For St Mirren fans of a certain age, one man’s name is guaranteed to set their hearts aflutter: Gudmundur Torfason.
In 1989, when foreign signings were still a relative novelty for many Scottish sides, the arrival of an Icelandic striker in Paisley had the locals purring with anticipation; the man affectionately known as ‘Gunni’ would quickly earn the status of cult hero on the Love Street terraces.
So, who was Gunni Torfason? St Mirren paid Austrian side Rapid Vienna £160,000 to bring the Icelandic international striker to Scotland. Torfason had previously been top scorer in his domestic league and won the Icelandic Player of the Year award in 1986. Despite being all but unknown to his Scottish audience, Torfason quickly set about stealing the hearts of St Mirren fans; the Icelandic striker scored two goals in his first game as a trialist. His first competitive goal for the Buddies came in a League Cup victory at Berwick Rangers in August ’89, and his first league goal followed later that month against Motherwell at Fir Park.
Torfason brings flare & ferocious free-kicks to Paisley
St Mirren supporter David Cochran recalls the buzz of excitement Torfason’s arrival brought at a time when Buddies fans needed something to cheer. Following Scottish Cup success in 1987, the Paisley side had endured two disappointing league campaigns; the Buddies narrowly avoided relegation in 1988 and finished a disappointing seventh place in the 10-team Premier Division a year later. “Gunni arrived in Paisley at a time when the club was struggling, and he brought a bit of flare to the team,” David says. “He was the first non-British/Irish player at the club since the 1960s, so he had a bit of mystery to him in the beginning. The fact that he had scored twice as an unknown trialist in his first game had the fans talking about him even before he signed.”
For football fans raised in the ‘digital age’, the mystery surrounding an international signing will be difficult to fathom. A short snippet on Teletext or the local newspaper were the sources of information between matches. However, Torfason’s stature quickly grew, thanks, in no small part, to his knack for scoring free-kicks. To adopt one of football’s great cliches, a free-kick on the edge of the box was ‘as good as a penalty’ for St Mirren in this era.
Gunni takes centre stage in Parkhead win
Arguably, Torfason’s most iconic moment in a St Mirren jersey came in April 1990 when the Paisley side travelled to Glasgow to play Celtic at Parkhead. Despite the Icelandic striker’s best efforts, the Buddies had endured another disappointing campaign and were without a league win in seven matches when they arrived in Glasgow’s east end.
Midway through the first half, with the score at 0-0, German midfielder Thomas Stickroth (who had joined St Mirren during the 1989/90 season) produced a fine piece of skill by the corner flag to lose his marker before sending an inviting cross into the heart of the Celtic penalty area. It was now Gunni’s moment; the Icelandic striker – who had just returned to the side having recovered from a broken rib – rose majestically above the Celtic defence and planted a firm header into the bottom corner of Pat Bonner’s net. Cue bedlam in the away section. In his match commentary, Archie Macpherson stated: “By any standards, that is a goal that ought to be considered in any competition for goal of the season.” Perhaps a stretch, but a fine goal, nonetheless. George Shaw added a second before the break and midfielder Paul Lambert sealed a famous 3-0 win for the Saints with a stunning goal in the second half.
David Cochran has fond memories of the Buddies’ victory at Parkhead – which they followed up with a crucial win against Dundee, who were relegated from the top flight at the end of the campaign – but his favourite ‘Gunni moment’ occurred earlier in the season in a match against Hibernian at Easter Road. “Gunni was on fire that day” David recalls from the afternoon of January 13, 1990. “He opened the scoring in the opening minutes with an overhead kick which turned out to be the winner and went on to terrorise the Hibs defence for the entire game. He rattled the woodwork on at least two or three occasions, if I remember correctly. He was unlucky not to get a hat-trick that day.”
Torfason ended the 1989/90 campaign as St Mirren’s top scorer with 13 goals. The Icelandic striker stayed in Paisley for a further two seasons and, despite suffering a series of injuries, was the club’s joint top scorer in season 90/91 and top scorer again in 91/92.
Gunni Torfason, the cult hero
Gunni Torfason’s maverick moments, his trademark free-kicks, and his cool name ensure he ticks all the boxes for cult hero status. For clubs that aren’t used to winning silverware on a regular basis, the cult hero has a special place in fans’ hearts. When a player like Torfason unexpectedly arrives on the scene, it can inject fans with a sense of hope. David Cochran discusses this important connection. “Every club needs the superstars and the legends, but they are often only there for short periods, or they don’t have a real bond with supporters,” he says. “Cult heroes have more of a connection with the fans either because of a long-term association with the club or some event that sets them apart from every other player. A reputation for wonder goals, crunching tackles or just for being ‘different’ in some way, either on the park or off. Fans love to relate to that type of player.”
Following three seasons with St Mirren, Torfason swapped the Paisley Saints for the Perth variety, St Johnstone, in 1992. He may not have had the same cult status as he enjoyed with the Buddies, but Gunni still managed a total of nine goals in 38 appearances for St Johnstone. The Icelandic striker moved on to English side Doncaster Rovers in 1994, where he spent one season before returning to his homeland in 1995.
Some final reflections from David Cochran confirm that Gunni’s status is alive and well among the St Mirren faithful. As we know very well, there is little football fans enjoy more than a dose of nostalgia. “Thirty years on and the name Torfason is still remembered and revered around Paisley,” he says.
“Those who saw him play will never forget and those too young have heard the stories and wish they had been there!”
David Cochran
But where does Gunni rank on the list of all-time St Mirren signings from abroad? “Of all the foreigners, only French keeper Ludovic Roy and Polish star of the 1940s Alfons Lesz played in more games for the club and only Gerry Baker, Lesz and fellow Icelander Tottie Beck scored more goals,” David says. “Torfason’s place in our history is secure.”
There we have it. If you ever find yourself stuck for a conversation starter in Paisley, remember the name.
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