Billy Stark

Football player infobox
playername = Billy Stark
fullname = William Stark


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1956|12|1
cityofbirth = Glasgow
countryofbirth = Scotland
currentclub = Scotland under-21 (manager)
position = Midfielder (retired)
years = 1975-1983
1983-1987
1987-1990
1990-1992
1992-1993
1993-1994
clubs = St Mirren
Aberdeen
Celtic
Kilmarnock
Hamilton Academical
Kilmarnock
caps(goals) = 255 (60)
109 (41)
064 (17)
022 0(6)
014 0(0)
036 0(3)
manageryears = 1994-1997
1997-2000
2001-2004
2004-2008
2008-present
managerclubs = Celtic (Assistant Manager)
Greenock Morton
St. Johnstone
Queen's Park
Scotland under-21

Billy Stark (born December 1, 1956) is a former Scottish footballer and current Scottish youth teams national coach.

Born in Glasgow, Stark made his professional debut in 1975 in nearby Paisley for St. Mirren. Two years later he won his first honour, a First Division Championship medal. After 255 games for St. Mirren, scoring 60 goals, he was signed by Aberdeen for £80,000. During a period of success for the side, he helped Aberdeen to win a European Super Cup in 1983, a Premier League and Scottish Cup in 1984, another league title the following year and a League Cup and Scottish Cup Double in 1986.

In 1987 Billy McNeill signed Stark to play in Celtic's midfield for a £100,000 fee. In three seasons with the club he won two further Scottish Cups and a League Cup, before leaving for Kilmarnock for two seasons. in 1992 he transferred to Hamilton Academical as a player/coach, but returned to Kilmarnock the following year under manager and former Celtic colleague Tommy Burns.

In 1994 Stark retired from playing, having scored over 100 league goals, and became Burns' assistant as he took over as Celtic manager. When Burns left Celtic in 1997, Stark managed the side for 3 matches before leaving himself. Stark then had spells managing Greenock Morton and St Johnstonecite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/1580714.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=Stark is new Saints boss|date=2001-10-05] before becoming Queen's Park manager in 2004cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/q/queens_park/3605522.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=Spiders appoint Stark boss|date=2004-08-27] .

Stark led Queen's to one of their greatest results of modern times in August 2006 at Firhill Stadium, when Queen's Park beat Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw in the CIS Insurance League Cupcite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/5271286.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=Queen's Pk 0-0 Aberdeen (5-3 pen)|date=2006-08-22,] . Stark also lead the Glasgow club to promotion from the Scottish Third Division and later hailed the achievement as the highlight of his football careercite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/q/queens_park/6650417.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=Stark hails highlight of career|date=2007-05-12] .

On January 1, 2008, Stark announced that he was leaving Queen's Park to oversee the Scottish national youth teams, a role that involves managing the Scotland national under-21 football team.

References