Willie Garner
Personal information
Full name William Garner
Date of birth (1955-07-24) 24 July 1955
Place of birth Stirling, Scotland
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
0000–1975 Campsie Black Watch
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1975–1981 Aberdeen 113 (1)
1981–1982 Celtic 1 (0)
1981–1982 → Alloa Athletic (loan) 7 (1)
1982–1983 → Rochdale (loan) 4 (0)
1982–1984 Alloa Athletic 48 (6)
1984–1986 Aberdeen 0 (0)
1986–1987 Cove Rangers
1987–1988 Rosslyn Sport
1988–1990 Keith
1990 Stoneywood
1990–1992 Berwick Rangers 47 (1)
1992–1995 Craigroyston
1995–1997 Newtongrange Star
Total 221 (9)
Managerial career
1982–1984 Alloa Athletic (player-manager)
1984–1986 Aberdeen (player-assistant)
1988–1990 Keith (player-manager)
1992–1995 Craigroyston (player-manager)
1995–1999 Newtongrange Star (player-manager)
2000–2002 Harthill Royal
2005–2006 Glenrothes
2008–2011 Tayport
2014 Ballingry Rovers
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Garner (born 24 July 1955), also known as Willie Garner is a Scottish former footballer best known for playing for Aberdeen. He is now a manager, mainly of clubs in the junior ranks of Scottish football.

Career

Garner was born in Stirling and raised in Denny; he was a Celtic supporter in childhood.[1] He signed for Aberdeen from Campsie Black Watch in 1975, and was part of the team which won the Scottish League Cup in 1976[2] and the Scottish Premier Division in 1980,[1] although a broken leg suffered in 1978 had allowed teenager Alex McLeish the opportunity to take the starting place.[1] Garner left Aberdeen in 1981 to join Celtic, but the move was a disappointment for all concerned: he only played two first team games, scored two own goals on his debut and fell behind the emerging David Moyes in the backup list.[1]

He joined Alloa Athletic in 1982 as player-manager aged 27,[1] before returning to Aberdeen in February 1984 to become assistant manager to Alex Ferguson. After two years as Ferguson's number two, during which the club won five major honours,[1] he played for a number of Highland League and Junior clubs before signing for Berwick Rangers, where he remained for two years before retiring in 1992.

Garner was manager of Scottish Junior Football Association, East Region side Ballingry Rovers between October and November 2014, when they folded after 62 years in existence.

Garner has most recently been appointed to the newly formed "Football Monitoring Board" at Aberdeen.This taskforce has been assembled outwith of any AGM, EGM nor was there any public knowledge of such group. Fellow members are Stewart Milne, Dave Cormack and Steven Gunn.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[3]

Club Seasons League National Cup League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Aberdeen 1975–76 Scottish Premier Division 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 0
1976–77 36 0 3 0 11 0 0 0 50 0
1977–78 35 1 6 0 6 0 2 0 49 1
1978–79 12 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 15 0
1979–80 20 0 1 0 11 2 2 0 34 2
1980–81 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 4 0
Total 113 1 11 0 31 2 6 0 161 3
Celtic 1981-82 Scottish Premier Division 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 0
1982-83 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 0
Rochdale (loan) 1982-83 Fourth Division 4 0 0 0 1 0 - - 5 0

Honours

Aberdeen

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "I scored two own goals on my Celtic debut then we won the 5- a-sides at Wembley," Willie Garner, The Celtic Star, 20 February 2018
  2. ↑ McGoldrick, Kevin (23 February 2005). "The Glens of Tranquillity". Daily Record.
  3. ↑ "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  • Willie Garner at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
  • Profile at AFC Heritage Trust
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