Alex McCrae

{{Infobox football biography

| name= Alex McCrae

| image =

| fullname = Alexander McCrae{{Hugman|12316|accessdate=14 April 2017}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|1920|1|2|df=y}}

| birth_place = Whitburn, Scotland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|10|8|1920|1|2|df=y}}

| death_place = Livingston, Scotland

| position = Forward

| years1 = 1941–1947

| years2 = 1947–1948

| years3 = 1948–1953

| years4 = 1953–1957

| clubs1 = Heart of Midlothian

| clubs2 = Charlton Athletic

| clubs3 = Middlesbrough

| clubs4 = Falkirk

| clubs5 = Ballymena United

| caps1 = 156

| caps2 = 43

| caps3 = 122

| caps4 = 94

| goals1 = 62

| goals2 = 8

| goals3 = 47

| goals4 = 33

| manageryears1 = 1957–1960

| manageryears2 = 1960 (Jan-Mar)

| manageryears3 = 1960–1965

| manageryears4 = 1969–1971

| manageryears5 = 1972

| managerclubs1 = Ballymena United

| managerclubs2 = Stirling Albion

| managerclubs3 = Falkirk{{Cite web |url=http://falkirkfchistorian.blogspot.com/p/falkirk-fc-managers.html |title=Falkirk FC Managers |access-date=12 July 2011 |archive-date=13 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313060527/http://falkirkfchistorian.blogspot.com/p/falkirk-fc-managers.html |url-status=dead }}

| managerclubs4 = Ballymena United

| managerclubs5 = Glentoran

}}

Alexander McCrae (2 January 1920 – 8 October 2009) was a Scottish footballer, who played for Hearts, Charlton Athletic, Middlesbrough and Falkirk during his career.

Playing career

McCrae began his career at Hearts in 1941. He later moved to London to play for Charlton Athletic but was unable to settle and was snapped up by Middlesbrough for £10,000 in October 1948.

The versatile frontman could play in any forward position but favoured the inside left role. He began his career with the club in the 1948–49 season in the absence of Wilf Mannion, but his form was poor and soon he was dropped from the side. Eventually, he was recalled alongside Mannion, where he showed his pace, accurate passing and sublime ball skills.

After scoring 16 goals in the 1949–50 season, including the winner in a home 1–0 victory over Newcastle United on Boxing Day, he became a fans favourite. He topped the scoring charts the next season, scoring three hat-tricks before Christmas, but injury robbed him from helping the side finish higher than sixth in the table that season. McCrae then scored 21 goals in the 1950/51 season. As of 2009, he was the last player to score 20 goals in a season for Middlesbrough while playing in the top division of the English football league system.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/alex-mccrae-striker-who-remains-the-last-man-to-score-20-topflight-league-goals-in-a-season-for-middlesbrough-1804387.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220506/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/alex-mccrae-striker-who-remains-the-last-man-to-score-20-topflight-league-goals-in-a-season-for-middlesbrough-1804387.html |archive-date=6 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Alex McCrae: Striker who remains the last man to score 20 top-flight League goals in a season for Middlesbrough |first=Ivan |last=Ponting |work=The Independent |date=17 October 2009 |access-date=31 December 2014}}{{cbignore}}

He left the club for Falkirk in 1953, and followed this with a spell in Northern Ireland with Ballymena.http://www.ballymenaunited.co.uk/history/alex_mccrae.html{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} During his stint with Ballymena, McCrae made one appearance for the Irish League representative team.

After football

After retiring from playing, he became Middlesbrough's scout in Scotland, where he recommended future legend Jim Platt to the club.

Honours

;Falkirk

Stirlingshire Cup : 1960–61, 1963–64

References

{{cite web |url=http://www.mfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HeroesDetail/0,,1~209,00.html |title=Heroes: Alex McCrae 1948–53 |access-date=2007-09-19 |publisher=mfc.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070817050431/http://www.mfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HeroesDetail/0%2C%2C1~209%2C00.html |archive-date=17 August 2007 |url-status=dead }}

External links

{{NeilBrownPlayers|player2/alexmccrae}}
[http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/alex-mccrae-football-player-and-manager-1.926052 Obituary] in The Herald

Category:1920 births

Category:2009 deaths

Category:Charlton Athletic F.C. players

Category:Falkirk F.C. managers

Category:Falkirk F.C. players

Category:Men's association football inside forwards

Category:Heart of Midlothian F.C. players

Category:Middlesbrough F.C. players

Category:People from Whitburn, West Lothian

Category:Footballers from West Lothian

Category:Scottish Football League players

Category:Scottish men's footballers