Saints Fight Back to Stay on Course for Europe (1980)

(first published in the match programme for St. Mirren v Ross County, 12^th April 2025)

Saturday 12^th April 1980 was earmarked for the Scottish Cup Semi-Finals and would therefore take precedence over the scheduled League matches. With St. Mirren expecting to host Celtic and Kilmarnock due to travel to Ibrox, both Saints and Killie agreed to fulfil a League fixture that was postponed just before Christmas due to frost.

Saints were keen to play the fixture in order to leapfrog Morton into third-place in the Premier League and therefore stay on course for a European spot in the following season. It was also important for them to stay match fit in preparation for their forthcoming Anglo-Scottish Cup Final second leg tie against Bristol City in the following midweek.

Meanwhile, Kilmarnock were looking to end a run of three defeats which had dropped them to seventh place and into a three-way dogfight with Dundee United and Partick Thistle. All three clubs had points and games in hand over second bottom Dundee, but could not be complacent with seven games still left to play.

The rearranged fixture saw St. Mirren issue an updating insert to the programme for the first time, a solution that has only been used three times since then. The insert consisted of a single glossy page printed black on white on both sides and was enclosed within the original programme.

The front side carried the new date and an explanation of the circumstances under the headline "Why We Had To Show You This Programme". It was felt that the original planned and printed issue for the postponed fixture of 22^nd December 1979 was such a bumper package that supporters should have the opportunity to add it to their collection. As a late Christmas present from all at Love Street, the price of the programme was reduced from 20p to 15p.

The reverse side of the insert carried a photo of Jimmy Bone in the January fixture against Rangers, together with an updated League table and a half time scoreboard which incorrectly listed Dundee, rather than Dundee United, at home to Morton.

The original programme was entitled "XMAS SPECIAL", and featured an image of Doug Somner's second-minute penalty goal against Celtic from 1^st December. It was the same size as all others from that unique season of landscape formatted issues and was printed red and black on glossy paper, measuring 21cm by 15cm.

After the list of St. Mirren officials, Christmas greetings and a facsimile of first-team autographs, "Today's Visitors" presented two pages of pen pictures of the Kilmarnock squad and a team photo. "Saints Nicknames" then selected three members of the current squad in a feature which would carry forward into the next issue.

The centre pages listed the two pools of players either side of a photo of a previous Love Street encounter between the sides, whilst "Super Saint" on page 10 focussed on Peter Weir, who stated that early-season injuries were his biggest disappointment.

The Christmas theme returned with an identity parade of six disguised St. Mirren favourites and asked 7 - 15-year-olds to enter the postal competition to "Name The Santa". Older readers were invited to enter a "Caption Competition" for a photo featuring two Saints players on page thirteen. It was unfortunate that the postponement of the fixture rendered these competitions null and void, but it was a laudable attempt and good fun.

St. Mirren's fixtures and league table as at 22^nd December featured on page fourteen, while the back page presented the half-time scoreboard alongside a photo of Doug Somner celebrating against Celtic.

The programme and insert are still available nowadays, but can command a much higher price tag than other issues of that season. Ensure that both are included before buying.

A crowd of 6,740 turned out in a sun-drenched Paisley to witness the rearranged fixture. Despite the home side forcing the early play, it was Kilmarnock who opened the scoring after 25 minutes. A series of crosses were repelled by the St. Mirren defence, but a John Bourke effort finally found the head of Paul Clarke ten yards out and he directed the ball past Billy Thomson.

Saints' revival began ten minutes into the second half. Derrick McDicken fouled Doug Somner some 25 yards out and Lex Richardson bent the resulting free kick around the defensive wall and behind Alan McCulloch in the visitors' goal for the equaliser. In 68 minutes, McDicken fouled Somner once again, this time in the penalty area, and Doug dusted himself down to put St. Mirren ahead with the resultant kick. Jimmy Bone then made the final score 3-1 with nine minutes remaining when he collected a crafty pass from Alan Logan to score off McCulloch's body.

Morton's 2-0 loss at Tannadice on the same afternoon meant that Saints moved up into third spot, which they made their own for the rest of the season.