Alexander McNair (24 December 1882 – 18 November 1951) was a Scottish football player and manager. He played as a defender for Celtic for 21 years and represented the Scotland national team in 15 official internationals between 1906 and 1920. McNair also represented the Scottish League XI 15 times.[4][a] He then managed Dundee from 1925 until 1927.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander McNair | ||
| Date of birth | 24 December 1882[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Stenhousemuir, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 18 November 1951 (aged 68) | ||
| Place of death | Stenhousemuir, Scotland | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1900–1904 | Stenhousemuir | ||
| 1904–1925 | Celtic | 583 | (8) |
| International career | |||
| 1906–1920 | Scotland | 15 | (0) |
| 1908–1920 | Scottish League XI | 15 | (0) |
| 1918–1919[2][3] | Scotland (wartime) | 4 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1925–1927 | Dundee | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Stenhousemuir
editMcNair 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.[6] He also played in the Stenhousemuir team that reached the Scottish Cup semi-final in 1903, losing 4–1 to Rangers.[6]
Celtic
editIn May 1904, McNair signed for Celtic.[7] He initially played in a variety of positions, but when right-back Donnie McLeod left in 1908, McNair made that position his own.[7] He was an integral part of the Celtic side spearheaded by Jimmy Quinn that won six successive league championships from 1904–05 to 1909–10.[8] McNair had exceptional positional sense and ability to anticipate his opponents' moves.[8] 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.[8] He was a calm and composed personality, and his demeanour earned him the nickname 'The Icicle'.[7][8] Willie Maley, the Celtic manager, described McNair as "The coolest, most intelligent player I have ever seen."[6]
In his 21 years at Celtic McNair played a total of 641 games for the club in major competitions, winning the league championship 12 times and the Scottish Cup six times.[7][8] 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.[9] McNair's appearances, trophy and caps totals might have been even higher had it not been for the interruption of World War I when the League continued but the Cup and internationals were suspended, considering that his success at club level and selection for Scotland continued after the conflict.[10]
He received a benefit match in 1921, in which a combined Rangers/Celtic team played against a Scottish League team (the league also selected Celtic players John McFarlane and Tully Craig, who scored all their team's goals in a 3–1 win).[11]
Later years
editMcNair 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, he left Dens Park in October 1927. He then left full-time participation in football to become a stockbroker, but still kept some involvement in the game by working as a referee supervisor.[12]
Honours
editPlayer
editStenhousemuir
- Central Combination:[15] 1900–01, 1901–02
- Stirlingshire Cup: 1901–02[16]
Celtic[17]
- Scottish League champions: 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: 1906–07, 1907–08, 1910–11, 1911–12, 1913–14, 1922–23
- Glasgow Cup:[18] 1906–07, 1907–08, 1909–10, 1915–16, 1916–17, 1919–20, 1920–21
- Glasgow Charity Cup:[18] 1904–05, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1913–14, 1914–15, 1915–16, 1916–17, 1917–18, 1919–20
- War Fund Shield:[19] 1917–18
Scotland
Manager
editDundee
- Forfarshire Cup:[21] 1924–25, 1925–26
See also
editNotes and references
edit- ^ The source lists 16 matches, but the first cap in 1908 is counted twice;[4] McNair played in defence, but the forward position was occupied by Jimmy McMenemy.[5]
- ^ Statutory registers - Births - Search results, ScotlandsPeople
- ^ "Scotland player Alexander McNair (including unofficial matches)". London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
- ^ 45,000 view the charity 'national match Archived 14 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Sunday Post, 9 June 1918 (via Partick Thistle History Archive)
- ^ a b "SFL player Alexander McNair". London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
- ^ League International: England v. Scotland, The Glasgow Herald, 2 March 1908
- ^ a b c "Alec McNair". Historic Warriors (History of Stenhousemuir FC). Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Alec McNair "The Icicle" bio". Celtic Wiki. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ a b c d e 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.
- ^ Potter, David (2012). The Celtic Miscellany. The History Press. ISBN 9780752490595.
- ^ Scottish League Select's Victory, 5 January 1921 (via The Celtic Wiki)
- ^ Ross, David (14 November 2011). Gaffers. lulu.com. pp. 358–359. ISBN 978-1470927103.
- ^ "FOOTBALL". Falkirk Herald. 19 December 1900. Retrieved 15 May 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "FOOTBALL". Falkirk Herald. 18 December 1901. Retrieved 15 May 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "The Central Combination". SFHA. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ "FOOTBALL". Falkirk Herald. 5 March 1902. Retrieved 15 May 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "The 500 Club". ACSOM. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ a b ""The Icicle" Alec McNair – Celtic Historian is trying to locate any of Alec's descendants". Yard Breaker. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ Association football | War Fund Shield–Final Tie, Glasgow Herald, 6 May 1918
- ^ "Alec McNair". SFA. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ "1924/25 Forfarshire Cup Final". Dee Archive. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
"1925/26 Forfarshire Cup Final". Dee Archive. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
External links
edit
Alec McNair, Celtic's Icicle David Potter