Former Aberdeen and Arsenal footballer Willie Young dies age 73

The previous Aberdeen and Arsenal defender Willie Younger has died on the age of 73.

Younger performed greater than 180 video games for the Dons earlier than happening to raise the FA Cup with the Gunners in 1979.

He’s maybe greatest remembered for forcing a change within the legal guidelines of the sport and the creation of the “skilled foul” following his sort out on West Ham ahead Paul Allen within the 1980 ultimate of the competitors.

In an announcement, Arsenal mentioned his “physicality and dedication made him a cult determine” with the membership’s supporters.

They added: “Dependable, dominant within the air and fearless, his immense contribution to a profitable interval means he’ll at all times be remembered fondly by those that noticed his colossal body repelling assaults and inflicting havoc to opposition defences at set items.”

Posting on X, Aberdeen mentioned the membership was “saddened” to be taught of his passing.

Born in Edinburgh, Younger grew up within the village of Heriot in Midlothian and commenced his profession at Aberdeen in 1970.

He spent 5 years on the membership earlier than becoming a member of Tottenham Hotspur in 1975.

He made a controversial transfer throughout North London to Arsenal two years later, linking up along with his former supervisor at Spurs, Terry Neill.

Along with his towering 6ft 3in body and trademark ginger hair, he fashioned a formidable defensive partnership with Irish centre again David O’Leary, reaching three straight FA Cup finals between 1978 and 1980.

He earned a winners’ medal within the 3-2 defeat of Manchester United within the “five-minute ultimate” of 1979.

However it was his scything down of a then-17-year-old Allen within the 1-0 defeat to West Ham the next yr which etched his title within the historical past of the sport.

With the ahead bearing down on objective within the dying phases, Younger cynically hacked him down on the sting of the realm, stopping a near-certain objective.

He obtained a yellow card for the incident, but it surely prompted a nationwide debate on the necessity for a selected regulation governing skilled fouls.

Automated purple playing cards for “denial of a transparent goalscoring alternative” have been launched two years later.

Younger additionally performed in Arsenal’s 1980 Cup Winners’ Cup ultimate defeat to Valencia in Brussels.

Regardless of his success at membership degree, Younger by no means made a senior look for Scotland on account of a lifetime ban incurred following an altercation at a Danish nightclub.

The “Copenhagen 5,” Younger, Joe Harper, Arthur Graham, Billy Bremner and Pat McCluskey, have been all excommunicated from the nationwide set-up over the incident.

Harper and Graham have been later reinstated after being cleared of any wrongdoing however Younger was by no means allowed to tug on the darkish blue jersey.

He departed Arsenal in 1981 after 237 appearances, becoming a member of Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest.

Younger retired in 1984 on account of accidents following brief spells at Norwich Metropolis, Brighton and Hove Albion and Darlington.