It's 35 years to the day since Billy Stark became Billy McNeill's first signing during his second stint as Celtic manager.

Stark was 30 years old when he arrived for the princely sum of £75,000 from Aberdeen There was no fanfare of trumpets. Having lost the services of Mo Johnston, Brian McClair, Alan McInally and Murdo MacLeod in the summer of 1987, Stark by his own admission was not considered a marquee or box office capture.

Stark was recruited alongside Motherwell hitman Andy Walker and full-back Chris Morris whilst Frank McAvennie and Joe Miller would be signed later on in the campaign. The midfielder would go on to become a Celtic legend in the club's Centenary Season by capturing the League and Scottish Cup double.

Stark said: "It is crazy, my wife nearly fainted when I told her that. I don't half feel old when people put it like that. I was 30 years old when I signed for Celtic and I was Big Billy's first signing second time around as manager for the grand sum of £75,000.

"I had told Ian Porterfield at Aberdeen at Christmas that I would not be signing another deal as Fergie had left in November. I ended up the top goalscorer that season and it was a bit of a surprise when Celtic came calling. They had lost the likes of Murdo MacLeod, Mo Johnston, Brian McClair and Alan McInally and they were four big players.

READ MORE: The signing that set Celtic back years and brought about a trophy 'abyss'

"Big Billy had just got the Celtic manager's job for the second time and he wanted to sign players that he knew a bit about and it all just fell into place for me really. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and whilst there have been a lot better Celtic sides there is no doubt about it that this team's achievement is iconic because it was the Centenary Season."

Ironically it was Billy McNeill who encapsulated and summed up the whole campaign perfectly when he uttered these immortal words when Celtic beat Dundee United 2-1 to lift the Scottish Cup and complete the double: "There is something of a fairytale about this club." Stark is certain that McNeill was the driving force behind the team during the season from day one with the Centenary season providing the vital spark to carry the players through. The current Scotland under-19 head coach insists that nobody deserved the moniker 'Big Billy' more than McNeill, even if that season did kick off with the mother of all drubbings from Arsenal in a pre-season friendly.

Stark said: "I would agree with Big Billy's fairytale statement. Nobody knew more about the club than Big Billy. He lived through it all as a player and a manager previously and coming back for a second spell as a manager was a fairytale for him. He had a tough time down in England with Manchester City and Aston Villa so to get the opportunity to come back and manage his club was a big boost to him and very special.

"Big Billy was in his element that is the thing I remember most about it, he really was. He was a big, confident guy at the best of times especially when you are back in a place where you achieved what he did and I think that was a massive factor.

"I am quite big and I have never been called Big Billy Stark. It is a testament to the esteem that Big Billy was held in. He just had an aura and a presence and it is probably a throwback to his playing days and his prowess in the air as he was imperious and unbeatable. He was a proud, proud man and some people have it and some don't. Aura, presence and legend are descriptors that sometimes are not quite right for certain people but you could never say that about Big Billy. He had that natural charisma anyway and he bred confidence in the squad.

"He had confidence in the Celtic team from day one. We worked really hard in pre-season and kicked it all off with a 5-1 drubbing against Arsenal at Celtic Park. That was all part of Big Billy's master plan to lull everybody into a false sense of security. Pre-season games and results really do mean nothing as it is genuinely all about fitness levels. That's certainly what we were telling ourselves anyway after the doing against Arsenal."

The following week Celtic defeated Greenock Morton 4-0 at Cappielow in the first game of the new season and they were off and running. Stark scored but it was a counter later on that month on August 29, 1987, that cemented his place as a hero and legend in the hearts and minds of the Celtic faithful forever.

The classy midfielder hit a sweet low strike that sped past Chris Woods with his so-called weaker left peg for what proved to be the winner in his first-ever derby match against Rangers at Celtic Park. It handed Celtic the bragging rights against a big-spending Rangers team who had won the title for the first time in nine years the previous season.

The Graeme Souness spend, spend, spend revolution and policy had kicked in at Ibrox as a plethora of English stars made their way north of the border. England No.1 Chris Woods, England internationalists Terry Butcher, Graham Roberts, Trevor Francis, Ray Wilkins, Mark Walters as well as the likes of Richard Gough and John Brown had all been brought on board. It was supposed to be a no-contest in favour of the Light Blues. Stark and his Celtic teammates had other ideas as the hosts bossed the visitors. In fact, Celtic won three out of the four league contests against Souness's star-studded outfit.

The 65-year-old is adamant that the victory in the first Glasgow derby of the season was the springboard upon which Celtic launched their assault on ripping the championship crown from Rangers' grasp. The win proved not only to McNeill and the players but also to the supporters that Celtic had a team capable of competing with Rangers for the big prizes.

