Stuart McLean (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stuart Donald McLean | ||
| Date of birth | 13 December 1955 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | Right-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1972–1974 | Darvel Juniors | ||
| 1974–1990 | Kilmarnock | 475 | (13) |
| National team | |||
| 1980 | Scottish League XI | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Stuart McLean is a former Scottish footballer. In his professional career McLean played only for Kilmarnock, amassing over 500 games in all competitions over sixteen seasons and is third on the club's all-time appearance list.
McLean was born in 1955 and was a right-back. He joined Kilmarnock as a teenager from Ayrshire club Darvel Juniors in 1974, and spent some time in the youth team Kilmarnock Star alongside future team-mate at senior level, Paul Clarke. After making his debut in November 1974 versus Clyde in a 4-2 defeat a few weeks before his 19th birthday, McLean thereafter became a regular in the first-team under Willie Fernie, starting 19 league games during that season in Scotland's top flight. However, while Kilmarnock finished 12th of 18 clubs, they were one of eight that missed out in the mid-1970s divisional restructure.
During McLean's spell at Kilmarnock the club had fallen from grace, after having been Scottish champions in 1965. Following their first relegation prior to McLean's arrival, the club suffered financial problems and had to revert to part-time status throughout the 1980s, even when in the Premier Division. McLean celebrated three promotions to the top flight in 1976, 1979 and 1982 (runners-up on each occasion) and then suffered three further relegations back to the second tier in 1977, 1981 and 1983 respectively. After the 1988–89 season, Kilmarnock were relegated to the third tier of Scottish football for the first time in their history, finishing second bottom - despite beating last-placed Queen of the South 6-0 at Palmerston Park in the final match of the season, Killie lost out on goal difference by one solitary goal as Clyde escaped.
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