)	0-2	The Jutes came to town with their strolling band of actors and filled the Pittodrie stage with a performance of histrionics and swallow diving combined with niggly fouls that the referee chose to overlook. The Dons didn't have the best of games but were still on top in the first half then faded badly in the second although they never stopped trying. What was missing? That big target man that we all know is needed, the crosses were there okay but against Dundee's towering defenders there wasn't a lot Winters could do in the air - he needs help in these situations. POINTS: 11 POSITION: 7
Sat 21	L	Pars (h)	0-0	This was a dire performance against an even worse set of opponents. The Dons were lucky that they were facing the worst visitors to Pittodrie so far this season, because any decent team would have punished us. Next to nothing went right for the Dandies except that Esson had an outstanding match and deserved the clean sheet. POINTS: 12 POSITION: 7 Dropped to 8 after Sunday's results when St. Johnstone leapfrogged us having humped the huns.
Sat 28	L	St. Mirren (a)	0-2	We really needed the points here but couldn't take our chances. The slip could soon turn into a slide with only Dundee United as the safety net. Failure to sign a target man is being brought home with a vengeance now and Ebbe needs to get on with it or he'll begin to lose the backing of ever growing numbers of fans. POINTS: 12 POSITION: 9
November
Sat 4	L	jambos (a)	0-3	It's no consolation to be told by the victorious manager that we played really well. Give me garbage and three points any day. The finesse can come later. POINTS: 12 Position: 10
Sun 12	L	huns (h)	1-2	We really didn't deserve to lose this, in fact we should have won. The penalty we didn't get when we were 1-0 up was decisive, along with the referee's unwillingness to award free kicks against rangers or to book their players for the majority of their offences. The sending off of Derek Young was particularly unjust and nobody will be surprised to learn that rangers' man of the match was referee Mike McCurry (nowhere near Glasgow). Di Rocco needs games to get the pace of Scottish football but a big guy like him should inflict damage on any opposition. Good performance from the dons but POINTS: 12 POSITION: 10
Sat 18	L	Hibees (a)	2-0	The Dandies picked up a rare but deserved victory today when Stavrum and Mayer grabbed the second half goals that clinched a vital three points. Stavrum and Di Rocco had scorned good scoring chance in the first half and should have been well on top after keeping a confused Hibs defence busy for much of the game. POINTS: 15 POSITION: 10
Sat 25	L	Motherill (h)	3-3	The Dons maintained their average of a point per match by allowing a very ordinary Motherwell side to score three needless goals. Stavrum put us ahead and the our defence went into last season mode to allow a breakaway equaliser then two other preventable goals. Di Rocco got us back into it late on and then grabbed the equaliser moments from the final whistle. This was a dire game and we need McGuire back in the heart of the defence. POINTS: 16 POSITION: 10
Tue 28	L	St. Johnstone (a)	0-0	Drab game on a drab night. Esson kept the Sainties out at our end and we kept ourselves out at the other. At least we move up a place for 24 hours. POINTS: 17 POSITION: 9
December
Sat 2	L	Killie (h)	1-2	Where was the motivation for this one. We lost two goals in a minute before Stavrum pulled one back after tremendous work by Darren Young. Despite passing us some great chances early in the first half, we never really looked like getting anywhere. Too many players out of sorts, especially Winters who looked like his mind was at Norwich. POINTS: 17 POSITION: 10
Sat 9	L	Arabs (h)		Postponed to 6th February.
