A Goal Glut at Ochilview (1974)

(first published in the match programme for St. Mirren v Dundee United, 5^th October 2024)

Season 1974/75 was monumental in Scottish Football as it prepared for League reconstruction, changing from the ages-old system of two divisions to a three league setup. Much of the intense competition centred on the top half of the Second Division, where the top six clubs at the end of the season would be rewarded with a place in the new First Division, to be joined by the bottom eight sides from the current top tier.

St. Mirren had made a good start to the League campaign, winning six and drawing one of their first eight fixtures before suffering a humiliating 0-5 home defeat to Queen of the South at the end of September. That result dropped Saints from second to fifth but, with only three points separating more than half the division, there was still a lot to play for and so it was on to Ochilview to meet Stenhousemuir on Saturday October 5^th 1974.

Programme production at Stenhousemuir began in 1967/68 at the instigation of the Supporter's Club. For a number of seasons, these programmes were basic, but quaint. They consisted of a typed and duplicated sheet folded into four pages and wrapped around with an advert-laden pre-printed shell.

There was no programme for Saints' visit to Larbert on 30^th March 1968 during that first season of production, but when the sides met again in September 1971, two different coloured covers were available for an otherwise identical programme. This was not an uncommon occurrence for programmes of this nature and the same situation arose with Raith Rovers programmes of the 1950s and 1960s.

The Ochilview side pulled out all the stops for the 1972 League Cup visit of Rangers with a 16-page maroon and white glossy issue but, just three days later, they reverted to the simpler, eight-page format for the League match against Saints on 23^rd September 1972.

The programme for the 1974/75 clash was similar to previous seasons. The outer pages were printed maroon on white but carried no date-specific information. The front displayed the Club crest and, in the bottom corner, a lucky number was stamped which might provide the winner with a cash prize, to be announced during the half-time interval. The inside page, also in maroon, listed the Club Officials and honours above an advert for that favourite of toffee, McCowans of Stenhousemuir. The maroon and white back pages consisted of adverts.

Pages three to six were simply typed onto a folded sheet. There was a welcome to the Warriors' new Manager Harry Glasgow, who had been player and coach at the club before stepping in at short notice to replace former Manager Alex Smith after he had departed for Stirling Albion earlier that week.

Page four consisted of a short football quiz ahead of the list of Stenhousemuir's goalscorers for the season. The opposite page gave the match details and "Today's Possible teams", which were accurate enough. The home side made two changes from the printed list and Saints fielded Tony Fitzpatrick instead of the listed Jason Walker.

There followed a page on the visitors from Paisley, highlighting how they had been early pace-setters in the League race. Although the previous week's heavy defeat had been a surprise, it was thought that Manager Cunningham would have sorted out the issues and so a hard game was expected. Player profiles revealed that four of the players had Falkirk connections and Alan Hughes, formerly of Stenhousemuir, was expected to be back in contention for a place in the St. Mirren starting lineup.

A crowd of just 529 certainly didn't expect to witness the goal glut that unfolded that Saturday afternoon. The visitors took the lead after ten minutes when John Young beat home 'keeper Ray Dunlop with a low shot. Stenhousemuir responded with goals from James McPaul and Alan Simpson, but the lead lasted a mere sixty seconds as Brian Third equalised just before the interval. Third put Saints ahead four minutes after the restart and completed his first ever hat-trick for St. Mirren when he converted a hotly-disputed penalty with thirteen minutes remaining.

It looked like curtains for the Warriors, but the new manager sent on both substitutes to replace his goalscorers and it subsequently transformed the game. First, Donald McLean pulled a goal back with five minutes left and then, right on the final whistle, Howard Fairley brought the scores level at 4-4.

It was a temporary setback for Saints, but before the month was out, they would have a new Manager in Alex Ferguson and he would ensure that they would secure First Division status at the end of the season.