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‘I was euphoric’: Billy Stark reflects on scoring in Aberdeen’s 1985 League Cup final triumph

The former Aberdeen midfielder scored the Dons' second in only the 12th minute as they cruised to a 3-0 win over Hibernian at Hampden Park.

Billy Stark in action for Aberdeen during the 1985-86 season.
Billy Stark in action for Aberdeen during the 1985-86 season.

Billy Stark still regards his League Cup final goal in 1985 as one of the best he scored in his career.

The former Aberdeen midfielder scored the Dons’ second in only the 12th minute as they cruised to a 3-0 win over Hibernian at Hampden Park.

Eric Black had opened the scoring in the 10th minute, before he bagged his brace just after the hour mark.

It was the first time Stark had found the back of the net in a cup final and he would go on to repeat the feat later that season when he scored in Aberdeen’s Scottish Cup final win over Hearts.

Stark, 67, recalled how he felt when his header, from a right-footed cross sent in by John Hewitt, beat Hibs goalkeeper Alan Rough.

He said: “I was euphoric.

“It was complete euphoria for me because that was my first goal in a cup final.

“I scored in the Scottish Cup final later that season, but the League Cup was my first-ever goal in a final.

Billy Stark. Image: SNS.

“When you sit back after your career is over, the greatest satisfaction you get is being league champions because it’s over so many months and you go through so many different things with your team, like injuries, that you have to overcome.

“But the greatest thrill for me was scoring in the cup finals, without a doubt. The immediate joyous hit that you get from it is hard to beat.

“I feel for the guys nowadays that when they score in a cup final they have to wait for VAR to find out if it stands.

“Part of my job was to score goals, so it wasn’t a rarity but to score in both cup finals in the one season was something I am still very proud of.”

Sir Alex finally gets hands on League Cup but focus was on club not him

The 1985-86 League Cup triumph over Hibs completed Sir Alex Ferguson’s collection of domestic trophies as Aberdeen boss.

And although it had eluded him up until that point, Stark says the former Dons manager did not use it as a personal motivation, as his focus was always entirely centred on the club.

Stark said: “It was the usual build-up final that we were reasonably used to, but maybe not so much for the League Cup final.

“Sir Alex didn’t mention that it was the only trophy that he hadn’t won because it was never about him.

“It was always about the club and the team. I’m sure he had it in his mind, but he certainly did not use it as a motivating factor.

Billy Stark celebrates with Eric Black, who had just scored Aberdeen's third goal in the League Cup final win over Hibs.
Billy Stark celebrates with Eric Black, who had just scored Aberdeen’s third goal in the League Cup final win over Hibs. Image: Shutterstock.

“The one thing he was very proud of was that we didn’t lose a goal throughout the whole competition.

“Only Willie (Miller) had a League Cup winner’s medal before as a player, so there was extra motivation for us as players to try and get our hands on the medal.

“I don’t remember Sir Alex using that as a personal motivation for his own trophy haul, but all the players were keen to do it because we hadn’t before.”

With the cup final being played in October, there were plenty more games to be played – and one only three days later – after Aberdeen lifted their first bit of silverware that season.

So for Sir Alex, it was business as usual after a night of celebration as the Dons prepared for the league match away to Hearts.

Stark explained: “It was quite remarkable, on the day we won the cup the manager would be joining in and be as happy as Larry – a great character and personality, but the very next day – and it was visible – he was switched off from that and it was history.

“That was a big thing that he did with the players. He made the team have the same mentality. It was the next game which was now the most important thing.

“Even after the League Cup final, we knew we had a game coming up that we had to be ready for.”

Sir Alex Ferguson. Image: SNS.

Like Barry Robson’s squad will have to contend with ahead of their final against Rangers, Stark and his team-mates had played a midweek European tie in the days prior to their triumph.

Stark said: “The League Cup final was different because we had the midweek game in Geneva against Servette, so had to travel there and back and then most of it is was recovery.

“We maybe had one and a bit training sessions to prepare for the final, but the club and the team were so used to big occasions.

“We certainly didn’t become blasé about any of it because if we had then it wouldn’t have resulted in the medals and trophies.”

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