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)