Alec Linwood

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Alec Linwood

| image=

| fullname = Alexander Bryce Linwood{{cite web |url=http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/opp/AlexanderBryceLinwood.htm |title=Alexander Bryce Linwood – Record Vs Heart of Midlothian |publisher=London Hearts Supporters Club |accessdate=22 February 2013}}{{Hugman|11775|accessdate=19 February 2017}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1920|3|13}}

| birth_place = Drongan, Scotland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|10|26|1920|3|13|df=y}}

| death_place = Renfrew, Scotland

| position = Centre forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1938

| years2 = 1938–1946

| years3 = 1940

| years4 = 1946–1947

| years5 = 1947–1948

| years6 = 1948–1951

| years7 = 1951–1955

| clubs1 = Muirkirk

| clubs2 = St Mirren

| clubs3 = → Partick Thistle (loan){{cite web |url = http://www.thethistlearchive.net/alex-linwood |title = Alex Linwood | publisher = The Thistle Archive | access-date = 22 August 2022 }}

| clubs4 = Middlesbrough

| clubs5 = Hibernian

| clubs6 = Clyde

| clubs7 = Greenock Morton

| caps1 =

| caps2 = 4

| caps3 = 0

| caps4 = 14

| caps5 = 36

| caps6 = 56

| caps7 = 101

| goals1 =

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| goals4 = 3

| goals5 = 23

| goals6 = 20

| goals7 = 72

| totalcaps =

| totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 = 1943

| nationalteam1 = Scotland (wartime)

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1948

| nationalteam2 = Scottish League XI

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 1949

| nationalteam3 = Scotland

| nationalcaps3 = 1

| nationalgoals3 = 1

}}

Alexander Bryce Linwood (13 March 1920 – 26 October 2003) was a Scottish footballer who played for St Mirren, Middlesbrough, Hibernian, Clyde, Greenock Morton and the Scotland national team.

Career

Born in the tiny mining settlement of Drumsmudden, near Drongan in Ayrshire, Linwood began working in the mines at the age of 14. He played schools and juvenile football before joining the newly formed Muirkirk Juniors in 1938.{{cite web|url=http://www.ayrshirehistory.com/pdf/cairntable_echoes.pdf |title=Cairntable Echoes |author=James Taylor |publisher=Ayrshire History |page=137 |year=2002 |accessdate=21 February 2013}} Linwood signed for St Mirren the same year,{{cite journal|title=A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players|author=John Litster|publisher=Scottish Football Historian magazine|date=October 2012}} however on the outbreak of World War II, the player was forced to resume his mining career for the war effort.{{cite web|url=http://www.clydefc.co.uk/news/2003/10/27/747/#.USddaVeumM0 |title=Past Master #6 – Alex Linwood |author=Paul Pettigrew |publisher=Clyde FC |date=27 October 2003 |accessdate=21 February 2013}}

A centre-forward, Linwood continued to play wartime football for St. Mirren and also played in an unofficial international match against England at Maine Road in 1943 which the Scots lost 8–0.{{cite web|url=http://www.11v11.com/matches/england-v-scotland-16-october-1943-225209/ |title=England v Scotland, 16 October 1943 |publisher=11v11.com |work=Association of Football Statisticians |accessdate=21 February 2013}} In all, Linwood scored 165 goals in 236 competitive matches for St Mirren between 1938–1946 and remains the club's second top goalscorer of all time.{{cite web|url=http://www.stmirren.info/id406.html |title=Alec Linwood|publisher=St.Mirren.info |accessdate=21 February 2013}} He finished as the team's top scorer in all seven seasons with the club.{{ cite news | url = https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/alec-real-eye-goal-2542372 | title = Alec had a real eye for goal | newspaper = Daily Record | date = 2 December 2012 | access-date = 16 July 2022 }}

After Motherwell had a bid rejected in November 1945,{{ cite news | url = https://www.motherwellnet.com/database/this-day-in-history/november/ | title = TUESDAY 13TH NOVEMBER 1945 | publisher = Motherwell FC.net | access-date = 16 July 2022 }} Linwood moved to Middlesbrough in 1946 but struggled to make an impact in the English First Division, partly due to still having to work as a miner while his teammates were full-time professionals. The player returned to Hibernian and won the Scottish Football League championship in 1948, his only senior footballing honour.{{cite book | last = Lamming | first = Douglas | title = A Scottish Soccer Internationalists Who's Who, 1872-1986 | type = Hardback | publisher = Hutton Press | year = 1987 | isbn = 0-907033-47-4 | id = () }}

Later in 1948, Linwood represented the Scottish League XI.{{cite news|url=http://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/players/aleclinwood.html|title=Alec Linwood|work=Londonhearts.com|publisher=London Hearts Supporters' Club|accessdate=12 December 2011}} In November 1949, now as a Clyde player, Linwood scored in his only cap for Scotland, a 2–0 win over Wales in a British Home Championship match which doubled as a 1950 World Cup qualifier.{{ cite news | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0001/print.shtml | title = Scotland and the 1950 World Cup | work = BBC Sport | publisher = BBC | access-date = 16 July 2022 }}

While at Shawfield, Linwood played in 1949 Scottish Cup final and scored 30 goals the season after. He was the first post-war Clyde player to net five goals in a match.{{cite web | url=https://www.clydefc.co.uk/news/2019/09/15/6217/#.YNSX7bfTWHQ | title=David Achieves Notable Feats | publisher=Clyde FC | date=15 September 2019 | access-date=24 June 2021}}

