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Scots footie legend John McMaster on hunt for owner of “Where’s Wally?” style hat from 1983

SCOTS football legend John McMaster is searching for the owner of a “Where’s Wally?” style hat that was thrown on the pitch in 1983.
 
McMaster, who played at left back for Aberdeen FC in the famous 2-1 win over Real Madrid, picked up the hat after the European Cup Winners’ Cup final. 
 
The 66-year-old has amazingly kept it ever since – and is now looking to hunt down the person who threw it onto the grass at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden.

John McMaster post- football news Scotland
McMaster took to Twitter to see if he could find the original owner of the hat

 McMaster tweeted yesterday: “Here’s a challenge – find the original owner of this bunnet! 

“It was thrown on to the pitch at the Ullevi stadium after we won the ECWC and I’ve kept it ever since. 

“There is something about it that the original owner may identify. #whosebunnet.”

John McMaster hat from 1983 - football news Scotland
John grabbed the hat from the side of the pitch in 1983                                                                        (C) John McMaster

The tweet now has hundreds of likes, with fans loving that McMaster has kept the bunnet for almost 40 years. 
 
@alba_deen said: “Brilliant you’ve kept all these mementos. Great memories” 
 
@Red_Tom1903 commented: “Brilliant! How amazing if they could get it back from you John. They’d be absolutely buzzing” 
 
McMaster replied: “I didn’t say I would give it back!” 

John McMaster Sir Alex Ferguson- football news Scotland
John McMaster with his former gaffer, Sir Alex Ferguson

@orkneyrd added: “Looks like one my dad wore, but he would’ve been too grippy to have ever parted with it” 
 
@JimCurrie said: “Must have been an auld guy. Us young eens were wearing bucket hats then!”

McMaster made 316 appearances for the Dons across 15 years, scoring 20 years.

He was inducted into the AFC hall of fame in 2017 alongside Graham Leggat, Neale Cooper and Archie Knox.

Speaking today (FRI), McMaster said: “I always picked something up.

“We were a young team, it was a European trophy, it might never happen again.

“At the time I felt lucky to be playing in these things.

“So I saw the tammy and bang, I took it.

“I was showing my mates some memorabilia. I’ve kept programmes, badges from other teams, ties, tracksuits and strips.

“It’s a special hat, it’s always been in the loft, and we were digging things out.

“Now there’s me with it on 40 years later!”

And asked if he would be giving the hat back if reunited with it’s owner, McMaster said: “It’s my hat now!”

“It’s like a trophy. Picking these things up is like a bond between fans and the players.”

 

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