Aberdeen legend Dougie Bell admits hearing he’s to finally receive a medal 40 years after the Dons’ Euro triumph left him beaming - and would have made late wife Hazel even happier.
The 63-year-old received a call from Pittodrie chairman Dave Cormack on Sunday to break the good news after the club secured an extra six medals from UEFA which will be presented as part of the celebrations to mark the date of their European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph, May 12. The midfielder played a massive part in the club's greatest moment in 1983 even though injury cruelly robbed him of a place in historic victory over Real Madrid in the final.
Bell produced man of the match displays in the key quarter final first leg against Bayern Munich which finished goalless and the 5-1 Pittodrie trouncing of Waterschei in the semi final. But he had to watch the heroic defeat of Alfredo di Stefano’s Madrid magicians from the rain-soaked stands - alongside Hazel - after breaking an ankle in the Scottish Cup semi final win over Celtic just three weeks earlier.
Rules back then stated that only the starting XI plus subs got medals - meaning even Sir Alex Ferguson and his assistant Archie Knox have no silverware to mark the stunning triumph. But that will change next month when Bell, Ferguson and Knox receive the specially made medals with a further three being awarded posthumously to trainer Teddy Scott, former vice-chairman Chris Anderson and the Donald family who will be recognised for the work of then director, Ian Donald, and his father and late chairman, Dick Donald.
And Bell says his piece of silverware will be for Hazel, who died of cancer in 2020. Bell said: “I’m really chuffed. I got a phone call out the blue from the chairman on Sunday and it made me smile.
“I was shocked. I was actually having a kick about, playing in a charity game, and I’d come off the park to that news, t was great, I’ve been lucky that although I missed the final I have been involved in all the anniversary celebrations since.
“My late wife Hazel was always saying I should have got a medal - I’m even more delighted for her. She passed away three years ago but this would have made her happy.”
Bell might not have received a medal but he insists the memories of that glorious charge to Gothenburg have been more than enough to make up for the lack of a gong.
He said: “It was disappointing not getting a medal. But it’s just the way it was back then, you got injured, you miss a final and you don’t get a medal.
“I broke my ankle after 20 minutes of the Scottish Cup semi final against Celtic. But I’d played on which made it worse, after the game it swelled up like a balloon. As hard as I tried I was never going to be fit for the final in Gothenburg.
“But I played in most of the games on the way to Gothenburg. It just got more and more exciting all the way through the tournament and as we got further into it there was a wee sense that we were going to do something special.
“I never realised Sir Alex never got a medal either! It’s nice that Teddy Scott is getting one posthumously because he did so much for the club. .
“That Aberdeen team is special. And we’ve stuck together, you always felt part of the team and they always gave me a mention at any gatherings.
“I can’t believe it’s 40 years ago. It was great to be involved. A great era and a great team.”
