Former Aberdeen and Arsenal footballer Willie Young dies age 73 | UK News

The former Aberdeen and Arsenal defender Willie Young has died at the age of 73.

Young played more than 180 games for the Dons before going on to lift the FA Cup with the Gunners in 1979.

He is perhaps best remembered for forcing a change in the laws of the game and the creation of the “professional foul” following his tackle on West Ham forward Paul Allen in the 1980 final of the competition.

In a statement, Arsenal said his “physicality and commitment made him a cult figure” with the club’s supporters.

They added: “Reliable, dominant in the air and fearless, his immense contribution to a successful period means he will always be remembered fondly by those who saw his colossal frame repelling attacks and causing havoc to opposition defences at set pieces.”

Posting on X, Aberdeen said the club was “saddened” to learn of his passing.

Born in Edinburgh, Young grew up in the village of Heriot in Midlothian and began his career at Aberdeen in 1970.

He spent five years at the club before joining Tottenham Hotspur in 1975.

He made a controversial move across North London to Arsenal two years later, linking up with his former manager at Spurs, Terry Neill.

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

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

But it was his scything down of a then-17-year-old Allen in the 1-0 defeat to West Ham the following year which etched his name in the history of the game.

With the forward bearing down on goal in the dying stages, Young cynically hacked him down on the edge of the area, preventing a near-certain goal.

He received a yellow card for the incident, but it prompted a national debate on the need for a specific law governing professional fouls.

Automatic red cards for “denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity” were introduced two years later.

Young also played in Arsenal’s 1980 Cup Winners’ Cup final defeat to Valencia in Brussels.

Despite his success at club level, Young never made a senior appearance for Scotland due to a lifetime ban incurred following an altercation at a Danish nightclub.

The “Copenhagen five,” Young, Joe Harper, Arthur Graham, Billy Bremner and Pat McCluskey, were all excommunicated from the national set-up over the incident.

Harper and Graham were later reinstated after being cleared of any wrongdoing but Young was never allowed to pull on the dark blue jersey.

He departed Arsenal in 1981 after 237 appearances, joining Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest.

Young retired in 1984 due to injuries following short spells at Norwich City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Darlington.