At the start of season 1975/76, Alex Ferguson was beginning to build a team of promising young players who he felt could take Saints back to the top flight. To add some style to the midfield he signed Billy Stark from Anniesland Waverley. Born in Glasgow in 1956, Billy started his football life at school and in the Boys' Brigade, before signing for Anniesland.
He made his first appearance in the stripes against Selkirk in a friendly on 26th July 1975. His competitive debut came on 20th August when he lined up against Montrose in a League Cup match. Despite being just 18-years-old, the manager pitched him straight into the top team squad and he soon became a regular in the starting XI.
Billy’s first goal came in a 2-2 draw with Morton on 6th September and he would go on to score six times in 24 matches over the season as he established himself in the Saints’ midfield. The highlight of this first season was a match against Airdrie at Broomfield on 21st February 1976. With the score tied at 1-1, Billy entered play as a 73rd minute substitute. Five minutes later he scored to put Saints into the lead, before clinching a 3-1 victory with his second goal in the final minute.
Season 1976/77 was one of the best in Saints’ history, as 'Fergie’s Furies' won the First Division in style. Billy played his part, scoring 11 times in 35 league matches. One of these goals was the opener in a 4-0 win over Dundee on 19th April 1977, which secured the title and promotion to the Premier Division. He also scored in a 4-1 Scottish Cup win over Dundee United who were, at the time, top of the Premier Division.
In the top flight, Billy continued to play well and over the following two seasons he clocked up over 80 appearances in all competitions, scoring 22 goals as he matured into an exceptionally talented midfield playmaker.
Stark played in every league game of season 1979/80, scoring eight times, as Saints finished third in the Premier Division, their best ever finish to a league season. He also played a big part in Saints becoming the first (and only) Scottish club to win the Anglo-Scottish Cup. He scored three times in the early rounds as Hibernian, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United were defeated. The final paired Saints with Bristol City. The first leg at Ashton Gate was a high point in his career, as he scored both goals in a 2-0 win to set Saints up for the second leg. He didn’t score in the return leg, but contributed to a 3-1 victory on the night, for a 5-1 aggregate win.
Season 1980/81 was another fine season. Billy played in 39 matches scoring seven goals. He also made his debut in European competition as Saints faced Elfsborg of Sweden in the UEFA Cup. A 2-1 aggregate win took Saints through to the second round where he came face to face with Johnny Rep, Patrick Battiston and the legendary Michel Platini as St Etienne ended Saints adventure with a 2-0 aggregate win.
Billy scored 10 goals in 33 league matches in season 1981/82 but it was the cup competitions that made headlines for Saints with semi-final appearances in both the Scottish and League Cups. Billy played in every match, scoring twice in the League Cup, but it wasn’t enough as Saints failed to reach any of the finals.
The following year was to be Billy’s last in Paisley. He played a total of 42 matches, scoring 11 times. Again, it was the cups that made the headlines with a quarter-final appearance in the League Cup, Billy scoring four times in the competition, including one in the quarter-final 2nd leg, but Saints fell 3-2 to Hearts. The Scottish Cup was also memorable. Victories over Dundee United and Morton took Saints into a quarter-final tie with Airdrie. It took Billy just three minutes to open the scoring. Frank McAvennie and Ian Scanlon made it 3-0 before Billy added another two to complete a 5-0 win and claim his first senior hat-trick. Sadly, in the semi-final Rangers won 1-0 in a replay with a controversial 'goal'in the final minutes of extra-time.
In June 1983, former boss Alex Ferguson paid £70,000 to take Billy north to Aberdeen. In his eight seasons at Love Street he played in 345 matches and scored 84 times,placing him on the seventh rung of Saints all-time scoring charts.
This article first appeared in the St Mirren matchday programme on 18th July 2017 for the match against Livingston.
