Ally Dawson

{{Short description|Scottish footballer and manager (1958–2021)}}

{{For|the character from Austin & Ally|Austin & Ally#Cast and characters}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ally Dawson

| image =

| fullname = Alistair John Dawson{{Hugman|4892|access-date=23 February 2017}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1958|2|25}}

| birth_place = Johnstone, Scotland

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2021|7|26|1958|2|25}}

| death_place = Johnstone, Scotland

| height =

| position = Defender

| years1 = 1975–1987

| clubs1 = Rangers

| caps1 = 218

| goals1 = 6

| years2 = 1987–1990

| clubs2 = Blackburn Rovers

| caps2 = 40

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1990–1991

| clubs3 = Limerick

| caps3 = 3

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1990–1991

| clubs4 = Airdrieonians

| caps4 = 10

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 1991–1992

| clubs5 = St. Andrews

| caps5 = 6

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 1993–1995

| clubs6 = Dingli Swallows

| caps6 = 14

| goals6 = 3

| totalcaps = 277

| totalgoals = 7

| nationalyears1 = 1980–1983

| nationalteam1 = Scotland

| nationalcaps1 = 5

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1991–1992

| managerclubs1 = St. Andrews

| manageryears2 = 1999–2002

| managerclubs2 = Hamilton Academical

}}

Alistair John Dawson (25 February 1958 – 26 July 2021) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent most of his career at Rangers.

In 2011, Dawson was inducted into Rangers' Hall of Fame.{{ cite news | url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/club-news/item/6442-hall-of-fame-inductees | title=Hall of Fame inductees | publisher=Rangers.co.uk | work=Rangers Football Club | date=5 March 2014}}

Playing career

Dawson was signed as a sixteen-year-old in 1975 by manager Jock Wallace Jr. and made his debut in a pre-season tour in Canada. He was a full back who could play on either side of the pitch.

He sustained a serious injury during a club tour of Canada, when he fractured his skull. He recovered, and became a centre back. He made a total of 316 appearances for Rangers, scoring eight goals. He received two Scottish Cup winner's medals, in 1979 and 1981, and four League Cup winner's medals – in 1979, 1984, 1985 and 1987. He was capped five times by Scotland, all while at Rangers.{{cite web |url=http://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/players/alistairrobertdawson.html |title=Ally Dawson |work=londonhearts.com |publisher=London Hearts Supporters' Club |access-date=8 July 2015}}

After 12 years at the club, Dawson left Rangers for Blackburn Rovers in 1987 for £25,000, {{Inflation|index=UK|value=25,000|start_year=1987|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}. He signed for Limerick in 1990 and returned to Scotland later that season with Airdrie, before becoming player/manager of Maltese league club Luxol St. Andrews. He later also played for Dingli Swallows, another Maltese team, in their historic 1994/1995 season in First Division.{{Cite web|title=Former Luxol St Andrews coach Ally Dawson dies|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/former-luxol-st-andrews-coach-ally-dawson-dies.889402|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Times of Malta|language=en-gb}}{{cite web | url-access=limited |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/574420116061357/1827240397445983 |archive-date = 2022-04-27| url = https://www.facebook.com/dingliswallowsfc/photos/a.574431886060180/1827240397445983 |title = Dingli Swallows FC on Facebook |website=Facebook}}{{cbignore}}{{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}

Managerial career

Dawson went on to manage Hamilton Academical for a three-year spell between 1999 and 2003 where he won the Scottish Third Division title.

Death

Dawson died on 26 July 2021, aged 63.{{Cite web|date=26 July 2021|title=Ally Dawson Obituary|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/ally-dawson/458yRbuqbJMOsS8fo7Gpit|url-status=live|access-date=26 July 2021|website=Rangers Football Club|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726160929/https://www.rangers.co.uk/Article/ally-dawson/458yRbuqbJMOsS8fo7Gpit |archive-date=26 July 2021 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57974323 |title=Ally Dawson: Former Rangers and Scotland player dies aged 63 |website=BBC Sport |date=26 July 2021 |accessdate=26 July 2021}}