He later moved to Morton in 1951 before retiring in 1955. Linwood died on 23 October 2003 at the age of 83.{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/alex-linwood-footballer-who-debuted-before-the-second-world-war-1.103800 |title=Alex Linwood Footballer who debuted before the Second World War |author=Bob Crampsey |newspaper=The Herald |date=1 November 2003 |accessdate=21 February 2013}}

Honours

St Mirren

Summer Cup: 1942–43{{ cite web | url = https://www.stmirren.info/wartime-cup-competitions | title = War-time Competitions | publisher = StMirren.info | access-date = 24 June 2021 }}
Renfrewshire Cup: 1945–46{{ cite web | url = http://www.stmirrenprogrammes.co.uk/StMirren/STM_Match_Details.php?Season=1945&GameID=194508160 | title = Renfrewshire Cup Final 1945/46 | publisher = SMFC Programmes | access-date = 24 June 2021 }}

Hibernian

Scottish Division A: 1947–48

Clyde

Scottish Cup: Runner-up 1948–49

Morton

Renfrewshire Cup: 1951–52{{ cite web | url = http://www.stmirrenprogrammes.co.uk/StMirren/STM_Match_Details.php?Season=1951&GameID=195108220 | title = Renfrewshire Cup Final 1951/52 | publisher = SMFC Programmes | access-date = 24 June 2022 }}

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !rowspan="2"\|Division !colspan="2"\|League !colspan="2"\|FA Cup !colspan="2"\|League Cup !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="2"\|Partick Thistle \| 1939–40 \| Emergency League West \| 1	0	–	–	–	–	1{{efn \| Includes Glasgow Charity Cup (1 app) }}	0	2	0
colspan = "2"\| Total	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	2	0
rowspan="2"\|St Mirren \| 1945–46{{ cite web \| title = St. Mirren Programmes - Season 1945/46 \| url = http://www.stmirrenprogrammes.co.uk/StMirren/STM_Prog_Season.php?season=1945 \| access-date = 31 August 2022 \| publisher = SMFC Programmes }} \| Southern League A \| 28	16	2{{efn \| SFA held Victory Cup instead of Scottish Cup }}	1	6	1	1{{efn \| Includes Renfrewshire Cup (1 app, 2 goals) }}	2	37	20
colspan = "2"\| Total	28	16	2	1	6	1	1	2	37	20
rowspan="3"\|Hibernian \| 1947–48{{ cite web \| title = Games Involving Linwood, Alex in Season 1947/48 \| url = https://www.fitbastats.com/hibs/player_games.php?playerid=6071&page=2 \| access-date = 31 August 2022 \| publisher = Fitbastats }} \|rowspan = 2\| Scottish A Division \| 24	14	5	4	4	3	0	0	33	21
1948–49{{ cite web \| title = Games Involving Linwood, Alex in Season 1948/49 \| url = https://www.fitbastats.com/hibs/player_games.php?playerid=6071&page=1 \| access-date = 31 August 2022 \| publisher = Fitbastats }} \| 12	8	0	0	6	4	0	0	18	12
colspan = "2"\| Total	36	22	5	4	10	7	0	0	51	33
rowspan="4"\|Clyde \|1948–49{{ cite web \| title = 1948 - 1949 Fixtures \| url = https://www.clydefc.co.uk/match/fixtures/1948/ \| access-date = 31 August 2022 \| publisher = Clyde FC }} \|rowspan = 3\|Scottish A Division \|14	6	7	6	0	0	1{{efn \| Includes Glasgow Cup (1 app)}}	0	22	12
1949–50{{ cite web \| title = 1949 - 1950 Fixtures \| url = https://www.clydefc.co.uk/match/fixtures/1949/ \| access-date = 31 August 2022 \| publisher = Clyde FC }} \|28	12	2	2	6	3	7{{efn \| Includes Glasgow Cup (6 apps, 9 goals) and Charity Cup (1 app)}}	9	43	26
1950–51{{ cite web \| title = 1950 - 1951 Fixtures \| url = https://www.clydefc.co.uk/match/fixtures/1950/ \| access-date = 31 August 2022 \| publisher = Clyde FC }} \|11	1	3	3	6	1	4{{ efn \| Includes Glasgow Cup (1 apps), Glasgow Charity Cup (1 app) and St Mungo Cup (2 apps, 2 goals) }}	2	24	7
colspan="2"\| Total !53	19	12	11	12	4	12	11	89	45
colspan="3"\| Total ! 118	57	19	16	28	12	14	11	179	98

= Notes =

References

External links

{{SFA profile}}
[http://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/players/alexanderbrycelinwood.html Profile] at Londonhearts.com
{{NeilBrownPlayers|player2/alexlinwood}}
[http://ihibs.co.uk/player.php?playerid=632 Alec Linwood], www.ihibs.co.uk

Category:1920 births

Category:2003 deaths

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Scottish men's footballers

Category:Scotland men's international footballers

Category:Scotland men's wartime international footballers

Category:St Mirren F.C. players

Category:Middlesbrough F.C. players

Category:Hibernian F.C. players

Category:Clyde F.C. players

Category:Greenock Morton F.C. players

Category:Scottish Football League players