11th May 1983. Gothenberg. A date branded into the minds of all Dons fans. The European Cup Winners' Cup Final was about to be contested between Aberdeen and Real Madrid.
The first goal of the match was set up by Alex McLeish when the ball deflected off his head and was sent into the Real Madrid goal by a fellow player putting Aberdeen 1-0 up. Willie Miller, the Aberdeen captain, was visibly delighted by this great start for his squad. However, conditions on the pitch started to get muddy very quickly, which partially resulted in Madrid's comeback. The ball became stuck in the mud part way in the penalty area. Jim Leighton rushed out from the goal line to claim the ball but took down one of the Madrid strikers in the process. A penalty was awarded by the referee. Doug Rougvie tried to argue with the referee but the referee was having none of it and Real's captain scored the penalty to put Madrid level. This equaliser clearly put the Aberdeen players on edge and an increased determination was seen. Neale Cooper made every effort to break through Madrid's defence but failed to do so, although the Dons did manage to keep the Spanish at bay. There was one point where it looked as if Real were going to get a clear shot at goal when Eric Black gave one away but thankfully the Spanish striker missed. The first half ended with Neil Simpson just having been passed the ball and with a clear run to the Madrid goal ahead of him. Damn that whistle!
The team were equally matched during the first part of the second half, with John McMaster making several successful defences before the Spanish strikers could get anywhere near Jim Leighton's goal. Normal time finished at 1–1, sending the match into extra time. The winning goal came in the 112th minute. Mark McGhee took the ball down the left wing and crossed it into the box where another Aberdeen player connected with a glancing header to put Aberdeen ahead once more. The pressure wasn't off yet though - with eight minutes of extra time left, the Aberdeen team had to maintain their defence for a little longer. Jim Leighton was like a coiled-up spring inside his goal. One of the Spanish players looked as if he might gain ground into the Aberdeen half of the pitch but luckily Neale Cooper managed to gain control of the ball away from him. And then the referee suddenly blew his whistle and it was all over. The fans cheers could be heard all over Gothenberg as Willie Miller proudly held the cup aloft with one hand to celebrate Aberdeen's greatest ever triumph!