Rangers And Liverpool Title Winner Stevenson Dies At 85

Willie Stevenson, a former midfielder who earned league crowns both north and south of the border, has passed away at 85.

The player, originally from Edinburgh, featured prominently during the 1958-59 season when Rangers secured the league title. He followed that up with a Scottish Cup triumph the following year while still with the Ibrox side.

However, as “the legendary Jim Baxter” rose to prominence, Stevenson transferred to Liverpool in October 1962 for £20,000. There, he would become “one of iconic Anfield manager Bill Shankly’s favourite players”.

At Liverpool, Stevenson played a pivotal role in securing league victories in both 1964 and 1966, and was instrumental in winning “the Reds’ first FA Cup in 1965”.

Though he never represented his country at the international level, Stevenson achieved notable success with two of Britain’s top football institutions. During his first four full campaigns in England, he missed just nine top-flight games.

He found the net 18 times for Liverpool, notably scoring “the penalty that clinched a 2-0 semi-final win against Chelsea on the way to the maiden FA Cup win”.

In the final showdown against Leeds United, Stevenson was among “one of four Scots in the Liverpool team with four also in Don Revie’s side”, helping secure a 2-1 victory after extra time.

There were setbacks, too. He experienced a major one in 1966 when Liverpool were beaten by Borussia Dortmund in “the final of the 1966 Cup Winners’ Cup at Hampden Park”.

His last match in a Liverpool shirt came in November 1967, only three days after netting “a late penalty to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1”.

Following his time at Liverpool, Stevenson continued his football journey, representing clubs such as Stoke City, Tranmere Rovers, Vancouver Whitecaps, Limerick, and Macclesfield Town.