Back Of The Net Exhibition 4 Of 11

[thewhiteman]

Back of the Net Exhibition 4 of 11

http://www.smisa.net/

http://www.museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk/member/paisley-museum-and-art-galleries

MEMORABLE MATCHES

Supporters remember games for a number of different reasons, whether getting a win against impossible odds, crazy score-lines or off-field events taking centre stage over the action on the pitch.

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First football match I ever went to was at Love Street, St.Mirren vs Berwick Rangers, a League Cup game in July 1978. I would have been 7 years old. Cant remember much about the game but the Saints won 5-1 and I thought this will do me! My dad would take me to the home games (unless either half of the Old Firm were visiting!) and we went for the next three seasons before moving away from Paisley, making Saturday afternoon visits to Love Street an impossibility. They were a great few seasons for the team and I only ever saw them lose twice in all the games I went to, to Hibs and Morton, which was actually at Cappielow, a rare trip to an away game! John P.

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St Mirrens biggest ever victory was in a Scottish Cup game in January 1960 against Glasgow University when they won 15-0, with one player, Gerry Baker, scoring 10. There was also the 1961 Scottish Cup game in which we drew Third Lanark. The game at Love Street ended 3-each. We then went to Cathkin for the replay the following Wednesday night and beat them 8- nil! Ramon W.

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Anglo-Scottish Cup first leg of the quarter final in 1980, the year we won the trophy. The away game was one of my best experiences following the Buddies. I was totally convinced we were out. Home leg had been won 4-2 but away we lost 2-0 in 90 min to two Sam Allardyce goals (whatever happened to him?!). Aggregate result was 4-4 so we are out on away goals. Right?

Wrong! A quirk of the Anglo-Scottish was that away goals only counted after extra-time. Cracking Jimmy Bone goal in extra time sealed the tie 5-4 and the rest is history. I loved the Anglo-Scottish. Some great days out in minor English towns and cities.

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St. Mirren v Hearts sometime in the early 60s. St Mirren had a centre-forward called Tommy White. Hearts were a big team at the time and St Mirren were not expected to win. During the course of the game the goalkeeper got injured and Tommy White ended up in goals, even though he had never played in goals in his life! White played the game of his life and some of the saves he made were incredible, unbelievable. It was one of those fairy-tale days and St. Mirren won 3-2. Alan C.

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Another famous St Mirren victory was at Ibrox in season 1959/60. Saints won 3-1 in a very wet day. I was glad I went to that game as Saints were at their very best and Rangers were chasing shadows for long periods of the match.

Ranger's right back was Bobby Shearer and he played 'keepie-uppie' with Alistair Miller or any Saints player who dared venture into his backyard initially. The best way to repay that was to step up a gear and simply leave him lost and forlorn with some great football by Miller. It is not an exaggeration to say that Shearer was taken to the cleaners.

I remember the Evening Citizen newspaper headline SMIRREN REIGN AT IBROX - a never-to-be-forgotten headline and match. The journalist that wrote that must have been a Buddie! K.C.

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Some might argue that the 1959 Cup Final victory over Aberdeen was the Saints finest hour, but for me their best game was early on in the 1958-59 season when they played host to Celtic at Love Street. We knew we had not a bad team and fancied our chances against anyone and there was a good feeling when Celtic came to visit in August. That was until they took a two goal lead in the first 25 minutes! Even at 2-0 down though Saints were a better team, and with 40 minutes on the clock Tommy Bryceland and Tommy Gemmell scored a goal each to put things level. Saints were then awarded a free kick and David Lapsley, the hardest shot in Scottish football, let rip from 30 yards and we went 3-2 up at half-time.

The second half was all St Mirren, with Jackie Neilson adding a fourth and Bryceland another two. Celtic were awarded a last minute penalty (that should never have been!) but at the end of the day St.Mirren came out 6-3 winners. So then it was straight from the footy to queue outside the pub for 5 oclock opening where we celebrated until closing time! K.P.

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There was the season (1968/69) that Colin Stein joined Rangers from Hibs. He scored a hat-trick in his first two games. When they came to Love Street they were expected to run all over St Mirren, but the Saints stopped them in their tracks and beat them 1-nil. The scorer was Hugh Gilshin, who had joined the team from Johnstone Burgh. That was Gilshins claim to fame he was hopeless, but he scored the goal that beat Rangers and stopped Stein getting another hat-trick! Alan C.

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6th May 2000, Inverness Caly Thistle v St Mirren. Inverness were 4-0 up and the St. Mirren fans were shouting we want 5, gave a loud cheer when it was scored, and then invaded the pitch at the final whistle because, despite the 5-0 scoreline, we had won the First Division! Carol C.