St Mirren Scottish Cup Final Appearances

16/05/1987 – Dundee Utd (N)

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Scottish Cup Final
16th May 1987
Hampden Park, Glasgow

St. Mirren 1-0 Dundee Utd

FERGUSON 111

ATT: 51,782

Referee: Kenny Hope

  • Following a tense match that stretched through extra time into 2 hours of play, Saints emerged victors from the so called “Family Final” thanks to a late Ian Ferguson goal.
  • Backed by 35,000 fans, Saints shrugged off the underdog tag against UEFA Cup finalists Utd, with manager Alex Smith tactically outwitting the legendary Jim McLean to deliver a priceless success for the club.
  • Match-winner Ferguson, scored in every round apart from the Quarter Final win at Starks Park, and his thunderous left foot half volley from close range following a great move involving Campbell Money, Billy Abercromby and both Hamilton’s, (Derek and Brian) was enough to win the cup.
  • This goal knocked the stuffing out of the Tannadice side following over 100 minutes of stalemate, and Saints almost added to the lead on numerous occasions, before the final whistle sounded to deliver the cup to Paisley for the third time.
  • Team captain for the day Billy Abercromby lifted the trophy, at the insistence of close friend and club captain Tony Fitzpatrick, who had been introduced as a sub after 88 minutes following a long period out with injury.

St. MirrenNoDundee Utd
Campbell Money1Billy Thomson
Tommy Wilson2John Holt
Derek Hamilton3John Clark
Billy Abercromby4Jim McInally
David Winnie5Maurice Malpas
Neil Cooper6David Narey
Frank McGarvey7Iain Ferguson 
Ian Ferguson8David Bowman
Kenny McDowall 749Eamonn Bannon
Brian Hamilton1076 Paul Sturrock
Paul Lambert 8811116 Ian Redford
Tony Fitzpatrick 8812116 Paul Hegarty
Ian Cameron 7414 76 Kevin Gallacher

1987 Scottish Cup Winning Team
Back Row, Left to R: Tony Fitzpatrick, Paul Lambert, Ian Cameron, David Winnie, Brian Hamilton, Campbell Money and Bobby Holmes (Physio)
Front Row: Frank McGarvey, Alex Smith (manager), Derek Hamilton, Billy Abercromby, Kenny McDowall, Neil Cooper, Tommy Wilson and Ian Ferguson

21/04/1962 – Rangers (N)

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Scottish Cup Final
21st April 1962
Hampden Park, Glasgow

Rangers 2-0 St. Mirren

Brand 40
Wilson 58

ATT: 127,940

Referee: Tiny Wharton

  • In the 5th Scottish Cup final played by the club, Saints are beaten 2-0 by league runners up Rangers, following goals from Ralph Brand and Davie Wilson.
  • However, Saints have periods of domination throughout the match, with George McLean and Tommy Bryceland controlling the midfield area ahead of the highly rated Jim Baxter and Ian McMillan.
  • Rangers take their chances however, in front of the largest attendance Saints are ever likely to play in front of, and still the 10th highest ever recorded in Europe for a domestic match.
  • The crucial goals came just before and after half time, frustratingly lost during key parts of the match and the second in particular scored against the run of play, leaving Saints with too big a task to get back into the match.

RangersNoSt. Mirren
Billy Ritchie1Bobby Williamson
Bobby Shearer2Bobby Campbell
Eric Caldow3John Wilson
Harold Davis4Rab Stewart
Ronnie McKinnon5Jim Clunie
Jim Baxter6George McLean
Willie Henderson7Tommy Henderson
Ian McMillan8Tommy Bryceland
Jimmy Millar9Don Kerrigan
Ralph Brand10Willie Fernie
Davie Wilson11Þór Beck

25/04/1959 – Aberdeen (N)

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Scottish Cup Final
25th April 1959
Hampden Park, Glasgow

St. Mirren 3-1 Aberdeen

BRYCELAND 43
MILLER 65
BAKER 76
Baird 89

ATT: 108,591

Referee: Jack Mowatt

  • Highly fancied Saints proved the critics right by comfortably disposing of the Dons to bring the Cup back to Paisley for the second time.
  • The red hot forward line do the business once more for Saints, with Tommy Bryceland opening the scoring with a brilliant header from 15 yards just before half time.
  • Alistair Miller added a second from close range midway through the 2nd half before Gerry Baker completed the feat of scoring in every round by clinically finding the top corner from just inside the box with 14 minutes remaining.
  • Aberdeen grabbed a late consolation, but Saints wouldn’t be denied and the roar at full time from Hampden Park could be heard at Paisley Cross.
  • The attendance was one of only two matches in Scotland that has ever attracted over 100,000 with either old firm club not playing.
  • The numbers travelling from Aberdeen were estimated at 10,000, with close to 70,000 making the journey on behalf of Saints and the rest were neutrals.
  • Captain David Lapsley retired after the match.

