Barry Robson demands Aberdeen FC stars pay Frank McDougall tribute with Conference League performance against HJK

Barry Robson has urged Aberdeen to put on a Europa Conference League performance worthy of honouring Pittodrie great Frank McDougall.

The former Dons striker had recently battled lung cancer but sadly passed away at the weekend. The club will honour the free-scoring frontman at the HJK game tonight but Robson wants his players to produce their own tribute on the pitch. Robson said: “It’s not easy when you lose someone of that generation.

“He’s a player who played when I was growing up, and someone like Neil Simpson, who is still around the club, knew him well. He was a great servant for this club, it’s a sad day and I’m glad we’re doing something for him. This club is built on great history, you can feel it in these European nights. Steve Agnew has been in the English Premier League for years and he’s been talking about how you can feel the traditions and history of the club. “That’s why this is such a great club, this is where we want to be and we want to do our best for the supporters.”

Aberdeen won plenty of plaudits with their battling display in Eintracht Frankfurt and that sparked their recent three game-winning run which they take into this European encounter. Pittodrie is sold out and Robson knows it is about his players being brave, with and without the ball against Finnish champions.

“We’ve had one home game in Europe,” Robson stated. “I felt we should have won the (BK Hacken) game and you can agree we should have won. We are at home, with the fans behind us, that gives us a chance to perform. We just make sure we do everything. We have to be brave with and without the ball and if you do that then the fans get behind you.”

Robson is also hoping Slobodan Rubezic can take a shot in the arm from his first