Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has called for the authorities to identify and impose lifetime bans on the Aberdeen supporters who threw missiles, including a half bottle of vodka, at him during his team’s 1-0 victory at Tannadice on Sunday.
Goodwin, a former Aberdeen manager, had kept a composed demeanor when Kevin Holt scored the decisive goal deep into stoppage time, but the celebrations were marred by hostile actions from some of the visiting fans. Missiles, including coins, firelighters, and the vodka bottle, were hurled from behind his dugout, landing dangerously near the dugout area.
Reflecting on the incident, Goodwin expressed his disappointment, stating, “I tried to be as reserved as I possibly could be when the goal went in. It’s disappointing again, the amount of missiles that are coming down from above. There was a bottle of vodka, coins, firelighters, and everything coming down on us.”
Goodwin, who had a brief stint managing Aberdeen, denied having made any derogatory remarks about the club, emphasizing that things simply hadn’t worked out during his tenure. “I’m not sure what I’ve said in the past to upset them that much. Obviously, things didn’t work out the way that I would have liked it, the way that they would have liked it when I was a manager, but I haven’t said anything derogatory about that football club.”
He added that such behavior was unacceptable and hoped that authorities would take action. “I hope the authorities look at it. Stuff was skimming over our heads and not just mine, my backroom team, the linesmen, and the fourth official. There was a considerable amount of objects thrown in our direction. It’s madness in this day and age, and hopefully, there’s plenty of cameras there at the game today, CCTV, and all of that. Hopefully, these guys will be caught and thrown out of football for life.”
Despite the controversy, Goodwin was keen to focus on his team’s performance, adding, “It’s all about my players, their attitude, and their application again tonight. If you ask the supporters how you want to win a game, there is nothing like a last-minute winner. We’re absolutely delighted.”
Meanwhile, Aberdeen’s struggles continued, with the team now having lost three games in a row and failing to win in their last eight matches. Manager Jimmy Thelin acknowledged the emotional impact of losing in the dying seconds but highlighted improvements in performance. “I think it’s not easy when you get a goal against you in the last situation of the game, but I have to try to look at the last part of the season. Now we have a run of no victories, but this was a big step for us performance-wise.”
Thelin remained hopeful for the future, stating, “The season is not over, and we need to find a way out of this. It’s no one else, it’s no magic trick.”