St. MirrenNoAberdeen
Dave Walker1Fred Martin
David Lapsley2Dave Caldwell
John Wilson3Jimmy Hogg
Jackie Neilson4Ken Brownlee
Jackie McGugan5Jim Clunie
Tommy Leishman6Archie Glen
Jim Rodger7Dickie Ewen
Tommy Bryceland8Norrie Davidson
Gerry Baker9Hugh Baird
Tommy Gemmell10Bobby Wishart
Alistair Miller11Jack Hather

1959 Scottish Cup Winning team:
Back row L to R: E McGarvie (Trainer), John “Cockles” Wilson, Gerry Baker, Dave Walker, Jackie Neilson, Jackie McGugan, Tommy Leishman.
Front Row: Jim Rodger, Tommy Bryceland, David Lapsley, Tommy Gemmell, Alistair Miller.

21/04/1934 – Rangers (N)

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Scottish Cup Final
21st April 1934
Hampden Park, Glasgow

Rangers 5-0 St. Mirren

Nicholson
Nicholson
McPhail
Main
Smith

ATT: 113,430

Referee:

  • Saints hopes of lifting the cup for the second time in 8 seasons were extinguished savagely by a rampant Rangers at Hampden Park.
  • Record goalscorer Davie McCrae was not selected for the final, with the veteran dropping out of favour during the campaign, despite scoring 14 times from 22 matches, including 4 Scottish Cup goals from as many matches.
  • Even the great McCrae wouldn’t have saved Saints however, and in front of the biggest crowd any St. Mirren team had played in front of at that point, as well as the promise of an overcoat for each player from local tailor, McAthur’s, Saints were resoundingly thrashed by the Govan side.
  • The official club minutes covering the match simply stated one word; “BAD” before moving on to the next item on the agenda.

RangersNoSt. Mirrren
Tom Hamilton1Jimmy McCloy
Dougie Gray2Walter Hay
Whitey McDonald3Bobby Ancell
Davie Meiklejohn4Allan Gebbie
Jimmy Simpson5Fulton T. Wilson
George Brown6John Miller
Bobby Main7Jimmy Knox
James Marshall8John Latimer
Willie Nicholson9Jimmy McGregor
Jimmy Smith10James McCabe
Bob McPhail11John Phillips

18/04/1908 – Celtic (N)

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Scottish Cup Final
18th April 1908
Hampden Park, Glasgow

Celtic 5-1 St. Mirren

Bennett 10
Quinn 36
Bennett 48
CUNNINGHAM 53
Hamilton 61
Somers 85

ATT: 58,000

Referee: J. Ferguson

  • Saints first ever Scottish Cup final, reached at the 27th attempt, ends in a heavy defeat to league champions, Celtic.
  • James Cunningham becomes the first Saints player to score in a national cup final, but it’s scant consolation at 3-0 down, and Celtic would add another 2 before full-time to complete a disappointing afternoon for the club.
  • The Paisley Express and Glasgow Herald reported thousands of buddies made the trip to Glasgow by train and brake car (supporters traveling by horse and carriage), as well as the more recent invention of automobile.
  • The club initially only commissioned 11 medals, which were given to players that appeared in the final AND were retained by the club for the following season, meaning Andrew Anderson and Dan Gordon never received one.
  • The club eventually paid for a further 4 medals, however gave them to Mr Laidlaw, a linesman for the day, as well as players James Wilson and Tom Milne who missed the final, and manager John McCartney!

CelticNoSaints
Davey Adams1James Grant
Alec McNair2Dan Gordon
Jimmy Weir3David White
James Young4William Key
Willie Loney5Robert Robertson
Jimmy Hay6Michael McAvoy
Alec Bennett7Harry Clements
Jimmy McMenemy8James Cunningham
Jimmy Quinn9David Wyllie
Peter Somers10Tom Paton
Davie Hamilton11Andrew Anderson

Left, James Cunningham and right, a press ticket for the 1908 Cup Final (Getty Images)