Wed 13	L	huns (a)	1-3	We blew it at Ibrox yet again. After getting in front through a Stavrum goal we sat back and even tried to bottle up midfield. If we had gone there and played positively we could have beaten a very nervy set of huns. POINTS: 17 POSITION: 10
Sat 16	L	Timz (a)	0-6	Gubbed. Maybe it was because celtic were miles better than us, but thank fuck St. Moron and the Arabz are still losing matches. POINTS: 17 POSITION: 10
Sat 23	L	Dundee (a)	2-2	This was a great game to watch and the Dandies could well have won it. In particular Arild Stavrum missed a couple of great chances and had one disallowed by ABERDONIAN referee Freeland. Di Rocco scored the opener and Stavrum whacked away the penalty to equalise despite a long delay in being allowed to take the kick. More shows like this and we'll start picking up points and places. POINTS: 18 POSITION: 10
Tue 26	L	Pars (a)	2-3	We seem to have made 10th place our own with this defeat, but the Dandies did show fight as they came from a goal behind to go in front just before half time. Dow and Rowson scored today, but what happens in the Aberdeen dressing room at half-time? We always seem to come out half asleep and the problem needs urgent attention. POINTS: 18 POSITION: 10
Sat 30	L	St. Mirren (h)		Postponed - don't yet know when it'll be played.
January
Tues 2	L	Jambos (h)	1-0	We should have murdered them 4 or 5 - Nil, the number of chances created by the Dandies vastly outstripped what the Tarts had to offer and the narrow lead could have led to a travesty if they had taken anything from the game. Do Rocco was hugely important in this match and we have to hope that the club find the wherewithal to get him signed up. He could be the man to make a difference for us. Rowson scored the vital goal with a great shot and Winters had the miss of the match. POINTS: 21 POSITION: 10
				Do we really need this 'winter' break?
Sat 27	C	Alloa	3-0	David Rowson got the Dons off the mark and then there were two penalty misses. First Solberg, who grabbed the ball from Belabed then allowed the keeper to make a save, then Stavrum punted the ball over the bar. It was no wonder that Ebbe was laughing in disbelief in his TV interview after the game. Winters saved the blushes near the end thanks to a cross from Belabed, then at the death Darren Mackie made it 3. Now, who's next? Home game please.
Wed 31	L	huns (a)	0-1	Beaten at iprix again. It's a long trek on a foggy Wednesday night to come back empty handed, but at least the gubbings have stopped. POINTS: 21 POSITION: 10
February
Sat 3	L	Hibees (h)		Postponed because of a waterlogged pitch. Not yet rearranged.
Tue 6	L	Dundee United (h)		Postponed from 9th December and postponed again now.
Sat 10	L	Motherill (a)	1-0	Derek Young whacked in the only goal of the game with two minutes left. The Dandies deserved this victory after looking the most dangerous in attack and having the lions share of midfield. Astoundingly we were at last well served by by the central defensive pairing of Solberg and Whyte. Well done to the whole team, now let's build on this win with all these home league matches coming up. POINTS: 24 POSITION: 10
Sat 17	C	Livingston (a)	0-0	The dons took this one to a replay despite the defence being decimated by Livingston. McAllister, Whyte and McNaughton had to be replaced. Preece takes the plaudits for keeping in this tie and it's all left to do at Pittodrie on 27th.
Wed 21	L	St. Mirren (h)	3-0	Stavrum's easy hat-trick, two from penalties, makes sure that the Dons improving results continue, but the game, like St. Moron, was crap. POINTS: 27 POSITION: 10
Sat 24	L	St. Johnstone (h)		Postponed coz of Snow!
Tue 27	C	Livingston (h)		Another Postponement!
March
Sat 3	L	Killie (a)	0-0	A team that can't score at home plays a team that can't score away from home and the outcome is predictable. Low it lives up to expectations. Still, it's another fixture completed. POINTS: 28 POSITION: 10 but St. Johnstone are in our sights.
Tue 6	C	Livingston (h)	0-1	Dire performance and Livingston were the better team. Shame about their supporters who needed to bang drums to disguise their lack of numbers. The Dons were taught a lesson last night, not by the opposition but by the weather. They seldom threatened the Livingston goal because they couldn't keep the ball on the ground and out of the wind long enough to string a few decent passes together. When they did create a couple of chances there was nobody there to put them away.
