William Christopher McColl (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish retired footballer. He played as a midfielder for Clydebank, Ayr United, Clyde and Albion Rovers in the 1970s and 1980s, winning the Scottish Second Division title twice.

Billy McColl
Personal information
Full name William Christopher McColl
Date of birth (1954-12-25) 25 December 1954 (age 69)
Place of birth Shettleston, Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Midfield
Youth career
Drumchapel Amateurs
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1978 Clydebank[1] 152 (23)
1978–1981 Ayr United[2] 88 (1)
1981–1983 Clyde[3] 47 (0)
1983 Albion Rovers[4] 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early life

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Billy McColl was born in the Shettleston area of Glasgow on 25 December 1954.[5]

Playing career

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A product of the Glasgow youth team Drumchapel Amateurs, McColl began his senior career with Clydebank, signing for them as a 17-year-old in November 1972.[5] He was a member of the squad that won the inaugural Second Division title in 1975-76 before going on to win promotion to the Premier Division a year later, the first time the club had appeared in the top flight of Scottish football. In 1976, McColl scored the opening goal of a 2–2 draw with St Mirren at Kilbowie Park in what was the last senior match in England or Scotland ever to be played on Christmas Day (also McColl's birthday).[6] He would make over 150 Scottish League appearances for Clydebank before a transfer to Ayr United in 1978.

In 1981 McColl joined Clyde under the management of Craig Brown and won another Second Division championship medal in season 1981-82. His last senior club was Albion Rovers in 1983 where he made just a single league appearance before retiring.

After football

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After leaving football, McColl went into business as a sub-postmaster and newsagent in Netherlee, East Renfrewshire.[7] His son Barry McColl also played Scottish League football, for Queen's Park in the 1990s. In 2019, Billy McColl was inducted into the Clydebank F.C. Hall of Fame.[8]

Honours

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Clydebank

Clyde

References

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  1. ^ http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/clydebank/clydebank.html [bare URL]
  2. ^ http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/ayr/ayr.html [bare URL]
  3. ^ http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/clyde/clyde.html [bare URL]
  4. ^ http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/albion/albion.html [bare URL]
  5. ^ a b "Billy McColl Player Profile". Bankies Archive. Clydebank F.C. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  6. ^ Macpherson, Graeme (24 December 2014). "Recalling Christmas Day football in Clydebank......and Fergie berating the linesman". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  7. ^ White, Neil (3 April 2005), "Caught in Time: Craig Brown's Clyde win the Second Division title, 1982", The Sunday Times, London[dead link]
  8. ^ "Clydebank FC Hall of Fame". Bankies Archive. Clydebank F.C. Retrieved 28 June 2021.