Billy Little

Billy Little was born in Dumfries, Scotland, on 4 February 1940 and went to Dumfries Academy. He was capped at schoolboy level and in 1957 played in the Scotland schools side that beat England at Parkhead. He also played youth football for Dumfries St Vincent. Clubs on both sides of the border wanted him, and Aberdeen signed him on 29 June 1957.

Little made his Aberdeen debut in a League Cup tie on 14 September 1957, aged 17 years and 7 months. His first hat trick came in a 4-0 win over Hibernian on 18 October 1958. He was top scorer in 1958/59 and again in 1961/62, moving from inside right to centre forward in 1960/61. He played for the Scottish League, where Matt Busby singled out his performance, and for Scotland under 23s against England at Pittodrie in 1962. Over twelve years he scored 98 goals in 306 appearances, joint eleventh on the club's all time list. He missed the 1959 Scottish Cup final despite playing in every earlier round, and was left out again for the 1967 final against Celtic.

In 1969 he joined Melbourne Juventus in Australia, then returned to play for Inverness Caledonian, Falkirk, Stirling Albion and East Stirlingshire before retiring in 1973.

As a manager he took over at Falkirk in March 1977, moved to Queen of the South in 1979 and managed East Stirlingshire in the early 1980s, winning the Stirlingshire Cup in 1984/85. He joined Alloa Athletic in 1987 as assistant to Gregor Abel, helping them to the Scottish Cup quarter finals and promotion to the First Division in 1989, and became Alloa manager in February 1990. He returned to manage East Stirlingshire from 1993 to 1997.

Little studied while still playing and earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Aberdeen in 1966. He credited Eddie Turnbull, Aberdeen manager from 1965, with sparking his interest in coaching through new ideas on tactics and training. Details of his family were not set out in the club tributes published at his death.

Billy Little died on Friday 6 November 2026 at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, aged 86. No cause of death was given. Alloa Athletic announced the news the same day, and Aberdeen published an In Memoriam tribute on 7 November, promising a fuller tribute in its matchday magazine.

Little remains one of Aberdeen's most prolific forwards, with 98 goals that put him level with Davie Robb on the club's all time list, one ahead of Eoin Jess. As a manager in the lower divisions he was regarded as a forward thinking coach who gained qualifications early and gave young players a chance. His part in Alloa Athletic's 1989 promotion and his time leading his hometown club Queen of the South are remembered by both clubs.