Tue 13	L	Hibees (h)	1-0	Yes! A god result from a good performance and it could have been by a bigger margin if Stavrum had taken a couple of good chances that came his way. TRF Doesn't usually look for a 'man-of-the-match' but Kevin McNaughton was outstanding and earns a special mention for his brilliance on the night. POINTS: 31 POSITION: 9 All of a sudden 6th looks a possibility if we string a few more wins together - Motherwell, Dunfermline and Dundee all in our sights.
Sat 17	L	Arabs (a)	1-1	Decent match. Good goal by Winters. Bizarre penalty decision by Rowbotham (surprise!). Mandatory miss by Stavrum. Wasted opportunity. POINTS: 32 POSITION: 9 and closing on Motherwell.
Tue 20	L	Arabz (h)		Canceled coz of international commitments!!!!!
Tue 27	L	St. Johnstone	3-3	Good-bye top six! The Dandies were the better side in miserable conditions but this was a case of more points thrown away for no good reason. Sloppy defending gave the Saintees the opening goal and although the Redz fought back and got in front twice it just seemed to be predestined that they'd give up the late equaliser. The two Youngs and Robbie Winters scored our goals. POINTS: 33 POSITION: 9
April
Sun 1	L	Timz (h)	0-1	Jammy Timz is all I can say. The Dandies geave them a hell of a game and deserved to take something from it. This isn't the first time against this lot this season either. Infact our progress against Celtic is probably a very good measure, we've gone from getting totally cuffed last season to puting them through the wringer this. Okay our front line let us down a bit but hey, we're getting somewhere. POINTS: 33 POSITION: 10
Wed 4	L	DUFC (H)	4-1	Played it at last and it turned out to be well worth the wait. Can we play them every week? The victory was all the sweeter because we has loads of Smiffy propaganda rammed down our throats in the build up. Take a look at how Jocky Scott's getting on in England and then tell us that Smiffy was the man for the Dandies. Despite a wickedly inept referee and the usual strong arm tactics from the opposition, the Redz criused this. Stavrum grabbed a hat-trick and Darren Young his sixth of the season to send the Arabs home to their caravans. Could have been more too. POINTS: 36 POSITION: 8 - Yes - 8
Sat 7	L	Dundee (h)	0-2	The Dandies took the foot off the gas and got their just deserts in this one. After a wee flurry at the start they alowed Dundee into the game and there was only ever going to be one winner. Our oldest players were the weakest links. POINTS: 36 POSITION: 9
Sat 21	L	Dunfermline (h)	1-0	Stavrum got the goal in a decent first half that saw the Redz dominating play. Unfortunately somebody laced their half time tea with mogadon and they were a different and much poorer side in the second half. In fact the last 45 minutes were a turgid bore but they deserved to win in the end. POINTS:39 POSITION: 8
Sat 28	L	St. Johnstone (a)	3-0	An easy victory for the redz with a couple of toe-pokes by Darren Mackie and Stavrum making up the total by getting his 15th of the season. And now we hit the predicted looney situation where the 7th placed team has more points that the 6th - great plan SPL! POINTS:42 POSITION: 7
May
Sat 5	L	Motherwell (a)	2-0	And a pretty easy 2-0 at that. Stavrum should have grabbed a barrow-load and had Charlie Allan slogging round a training course preparing for the promised half marathon. Guntveit got all the plaudits in the press whilst oor Aril and Robbie Winters got the goals. POINTS:45 POSITION: 7 (But 6 really)
Sat 12	L	St. Mirren (a)	1-2	St. Mirren had more to play for than the Dandies but the result could easily have been different had the Dons capitalised on their early superiority. Derek Young grabbed our goal and Robbie Winters had one chalked off for offside. Solberg got sent off in the 90th minute with a red - no yellows. POINTS:45 POSITION: 7
Sun 20	L	Dundee United (H)	1-2	Not exactly the ideal way to close out a season, the first half was dire and we lost two goals that were a reminder of just how bad our defence can be. The second half was much better with three young lads replacing three slightly less young lads and Stavrum scored a with peach of a free kick. POINTS:45 POSITION:7 and nothing to show but a Youth Cup.
				See ya next season!
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Anybody care to predict what happens next?