Celtic Way:

Stark said: "The Celtic supporters always talk to me about that game and goal. It was a daisy-cutter with my weaker left foot and it proved to be the winner. I struck it so sweetly. People ask me what my favourite ever goal is and when I put that in context of scoring the winner against Rangers then it is up there.

"I went for accuracy instead of power that day and I stroked it home. The Graeme Souness revolution had really kicked off at Ibrox and that was a pivotal game for us as Rangers had won the title for the first time in nine years the season before. They were the benchmark but we threw down a real marker that day as we should have won the game more comfortably than we did. We took them apart and it worked out well for me as it was the only goal of the game. It was a special moment for me in my career.

"That goal helped me settle in at Celtic as the jury was most definitely out on me as it is fair to say I wasn't a marquee or box office signing and eyebrows were raised when I joined the club. Celtic and Rangers are expected to make big signings all the time even when you have won every trophy under the sun and that is part and parcel of football and it is what supporters expect. Celtic had lost top calibre players when that season kicked off and I wasn't viewed as a star signing. I came in alongside Andy Walker from Motherwell but he was a young striker who had scored goals and that captured the imagination. I had work to do to prove to the Celtic supporters that I would be a good signing.

"It was a pivotal derby game as it showed Celtic could go toe-to-toe with Rangers and be a match for them. That was the catalyst for the season that Celtic went on to have. Rangers had started to gain momentum and were signing a plethora of English stars and had they come away with a victory that day it would have made life extremely difficult for Celtic that season."

Amazingly Stark was denied another glorious moment in the infamous Shame Game at Ibrox in October 1987. The two sides fought out a 2-2 draw but the match was marred as Frank McAvennie of Celtic, Chris Woods, Terry Butcher and Graham Roberts were all sent off and the trio ended up in court in what infamously became known as 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' case. Many fans have since forgotten that Stark smashed a header off the woodwork with the scoreline standing at 2-1 to Celtic.

Stark said: "We actually drew 2-2 at Ibrox in the infamous Goldilocks and the Three Bears match which saw all the players end up in court. Funnily enough, McAvennie was being rag-dolled by the Rangers players in that incident and none of the Celtic players came to his rescue because we knew Macca could handle himself.

"I smacked the bar with a header at 2-1 which would have made it 3-1 and it would have probably been another memorable derby for me. Graham Roberts was in goal after Chris Woods had been sent off and the ball came off the underside of the crossbar and he gathered it. That's the fine margins in football and it turned out to be the only points we dropped against Rangers that season."

Stark remains immensely proud of his achievements at Celtic during that fateful campaign. Celtic fans never tire of talking about it. He revealed that his closest pal in football the dearly departed Tommy Burns never under-estimated the enormity of what that Celtic side achieved against the odds during their Centenary season.

READ MORE: Billy Stark remembers his 'old pal' as Celtic legend Tommy Burns' story takes to the stage

Stark said: "It was Tommy Burns who famously said after the Scottish Cup final win over Dundee United in 1988 - 'They're there and they're always there and God Bless every one of them.' He never lost sight of the fact that the Celtic fans played a massive part in our success that season too.

"Tommy would be remembered for a lot of things at Celtic but that achievement was so special. He won so many things with Celtic but even Tommy recognised the uniqueness of this achievement and he was always proud of the fact that we would always be remembered as part of the Celtic team who won the double in their Centenary season. 

"When you get a wee moment to reflect on your career and you have been lucky enough to have been involved in winning trophies and all the rest of it you have seasons where you can recollect the memories very quickly. Without a doubt winning the double with Celtic stands at the top.

"Although I won a double with Aberdeen as well and I don't think that too many players have achieved that. Mark McGhee and I hold the distinction of winning a League and Cup double with two different Scottish teams. That Centenary Season was special for so many reasons and 35 years on from signing for Celtic people still talk to me and ask me about it. It's still a wonderful feeling."

It was a real snapshot in time epitomised by Scotsport and Ian Archer's fantastic 'In Praise of Ceasar' tribute which was shown on Sunday after the league was won on Saturday when Celtic beat Dundee 3-0 at Celtic Park.

Archer captured the mood brilliantly when he said in the documentary: "They say the joy has gone out of football and the beautiful game is no longer what it once was. They weren't at Parkhead yesterday."

Stark said: "I remember the Scotsport tribute as the cameras had been on the team bus for the title party and STV had also followed us to Ibrox for another crucial win during the season when we won 2-1 which more or less guaranteed the title. The Dundee game when we clinched the league was fantastic and what a crowd there was inside the ground that day.

"At the end of that Scotsport tribute, I remember they played a music montage and all the players were transformed into a picture from 1888. It was a wonderful, poignant tribute and a cracking salute to the champions."

Some 35 years on the script still reads like something of a fairytale especially if you happen to be Billy Stark.