UEFA CUP 1st Round, 1st Leg
17th September 1980
Ryavallen, Borås, Sweden
Elfsborg 1-2 St. Mirren
Nilsson15
SOMNER 43
ABERCROMBY 72
ATT: 3,776 (300 Saints fans)
Referee: Mauri Laakso (Finland)
- Saints record a vital win in their first ever European match, played in the town of Borås, eastern Sweden. As of 2024, it remains the only away match won in Europe by the club.
- The first ever European opponents are IL Elfsborg, a part time team using a communal stadium within the town, that they would eventually vacate in 2004 for a modern ground specifically designed for football.
- Although not a professional club in 1980, this was normal in Scandinavia until the 1990’s, and the Swedes could boast 4 international players in their squad.
- Despite falling behind to an early Nilsson goal, Doug Somner has the honour of scoring the first official European goal for the club just before half-time after good play from McCormack and McDougall. This is the prolific Somner’s 12th goal of the season, despite it being only mid September.
- As the match draws towards a conclusion, Billy Abercromby nets the winner with 18 minutes remaining as the Elfsborg defence fails to clear a Stark cross, justifying Saints attacking approach throughout the match.
- The 300 travelling Saints fans take delight in the win, predicted beforehand by a bullish Jim Clunie who believed the Paisley side to be a class above the Swedes.
TEAM LINEUPS
| IF ELFSBORG | NO | ST. MIRREN |
|---|---|---|
| SVENSSON Roger | 1 | THOMSON Billy |
MALBERG Leif  | 2 | YOUNG John |
| JOHANSSON Lennart | 3 | BECKETT Alex |
| SVENSSON Ingemar | 4 | RICHARDSON Lex |
| QVIST Christer | 5 | McCORMACK John |
| ANDERSEN Christer | 6 | COPLAND Jackie |
| AHLSTROM Goran | 7 | ABERCROMBY Billy |
| JOHANSSON Thomas | 8 | STARK Billy |
KLARSTROM Frank 67  | 9 | McDOUGALL Frank |
| GUSTAVSSON Hans-Olof 70 | 10 | SOMNER Doug |
| NILSSON Lennart | 11 | WEIR Peter |
HELLQVIST Christer 67  | 12 | DUNLOP Andy |
| SVENSSON Thomas 70 | 13 | LOGAN Alan |
| – | 14 | FULTON Mark |
| – | 15 | CURRAN Jeff |
| – | 16 | (GKPR) MONEY Campbell |
THE MATCH
THE TRIP
Stadium: Ryavallen, Borås, Sweden
1980 Capacity: 16,000
Record Attendance: 22,654 (1961)
1980 Town Population: 100,000
Distance From Paisley (air): 669 miles – 3 hour flight
Distance From Paisley (road): 1,355 miles – 25 hours drive
Times Played at Stadium: 1 (1 win)
THE STADIUM
Match Poster – Click on Image to purchase
All donations and purchases are used towards the research or cost of running the website.
One-Time
Monthly
Yearly
Make a one-time donation
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly donation
Choose an amount
£5.00
£15.00
£100.00
£5.00
£15.00
£100.00
£5.00
£15.00
£100.00
Or enter a custom amount
£
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.