Steve Archibald

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Steven Archibald (born 27 September 1956 in Glasgow) is a retired Scottish footballer and manager.

[edit] Playing career

He first came to prominence playing in midfield for Scottish First Division side Clyde, but was converted to striker when he signed for Aberdeen, forging a prolific partnership with Joe Harper. After winning the Scottish Premier Division title in 1980, he had a four year spell with London club Tottenham Hotspur, where he won FA Cup winners medals in 1981 and 1982 and the UEFA Cup in 1984, where he scored his penalty in the final as Spurs overcame Anderlecht in a shootout. He also scored for Spurs in their defeat to Liverpool in the 1982 Football League Cup Final.

Archibald scored 77 goals in 189 appearances for Spurs between 1980 and 1984, forming successful striking partnerships with Garth Crooks and Mark Falco. He was a member of the Scottish national team at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. In 1984 he joined Barcelona, where he was a popular figure until restrictions on fielding foreign players led to him being excluded from the squad in favour of Gary Lineker and Mark Hughes. He was loaned out to Blackburn Rovers for a spell prior to a surprise return to Scottish football with Hibernian. After a brief return to Spanish Liga with RCD Espanyol, he joined St Mirren and was influential in bringing former Barça teammate Victor Muñoz to the club.

Archibald's later career saw him make a handful of appearances at a number of clubs in Scotland, England and Ireland, including a nostalgic return to Clyde.

[edit] Management and the Airdrie experiment

Archibald's time at East Fife saw the club gain promotion to the First Division, and was also notable for the acquisition of Trinidad and Tobago internationalists Arnold Dwarika and Craig Demmin. However, he was sacked in 1996 and retired to his home in Spain for the next few years, working on a number of business interests, including as a football agent.

In 2000 Archibald re-emerged in Scottish football when he mounted a bid to buy financially troubled First Division club Airdrieonians. Archibald was allowed to take over the running of the club after being awarded preferred bidder status by the administrators. He installed himself as manager and, using his contacts in Europe, introduced a contingent of Spaniards and other foreign players to the squad.

Although Airdrie supporters were impressed by Archibald and the skills of the imports, he ultimately failed to conclude the purchase of the club, leading to the departure of himself and the foreign players in March 2001, and causing them to narrowly miss out on relegation to the Second Division. They had also been expelled from the Scottish Cup for failing to fulfill a fixture. Airdrieonians went out of business on 1 May 2002, although a new club called Airdrie United was formed and took Clydebank's place in the Scottish Football League.

[edit] Music career

Archibald appeared twice on the same episode of Top of the Pops in 1982, firstly singing "We have a Dream" with the Scotland World Cup squad starring B. A. Robertson and then alongside his Tottenham Hotspur team mates and Chas & Dave singing "Tottenham Tottenham".

[edit] Honours

[edit] As a player

Aberdeen F.C.

• Scottish Premier Division Winner: 1980

Tottenham Hotspur

• FA Cup winner: 1981
• FA Cup winner: 1982
• UEFA Cup winner: 1984

FC Barcelona

• Spanish League winner: 1985

[edit] External links

• Steve Archibald — at Sporting Heroes
• Profile from The Scotsman, focusing mainly on the Airdrie situation
• International statistics from SFA website

v • d • e Scotland squad – 1982 FIFA World Cup 1 Rough • 2 McGrain • 3 Gray • 4 Souness • 5 Hansen • 6 Miller • 7 Strachan • 8 Dalglish • 9 Brazil • 10 Wark • 11 Robertson • 12 Wood • 13 McLeish • 14 Narey • 15 Jordan • 16 Hartford • 17 Evans • 18 Archibald • 19 Sturrock • 20 Provan • 21 Burley • 22 Leighton • Coach: Stein

v • d • e Scotland squad – 1986 FIFA World Cup 1 Leighton • 2 Gough • 3 Malpas • 4 Souness • 5 McLeish • 6 Miller • 7 Strachan • 8 Aitken • 9 Bannon • 10 Bett • 11 McStay • 12 Goram • 13 Nicol • 14 Narey • 15 Albiston • 16 McAvennie • 17 Archibald • 18 Sharp • 19 Nicholas • 20 Sturrock • 21 Cooper • 22 Rough • Coach: Ferguson