Real were awarded a penalty from which Juanito scored to make it 1-1. The Dons' spirits were as damp as the Ullevi pitch!
But this team knew that they had come a long way, they did not come this far to lose, not even to Real Madrid. Chances would be missed by both sides and this match would go into extra-time, someone would make themselves a hero! That man would be the superb sub who had come on to replace the injured Eric Black, who landed badly on an ankle as he came down from heading the ball over the bar. John Hewitt would come off the bench and make himself a hero for life.
But not before nearly being subbed himself! Fergie and Archie Knox thought that they would have to take John off as the ball was getting stuck in the pitch as John tried to run with the ball. Thankfully for the Dons fans they did not!
The magnificent Peter Weir had left at least three Madrid players in his wake as he went on one of his famous runs. He then chipped the ball to Mark McGhee who somehow got the ball on to the head of John Hewitt as the keeper missed the cross. Hewitt's header landed in the Real net and as the super sub danced a jig of delight the Dons fans went mad!
Was this really happening? The Dons had beaten the famous Real Madrid 2-1 to win the Cup- Winners' Cup and from Sweden to back home in Aberdeen the northern lights would shine brightly tonight as proud fans danced and sang their way through the night as their team were now European winners!
But domestic success was still the bread and butter for the Dons and after all the highs of winning the Cup-Winners' Cup they still had to put all their celebrations behind them as a Scottish Cup Final against Rangers was still on the cards.
It may have been tiredness or over celebrating but the Dons failed to lift their game for the Rangers match but yet again as they had done on so many occasions, in extra time the Dons won the match. A goal from Eric Black gave the Dons their second Scottish Cup win in two seasons over Rangers but this was not enough for the manager as after the match Alex Ferguson would rip into his team for there sub-standard performance.
Just to round off the year, in the December of 1983, the Dons would face Hamburg, the winners of the European Cup, in the two-legged final of the Super Cup. After a 0-0 draw in Germany they would bring them back to Pittodrie with some old scores to settle. The Dons won the match 2-0 with goals from Neil Simpson and Mark McGhee to lift the Super Cup and become the only Scottish team to win two European trophies, still a fact to this day.
The Dons would also be named European team of the year: now they could really say to the Old Firm fans that Aberdeen was the best team in Europe!
In season 83-84 the Dons would win the League title with a goal from new signing Stewart McKimmie gave them a 1-0 win at Tynecastle, and they would also win the Scottish Cup for the third time after beating Celtic 2-1, again after extra time.
Before Alex Ferguson left in 1986 the Dons would win the Cup double, beating Hibs 3-0 in the League Cup and Hearts 3-0 in the Scottish Cup.
Everyone who played for or supported Aberdeen or Dundee United, or the New Firm as they were called, will never forget the glory days that those clubs were involved in. When the Old Firm and some of Europe's best were beaten en route to some of the greatest nights their clubs have ever seen.
There was a time when the football lights shone brighter on the teams from the north rather than the big two in Glasgow but the question still remains, will those clubs ever be able to repeat those nights again?
