William Stevenson (26 October 1939 â 27 May 2025) was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played for Rangers, Liverpool, Stoke City, Tranmere Rovers and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Stevenson was born in Leith on 26 October 1939. He played for Edina Hearts and Dalkeith Thistle before turning professional with Rangers. He immediately became a regular in the side, winning the Scottish Football League in his first season and the Scottish Cup in his second while also being involved in the semi-finals of the 1959âÂÂ60 European Cup and earning selection for the Scottish Football League XI, but then lost his first team place after Jim Baxter joined Rangers in 1960.
After he was displaced by Baxter, Stevenson declined to sign a new contract with Rangers and went out to Australia in the summer of 1962, but was still registered with the Glasgow club and was not permitted to play official matches with local clubs, so he returned to Scotland and both Liverpool and Preston North End put in bids to sign him.
Bill Shankly paid ã20,000 to bring the 22-year-old to Liverpool in October 1962. He made his debut in the 2âÂÂ1 home league defeat to Burnley on 3 November 1962, he scored his first goal in a 5âÂÂ0 victory over Leyton Orient at Anfield, Stevenson managed to hit the net in the 35th minute, Roger Hunt with a hat-trick and Ian St John scored the others. Stevenson helped the Reds gain the 1963âÂÂ64 First Division title in only their 2nd season back in the top flight of English football, he featured in 38 of the 42 league games thus cementing a starting role on the left of the Reds midfield.
Stevenson played a major role in winning of Liverpool's first ever FA Cup in 1965, he played in all of the ties scoring the second goal from the penalty spot in the 2âÂÂ0 semi-final victory over Chelsea at Villa Park. Leeds United stood in Shankly's team's way and after a 0âÂÂ0 draw in 90 minutes, goals from Hunt and St John beat the Elland Road club by 2 goals to 1 to take the trophy go to Anfield after a 72-year wait. The following campaign, again, saw silverware head to Merseyside as the Reds took the league title once more. Stevenson missed just the one fixture and scored five times as Liverpool topped the table by a comfortable six points over Leeds. He also tasted disappointment, however, as Borussia Dortmund beat Liverpool 2âÂÂ1 in the European Cup Winners Cup final at Hampden Park, the 1st European final the Anfield club had reached.
Shankly had bought 19-year-old Emlyn Hughes from Blackpool in February 1967 and selected him ahead of Stevenson at the beginning of the 1967âÂÂ68 season â this proved to be a turning point in Stevenson's career, he got the nod just once in the league and three times in the Fairs Cup. By December 1967 he was on his way, leaving for Stoke City.
Stoke manager Tony Waddington paid ã30,000 for Stevenson as a replacement for the departed Calvin Palmer. He played 20 games in 1967âÂÂ68 and 34 times in 1968âÂÂ69 as Stoke had two poor seasons, narrowly avoiding relegation. A much improved 1969âÂÂ70 campaign saw Stevenson play 23 games as Stoke finished in 9th. He played six matches at the start of 1970âÂÂ71 before injury ruled him out for the remainder of the season. He played 25 games in 1971âÂÂ72, including an appearance in an early round during Stoke's path to victory in the Football League Cup, which was Stoke's only major trophy at the time of Stevenson's death. However, Stevenson was injured when Stoke won the Football League Cup final. He played in just three games in 1972âÂÂ73. At the end of the season he left the Victoria Ground after making 112 appearances and scoring seven goals.
Stevenson joined Third Division Tranmere Rovers where he made 27 appearances.
In 1974, he joined the Vancouver Whitecaps in the newly formed North American Soccer League (NASL). He played in Vancouver for one season.
Stevenson then played for Limerick before returning to the UK to play for non-league Macclesfield Town. He also spent a short time in South Africa playing for Hellenic.
Stevenson spent time as a publican and then ran a contract cleaning company in Macclesfield.
Stevenson died on 27 May 2025, at the age of 85.
Rangers
Liverpool
Stoke City