Born in 1953, Willie Pettigrew’s early playing days were anything but straightforward. He started with Hibs, yet, in what now seems an almost laughable oversight, he failed to break into the first team and soon found himself plying his trade at junior club East Kilbride Thistle. Many a young player might have seen this as a signal to fade into obscurity, but Pettigrew took the setback in his stride. What’s more, it was this unexpected detour that ultimately propelled him into the limelight when his hometown club Motherwell came calling in 1972.
Motherwell provided the stage for Pettigrew to announce himself as one of Scotland’s deadliest marksmen. He was a revelation, a striker with an insatiable hunger for goals, and an ability to finish with both power and precision. Moreover, his striking partnership with Bobby Graham formed a lethal attacking duo that gave defenders nightmares. His first two seasons saw him settle into top-flight football, but it was in the 1975–76 campaign that he truly exploded onto the scene, finishing as the top scorer in the Scottish Premier Division at the age of just 22. A feat impressive in itself, but even more so considering the calibre of forwards playing in Scotland at the time.
The newly introduced Premier Division began with an air of anticipation, and while Motherwell struggled to gain early momentum, drawing their first five matches, it was Pettigrew’s goal in the 2-1 triumph over Hibernian at Fir Park on 11 October that sparked a resurgence. What’s more, this victory set the tone for a remarkable spell of form under new manager Willie McLean, with Pettigrew emerging as the talismanic figure in the Steelmen’s attack.
In particular, his breathtaking performance just two weeks later against Dundee at Dens Park, where he scored four times in a sensational 6-3 win, epitomized his brilliance. As a result, Motherwell climbed to third in the table, momentarily dreaming of European football. Correspondingly, their Scottish Cup run offered an alternative route to continental competition, and Pettigrew played a pivotal role, not least in the stunning third-round comeback against Celtic four days into the new year when his goal capped a memorable 3-2 victory.
On that cold afternoon at Fir Park, the Hoops, led by caretaker manager Sean Fallon, arrived with a swagger and quickly asserted their authority, as Kenny Dalglish, with the elegance and precision of a master craftsman, bent in a stunning free-kick from 25 yards before Andy Lynch doubled the lead just eight minutes later. It seemed like a routine Celtic progression, another step towards silverware. However, football, as ever, thrives on unpredictability, and Motherwell, under the guidance of Willie McLean, had other ideas.
Determined not to be outdone, Motherwell came roaring back after the break, showing resilience, courage, and a refusal to bow to reputations. Bobby Graham and Ian Taylor restored parity by the hour mark, and the tension inside Fir Park was palpable. Then, in the 70th minute, the moment that would define Pettigrew’s goal scoring legacy arrived. A long ball was launched into the Celtic half, and with a burst of acceleration that left the away defence looking as though they were wading through treacle, Pettigrew raced onto it, steadied himself, and drilled a shot past Peter Latchford, the ball clipping the post on its way in.
What followed was an agonising 20 minutes for the Celtic faithful, as they watched their team throw everything forward in search of an equaliser, but the goal never came. For Motherwell, it was a famous triumph; for Celtic, it was a humbling exit, their earliest in the Scottish Cup since 1968, and a bitter pill for Fallon to swallow.
Nevertheless, fortune is a fickle mistress, and Motherwell’s cup aspirations came crashing down in the semi-finals against Rangers. With a 2-0 lead at half-time, including yet another goal from Pettigrew, all seemed set for a famous triumph. However, referee John Gordon intervened with a contentious penalty decision, allowing Rangers a lifeline, which they duly grasped to turn the game around and claim a 3-2 victory. Consequently, the Steelmen were left heartbroken, their European dream slipping away.
To add to the disappointment, the league campaign also ended on a sour note. A sequence of damaging defeats against Hibs, Rangers, and Dundee saw Motherwell tumble from third to fourth, agonizingly missing out on European qualification. Yet, while the team faltered at the final hurdle, Pettigrew’s individual exploits had already cemented his status as one of Scottish football’s most feared forwards.
Consistency is the true measure of a great striker, and Pettigrew demonstrated that his golden season was no fluke. Two years later, in 1977–78, he repeated the feat by once again topping the scoring charts. His movement, sharp finishing, and ability to sniff out half-chances made him a prized asset. Therefore, it was no surprise when, four decades later, in 2019, Motherwell inducted him into their Hall of Fame—an honour richly deserved for a player who had given Fir Park so many unforgettable moments.
However, success often comes with a price, and for Motherwell fans, that price was seeing their star striker prised away. In 1979, Dundee United splashed out £100,000 to secure Pettigrew’s services, a move that marked the beginning of a new chapter. At Tannadice, he found himself part of a team that was growing into a domestic force under Jim McLean. Pettigrew was instrumental in United’s 1979 Scottish League Cup triumph, scoring twice in a 3-0 replay victory over Aberdeen. Yet, football is as much about timing as talent, and just as Pettigrew was finding his feet, United’s future forward line was taking shape.
With Paul Sturrock and Davie Dodds emerging as McLean’s preferred frontmen, Pettigrew’s role began to diminish. Nevertheless, he played his part in the 1980 League Cup final victory, though this time his contribution came in the form of experience rather than goals. Despite the success, it became evident that his long-term future lay elsewhere, and in 1981, Heart of Midlothian offered him an opportunity to take centre stage once more.
Joining Hearts for an estimated transfer fee of £120,000, Pettigrew found himself in a different kind of battle—helping to restore the club’s top-flight status. Promotion to the Premier Division at the end of the 1982-83 campaign was a satisfying achievement, yet his days as an elite top-flight forward were beginning to wind down. Spells at Morton and Hamilton Academical followed, but by 1985, the once-prolific striker had called time on his playing career.
International football is often the ultimate litmus test of a player’s ability, and Pettigrew’s brief Scotland career is a classic example of how talent alone does not always guarantee longevity on the biggest stage. Capped five times for Scotland, all in victories, his debut in 1976 was marked by a goal—a statement of intent if ever there was one. He followed it up with another goal in his second appearance, yet despite such an auspicious start, his international career never gained momentum.
As is often the case in football, managerial preferences played their part. Scotland was blessed with an array of attacking options, and despite his goal-scoring pedigree, Pettigrew found himself squeezed out. His final cap came in 1977, and by 1980, his Scotland days were but a distant memory. Even so, his record remains unique—an unbeaten international career where he never experienced defeat. A small consolation, perhaps, but one that deserves recognition nonetheless.
Beyond the full international scene, he also represented the Scottish Football League XI twice in 1978, both games ending in 1-1 draws. Significantly, he found the net in the second of those games, ensuring his tally in representative football remained respectable.
And so, we return to the enigma of Pettigrew’s Scotland career—five caps, five wins, two goals, and then nothing. In another era, perhaps he would have been given more opportunities, or maybe he was just unfortunate to play at a time when competition was fierce. Regardless, he remains a cult hero, an icon of Scottish football’s golden age of strikers, and a player who, at his peak, was simply unplayable.
Ironically, while Willie Pettigrew may have had an unbeaten record in international football, his biggest battle might have been convincing Scotland managers to pick him more often. And let’s be honest, when your national team has a history of making perplexing selection choices, there’s something almost poetic about Pettigrew’s international tale ending far too soon.