The excitement and party mood which will surround Neil Simpson's testimonial match at a packed Pittodrie tonight will not disguise many supporters' acceptance that football in these parts has gone full circle in the last three decades.

The 1980s were heady days, when domestic titles were won and European prizes fought for – and won.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who revisits Pittodrie with a Manchester United side bristling with household names, spoke warmly of his former protégé. The terms which he employed epitomised the qualities which Simpson brought to Aberdeen during his illustrious career, culminating, of course, in the capture of the Cup-Winners' Cup on the famous night in Gothenburg in 1983.

"Neil was one of my first signings and he was totally committed and a serious competitor with a great engine," said the former manager, with obvious affection. "He was a nice boy, very quiet and unassuming [off the pitch], and he always kept his feet on the ground. I am surprised that he didn't get a testimonial before now, but he is still working for the club.

"He has been down [at Old Trafford] a few times during the last year and he is serious about it [working as a youth coach at Pittodrie]. That sums up Neil: if he takes something on, he will always give it 100%."

The more saturnine Aberdeen supporters might respond that no amount of hard graft is a true substitute for class and the present Aberdeen squad is sadly bereft of characters in Simpson's mould, who believed they could beat anybody on their travels.

John Hewitt, for instance, the man who famously scored the winner in his side's triumph against Real Madrid in 1983, remains a close friend of Simpson, but clearly has mixed views about the fashion in which Aberdeen have fallen on hard times, to the extent where visits from Manchester United resemble the Queen doling out coins on Maundy Thursday.

"Neil has worked hard, on and off the pitch throughout his career, and he is doing a fine job in a coaching capacity, so he certainly deserves this benefit game with Manchester United," said Hewitt, the scorer of the winning goal in Sweden.

"It doesn't feel like nearly 30 years since we won the Cup-Winners' Cup, but the way things have gone, we will probably be the last Scottish club ever to lift a European trophy."

"Our football is in a sad state and, while you have to hope the situation changes for the better, it will take a lot of fixing.

"The one positive aspect of teams struggling financially is they are returning to youth development and bringing through their own talent and that is an area where a Neil Simpson can make a serious contribution to helping turn things around at Pittodrie. But, if we are being honest, we have to accept we are not in a good way in Scotland."

The celebrations may be raucous as the fans paid homage to Simpson and the Red Devils. Yet exorcising the demons of their own downfall may prove a trickier assignment for Aberdeen.