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matches

Aberdeen 4 - 4 Stoke City

HT Score: Aberdeen 3 - 2 Stoke City

Testimonial
Frank Watson Memorial Fund
Aberdeen scorers: Leggat 9, Glen 15 (Pen), Smith 65, Glen 30.
Stoke City scorers: King 2, King 35, Oscroft 80, Mountford 85 (Pen).

28/09/1953 | KO: 15:00

This match was played for the Frank Watson Memorial Fund (reserve goalkeeper had died some months earlier leaving a young family). Three reserve players were included in the Aberdeen line-up, Aitken, Cameron (both ex Banks o' Dee) and recent centre half signing from Benburb, Alec McAllister.

The crowd, reported as 12,000 in one paper but 17,000 in another, enjoyed a thrilling match and were uplifted by the Aberdeen performance, many saying that they had seen the best football from the Dons in a couple of years. Leggat scored with a header from a Glen cross after King had put the visitors in front. After only 15 minutes of play the score went in Aberdeen's favour when Glen banged home a penalty kick and after half an hour the same player made it 3-1 with a fierce 20-yarder. King pulled one back for Stoke but Billy Smith scored from a Leggat cross from the bye-line. Oscroft pulled it back to 4-3 and near the end a penalty conceded by Mitchell (only a few days after conceding three at Celtic Park in a league match) was scored by Mountford.

Source: Alan Esslemont scrapbook 1953-54

Aberdeen Teamsheet
Martin, Mitchell, Aitken, Cameron, McAllister, Glen, Leggat, Smith, Buckley, Yorston, Hather.
Stoke City Teamsheet
Bill Robertson, George Bourne, Arthur Woodall, Frank Mountford, Kenny Thomson, Alan Martin, Jack Malkin, Frank Bowyer, Bill Finney, Johnny King, Harry Oscroft.
Attendance: 12,000
Venue: Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen
Referee: Doug Gerrard, Aberdeen