Alec McNair
.jpg) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander McNair | ||
| Date of birth | 26 December 1883 | ||
| Place of birth | Bo’ness, Scotland[1] | ||
| Date of death | 18 November 1951 (aged 67) | ||
| Place of death | Stenhousemuir, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | Right back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –1904 | Stenhousemuir | ||
| 1904–1925 | Celtic | 583 | (8) |
| National team | |||
| 1906–1920 | Scotland | 15 | (0) |
| 1919 | → Scotland (wartime) | 3 | (0) |
| 1908–1920 | Scottish League XI | 16 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1925–1927 | Dundee | ||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Alec McNair was a Scottish football player and manager. He played as a defender for Celtic and represented the Scotland national team in fifteen official internationals between 1906 and 1920. McNair also represented the Scottish League XI 16 times.[2] He then managed Dundee from 1925 until 1927.
McNair began his career at Stenhousemuir. He played at inside right and was a regular goalscorer, helping the club win the Scottish Qualifying Cup in 1901 and 1902.[3] McNair also played in the Stenhousemuir team that reached the Scottish Cup semi-final in 1903, losing 4-1 to Rangers.[3]
In May 1904, McNair signed for Celtic.[1] McNair initially played in a variety of positions, but when right-back Donnie McLeod left in 1908, McNair made that position his own.[1] He was an integral part of the Celtic side that won six successive league championships from 1904-05 to 1909-10.[4] McNair had exceptional positional sense and ability to anticipate his opponents moves.[4] He was a precise tackler and had confidence in his ability to dribble the ball out of his own penalty area rather than rashly boot it forward.[4] McNair was a calm and composed personality, and his demeanour earned him the nickname 'The Icicle'.[1][4] Willie Maley, the Celtic manager, described McNair as “The coolest, most intelligent player I have sever seen.”[3]
In his 21 years at Celtic. McNair played a total of 641 games for the club; winning the League Championship 12 times and the Scottish Cup 6 times.[1][4] He played his last game on 18 April 1925, a 1-1 draw with Queen's Park. He was 41 years old and is the oldest player ever to play for Celtic.[5]
McNair became manager of Dundee in June 1925. His first two seasons saw Dundee finish mid-table and then fifth. However, after a poor start to season 1927-28, McNair left Dens Park in October 1927. He then left full-time involvement in football to become a stockbroker, but still kept some involvement in the game by working as a referee supervisor.[6]
Honours
- Scottish League: (12) 1904-05, 1905–06, 1906–07, 1907–08, 1908–09, 1909–10, 1913–14, 1914–15, 1915–16, 1916–17, 1918–19, 1921–22
- Scottish Cup: (6) 1907, 1908, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1923
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Alec McNair "The Icicle" bio". Celtic Wiki. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ↑ "Scotland FL Players by Appearances". Londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Alec McNair". Historic Warriors (History of Stenhousemuir FC). Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Campbell, Tom; Woods, Pat (1987). The Glory & The Dream. Grafton. pp. 354–358. ISBN 0-586-20005-3.
- ↑ "Alec McNair". Celtic FC - Facebook. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ↑ Ross, David (14 November 2011). Gaffers. lulu.com. pp. 358–359. ISBN 978-1470927103. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
External links
| Preceded by Jim Young |
Celtic F.C. captain 1917–1920 |
Succeeded by William Cringan |